Page 1 of Always You
prologue
MILA
After splashing a moderate amount of water on my pale face, I notice hollow dark eyes and dark circles around my eyes. “Deep breaths, Mila,” I tell myself as I look at my reflection in the mirror in the hospital restroom.One, two, three, breathe.My knuckles turn white when I grip the porcelain sink. “I can’t lose him,” I mumble to my reflection, composing myself, before exiting the restroom to walk numbly into Dominic’s room.
I am rooted to the spot, but there’s an invisible force tugging me toward him. My movements seem to happen with no conscious effort of my own. The smell of cleaning supplies and astringent hand soap makes me nauseous. The constant beeping of the IV machine near Dominic's bed tugs at my heartstrings as I watch him. His eyes are closed, and he’s snoring faintly, his chest rising and falling. I can’t shift my gaze away from his figure; his olive skin and chiseled features, the scar above his eyebrow, and those lips that I yearn for. How I wish to spend eternity with him. The bed sheets rustle as he exhales a gentle moan.
“Angel,” he speaks in a broken whisper.
“Come here.” He pats the side of the bed so I can sit. He shifts over. “Lay down with me.” He kisses my temple. He trails kisses along my cheek, nose, and lips.
Our lips part as he kisses me softly. I’m trying to memorize the taste and the touch of his lips. I need to remember this eternally.
He pulls back when he sees my wet tears. “Baby, I love you.” He wipes my tears with the pad of his thumb.
“I-I love you too. I don't want it to be our last time together. I want to be with you forever.” I choke on each word.
He places my hand on my chest. “I’ll be right here with you always, Angel.”
I stare into those big brown eyes that remind me of whiskey. He gives me a small smile that makes his dimples pop out. Wiping my tears, he kisses my cheeks.
Rachel, Dominic’s mother, transferred him to the Arizona hospital at Harold Children’s Cancer Center three weeks ago. They have the finest doctors. His disease had advanced, and Rachel warned me he has only weeks to live. How unfair life can be. I lost my parents, and now the man I have fallen wholly in love with is leaving me. The day Rachel informed me, I fell to my knees. He’s all I have left besides my nana. The pain in my chest tightens, making it unbearable to breathe, to live without him.
“You’re so beautiful. I’m so lucky to have found you,” Dominic croaks out. “Mila,” he says gingerly, barely above a whisper. “I want you to live life to its fullest. I’m sorry I won’t be here.” He takes a slow breath. “You’ve been through so much. I found my soulmate, and I hope you will find a second chance at fate. I’ll likely be jealous as hell.” He lets out a small chuckle. “But I want you to find happiness.” Tears trickle down; he swallows it all in. I wipe his tears and kiss him.
“Dom, I’ll never find a love like ours.” Tears streaming down my cheeks, I carefully trace the ink etched onto Dominic's chest. He wanted a line tattoo depicting a man and woman together; the man's lips resting on the woman's forehead in a tender kiss. As our relationship had progressed, he’d mentioned getting a tattoo resembling us.
“Did I ever tell you why I got this tattoo and what it means to me?”
“No, you didn’t,” I utter between sobs.
He kisses my forehead. “A kiss on the forehead is not just any kiss; it possesses so much more meaning to it.” He takes another deep breath and swallows. “A forehead kiss means protection. Even when I’m not here, I’ll protect you, watching you from the heavens. It also says you’re mine, although I have to leave you. I will be with you in spirit and in your heart. It says I love you, even when I’m gone. Thank you, Mila, for showing me what love means.” He lets out a sharp breath.
“I love you,” I whisper softly.
He clears his throat. “I wanted to get this tattoo to have you imprinted on my soul eternally. I read this in a book and the statement was meaningful. It was fitting.”
Understanding the significance behind his tattoo makes me even more in love with it. Just as he takes a big breath, his body trembles. Looking up through my wet eyelashes, I see Dominic crying. He holds me tight and we both cry in each other’s arms for the last time.
“I-I love you; I-I love you, Dominic. I’m going to m-miss you. Everything about y-you: I’ll always have you here,” I say, broken up, pointing to my heart. I wipe his tears away, wanting to comfort him as well.
“I’m sorry, Angel. I’m trying to be strong for you. I hate leaving you.”
I kiss him deeply, tasting our salty tears. This is the last time I’ll feel and taste his lips. I end the kiss when my phone beeps. “It’s my ride,” I tell him with my mouth pressed against his chest.
I don’t want to let go of him. I hug him tightly, a knot of emotions in my stomach. I silently wish that the darkness will take me away with him. I kiss him all over his face. Dominic cups my face and gazes into my eyes. Our faces are mirror images of pain. His eyes flutter. He exhales and inhales. My heart races as I watch how tired he is.
His brown eyes sparkle with sincerity as he cradles my face in his hands. “I'll love you endlessly, Mila,” he breathes. “You've made me the happiest I've ever been,” he says wholeheartedly, his voice breaking with every word.
I close my eyes and slide off the bed. Taking a long, deep breath, I make my way to the door. With one last glance, I blow a kiss to him.
“I’ll love you forever. Til the end of time, my heart belongs to you, Dom, only you.”
“I love you too, Angel.”
As I falter in the parking lot where my driver awaits, a soft, sultry breeze picks up my hair, blowing the strands around my cheeks. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath before getting into the car.
They diagnosed him with leukemia months ago. Dominic’s mom Rachel had flown him to a specialist in Arizona for treatment. Life took an unexpected turn. We had made so many plans after graduating high school this year. He was my future, the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Once I board my flight. I unzip my bag, pull out Dominic’s T-shirt, and snuggle into it, inhaling his scent, then drift off to sleep as my chest becomes hollow by emptiness.
