Page 88 of Letters to the Lost

“Mother! You can’t say stuff like that,” Sebastian admonishes her, rage contorting his features.

“Just say the word Cupcake and I’ll slide my knife into her jugular,” Dominic whispers into my ear, appearing from thin air.

His tattooed hand wraps around my waist, pushing Zander to the side as he steps closer to me. His chest presses into my back, making me relax into him.

“Don’t be like that. Autumn knows I was joking, don’t you dear?”

Unable to say anything back, I just nod with a quick mumbled ‘Yup’.

“Just say the word Cupcake. Just one word and she’s dead, I don’t care if she’s his mom I’ll make her hurt for being a bitch,” Dominic offers. Even though I appreciate it, I just want to move on. It’s Christmas after all and I know what a few drinks can do to someone’s intentions.

“It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Miller. I would love to meet your husband one day when he isn’t busy, maybe at dinner?” I say as politely as I can, brushing past her before she can open her mouth to answer.

Walking towards where the tree is set up, the decorations we all put on the tree earlier twinkle as the lights twinkle on and off. Images of me and Sebastian earlier run through my mind, never in my wildest imagination would I have ever thought he would tie me up with Christmas lights and make me come until I was soaked.

“What are you thinking about Cupcake?” Dominic mutters.

“Just something me and Sebastian did earlier,” I respond refusing to elaborate, knowing he’ll try to whisk me away to recreate it.

“Must have been something good. You got that pretty little dazed look on your face that you normally do after I feast on you,” He says, stopping me from walking away. Turning me to face him, he cups my face with his hands the coolness of his rings against my skin as he strokes my cheek with his thumb, “How is it whenever I see you, you somehow look so much more beautiful than the last.”

“Maybe you need to get your eyes tested,” I smile up at him, loving when a wide grin spreads across his face in response.

“You are such a brat, but it’s definitely not that. There’s no darkness inside of me anymore Cupcake, you’ve come into my life and completely banished any of those thoughts from my head. What I thought was my DNA, that I was destined to be a shitty person like my birth giver all of those thoughts have gone,” He kisses me, his tongue demanding entry to my mouth as he kisses me like he needs it to survive, needs me to survive.

I sag against him as if he’s stolen all the air from my lungs to bring himself back to life, and for him, for any of them, I would.

I would give the last of anything I could offer them if it meant they were ok.

“You will never be like her Dominic. You are good. You might not be normal; you might think differently to others, but you are such a good person who does so much for everyone. I see you Dominic, I see the man who tries to make us smile and laugh even when his thoughts tell him he's not worthy to be around us…” I kiss him again, pressing my lips to his harshly hoping he believes everything I’m telling him, “You are worthy Dominic, I love you so much and I will always be your light just as you are mine. Your love is consuming but I would take being consumed by your love any day rather than never have you.”

A tear slips from his eye, trailing down his cheek. He doesn’t move though just stares at me; his blue eyes fixed onto mine searching for the truth in my words.

“You really mean that?” his voice filled with vulnerability.

“Every word Dominic.”

“God, I would ask you to marry me right this second if I didn’t know I’d get my ass kicked by Mrs. Moore,” He lets out a small watery laugh.

“And you would be correct,” Mrs. Moore laughs, her eyes crinkling in the corners as she looks at us warmly.

“I know I probably don’t have to say this to you Dominic, but you better look after this girl. I’ve already warned the others,” She warns him.

“With my life.”

“Good. Now let me steal my future daughter from you for a moment. I need some girl talk.” Mrs. Moore wastes no time, stealing me from Dominic’s arms and waving her hand dismissively at the rest of my men as they try to follow, “Girls only. Back off. Get.”

“But what if she needs…” Dominic starts.

“What she needs is to talk with someone who doesn’t have a penis. Now get,” Mrs. Moore says, her face serious even if the rest of the guys are horrified at the word penis coming from her mouth.

“Bye!” I wave to them while laughing, nearly choking on my saliva when I see Mr. Moore consoling a traumatized Atlas.

“She said penis Da…” Atlas splutters.

“Yes son, she says much vulgar words when I use mine…”

I don’t get to hear the end of that sentence thank god as Mrs. Moore walks us out to the patio, the door closing behind us cutting off the conversation coming from inside.

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