Page 72 of Always You
When I unlock the door to the studio, my heart sinks. Someone broke in, it's destroyed. Sophie walks in behind and she gasps. The studio's back door hangs open, and all our props are scattered everywhere.
“Don’t touch anything, Mila, let me call the police.”
My gaze goes to the register. It’s not broken or messed with. We don’t leave money in the register. We lock all cash in the safe. I walk into my office and all my cameras are in place. This is not a robbery. Doesn’t seem that way. I’m no detective, but I’ve watched plenty of shows. Tears trickle down my cheek. I’ve worked so damn hard to have my studio, to build a life for Dante and me. Sophie stands next to me with tears in her eyes. Her head lies on my shoulder.
“Police are on their way, chica.” She sniffles.
“They didn’t take anything.”
“I know, I noticed.”
Twenty minutes later, the police show up and one officer was Liam. They took all our information and checked for fingerprints and nothing, not one. Someone had tampered with our surveillance cameras so it didn’t pick up the intruder. Liam took pictures of the demolished props.
What the fuck.
They broke into no other shops but mine.
“How are you doing, Mila?” Liam walks toward me.
“A little shaken up, but I’ll be okay,” I say, earnestly, chewing on my bottom lip.
“I called Dominic. He should be here soon. He said he would be here in like thirty minutes.”
“Thank you, Liam.”
He nods and leans by the door. “Your welcome call me if you need anything.”
Sophie’s been calling all our clients, canceling until we clean this mess up and call the insurance.
The mail carrier walks in, handing me a large envelope. I open it to find pictures of Dominic and Samantha together. Having sex. One with her in red lace lingerie as he sits on the bed watching her.
Oh God, I want to hurl, are these recent? In the other photos, she’s on top of him. Her blonde hair brushed against Dominic’s thighs, as she arches her back. Another picture shows him on top of her.
Both fucking and naked. The temperature in the room shifts my flesh goes ghost white.
Dominic happens to walk in, startled by the mess. “Baby, are you okay?”
My chest feels so tight. The way he’s looking at her in those pictures. The same way he looks at me. He loves her.
“Besides the break in, Dominic. These were delivered to me,” I say harshly, slapping the photos on his chest and blinking to stop the tears from streaming.
Dominic’s gaze cuts into mine his eyes widen.
“Angel,” he whispers. He swallows, then walks to the trashcan and dumps them. “Angel,” he repeats.
I turn my gaze from him, I can’t look at him.
“I don’t know who took those, but this was way before you came back, baby. I’m sorry you had to see them,” he drawls through gritted teeth. “Baby, please look at me. I don’t remember any of it.”
I’m so fucking disgusted. I run my hands through my hair. “The way you looked at her, Dominic, it was the same way you look at me. You love her. You fucking lied to me. You just told me you didn’t love her, and you never made love to her?” Tears drop, I’m unable to hold them in.
“Baby no, I never loved her, Mila. In those pictures, I was most likely drunk, Mila, at times I would imagine it was you. I’m being honest with you.”
He takes a step toward me. He wipes my tears.
“I love you, Mila. I didn’t lie to you. I never made love to her. Do you believe me?” he murmurs, cradling my face. “Don’t cry, baby, it hurts me to see you cry; it pains me.” His eyes are shaded. His shoulders deflate. “Do you believe me, baby?” he repeats.
“I-I want to… why did you take photos of you two having sex if it was nothing to you?”
