CHAPTER 124: NOT EVERY MYSTERY HAS AN ANSWER

"Ash, don’t be jealous, I’m stealing your man’s wingman skills!"

"Bye, Juney." I said, reaching for the screen.

"Don’t hang up on meeee," she laughed. "Okay fine, I’ll let you lovebirds get back to your weird romantic night. Love you, Ash!Love you too, Dom!"

The line clicked off.

The car went quiet except for the hum of the engine. Dominic smirked at the windshield like he was still laughing. "She’s funny. I’m already shipping her with Ren."

I sighed, sinking into the seat. "She’s had a crush on him since freshman year. She used to doodle his name in the margins of her notebooks."

"Not surprised." Dominic shook his head. "Ren’s always been... different. Too good for his own good, honestly."

I tilted my head. "Different how?"

Dominic’s jaw flexed. "His last girlfriend. He caught her cheating ...full-on, with some random guy. And when he confronted her, she tried to flip it. Told him he was too nice, too soft. That he wasn’t man enough to handle her."

"That’s disgusting. Some people don’t even know what they want. They ask for love and then run from it."

"Yeah, that’s not just ’people.’ That’s everybody, Rivera. Even you." He shot back, and his smirk twitched.

My chest tightened.

"So his girlfriend, she sounds like one of those spoiled rich people." I frowned.

He glanced at me. "You’re right. She’s a heiress...spoiled, entitled. She thought she deserved better than someone who treated her right. She wanted drama. He gave her peace. And in her head, that wasn’t enough."

"Woah." I shook my head. "Is Ren really that nice? Like... that nice?"

Dominic chuckled. "Ren’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met. And honestly? That’s his flaw. In this world, being too good is the quickest way to get hurt."

I leaned back, the words lingered.

"That’s not a flaw, Dom. That’s the world being messed up." I sighed.

Ren didn’t seem like a bad guy.

What if Blake was wrong?

What if the Glass Circle weren’t monsters at all? What if they were just... misunderstood. Complicated, messy, humans.

The car slowed, and my stomach instantly tightened.

Dominic was pulling over onto a quiet stretch of road.

No buildings, no lights, just endless trees and a stretch of road that felt like the world had forgotten it.

Dominic killed the engine, leaned back in his seat, and smiled like this was totally normal.

"We’re here."

I looked around. "Here... where?"

He didn’t answer right away, just let that smirk linger.

"You’re kidding, right?" I glanced at the shadows outside. "In the middle of nowhere? This is literally the setup to a murder podcast. Two dumb boys dragged into the woods and never seen again."

He raised his brows, pretending to be offended. "Wow. Thanks for the trust, Rivera."

"Honestly, what if somebody jumps us, drag us to the trees, murders us, and dumps our body on the highway?"

He shook his head. "Damn, Ash. Who even thinks like that? Only a psycho would do something like that."

"I’m serious."

"We’ll be fine," he grinned, slipping out of the driver’s seat. A second later, my door swung open. "C’mon. Let me show you."

I hesitated, then sighed and stepped out.

He moved past me, opened the back door, and pulled out this folded cloth, laying it down on the ground like we were about to have a picnic.

Far ahead, the cliff stretched wide, the city lights looked faint in the distance. It was... quiet. Way too quiet.

"I come here a lot," he said, straightening up, brushing his hands on his jeans. "Whenever I’m pissed. Or sad. Kinda clears my head. This is my spot."

I lowered myself onto the cloth, staring at the cliff edge like it might swallow me whole. My chest was still buzzing....this could be romantic, or this could be the perfect setup for a murder documentary.

Dominic walked back to the car, then returned carrying a bag and his laptop. He dropped beside me, pulling out snacks....chips, candy, bottled soda. Then he set the laptop down.

"I figured... we never actually went on a date." He smiled. "So... here we are. It’s low budget, but it’s something."

My throat tightened. He looked so proud of this little setup. It was actually thoughtful but I was still nervous.

He reached over, brushed my hair back when the wind caught it, his fingers lingered a little. "Better. Now I can see your face."

I hugged my knees, my gaze flicking between the snacks and the cliff. "You really think this is safe?"

Dominic noticed. Without a word, he shifted closer, pulling me into his side until my shoulder was pressed against his chest. His arm tightened around me.

"Relax. Nothing’s gonna happen. You’re safe with me, Ash. Always."

"Okay," I said, hugging my knees. "But you’re seriously telling me this doesn’t sound like a murder podcast? ’Teenagers found dead on the side of the highway after midnight picnic.’"

He snorted, laughing next to me. "Ash, you really need to stop watching true crime before bed." He leaned closer, dropping his voice. "Besides, if anyone tried, they’d regret it. I’d never let anyone touch you."

My face warmed, but the little voice in my head whispered back. But what if it’s you I should be scared of?

I forced a smile, grabbing a chip. "You sound very... mafia-boyfriend saying stuff like that."

"Good." He grinned, eyes glinting. "Maybe that’ll turn you on."

I shoved his shoulder. "Shut up."

The warmth in his voice made me want to believe him. God, I wanted to.

For a while, we just sat there, listening to the faint wind and the distant hum of cars from some unseen highway. Then he asked.

"How’s your mom?"

My chest softened. "The doctor said she’s healing. They think she’ll wake up."

He squeezed my shoulder, and smiled. "That’s huge. I’m happy for you. You deserve that."

I blinked hard, because I wasn’t about to cry in the middle of this random forest. "Thanks."

Silence passed. I glanced at him. "How’s Liam? Is he... still in the coma?"

Dominic’s jaw tightened just slightly. He kept his tone even though. "Yeah. He’s stable. Doctors say he’s... hanging on.

I nodded slowly, chewing my bottom lip. "I’ve just been thinking about it a lot lately."

His turned to me, picked up a chip from the bag. "Thinking about what?"

I hesitated, but the words spilled anyway.

"That night. The way Liam fell. The tattoo guy stabbing him before he fell. It doesn’t...." I broke off, shaking my head. "It doesn’t add up. It keeps looping in my head."

Dominic’s expression didn’t change, but I swear I felt the air shift.

Dominic’s lips pulled into a smirk, still chewing on the chips. "Rivera. I know it’s so sad. I don’t even want to think about it."

He leaned back on his palms, staring up at the sky. "Ash..." His voice dropped, almost like he was pleading. "You’ve been carrying so much. Can we not dissect everything tonight? Just... be here with me, okay?"

He’s dodging. Why is he dodging?

"Ughhh..." I exhaled, frustrated with my own thoughts. "It doesn’t add up. I keep replaying it in my head. I remember the guy saying Liam has one secret and he wanted to tell me that night? Did he... do something to anyone before that? Like, something that got him into trouble?"

He picked up a chip and paused.

"Why are you asking me that, Ash? Do you think I’d know?"

I shrugged. "But he’s your bestfriend. Did he tell you if he was involved in something dangerous?"

Another silence. This one was longer. Dominic’s hand flexed against the ground, before he forced himself to relax.

His gaze slid to me, and then he laughed softly. "Wow. I didn’t know I was on a date with an interrogator. Am I supposed to have all the answers about Liam? Do you tell June and Marcus every single thing about you? No, right?"

I should’ve pushed. I wanted to. But then he leaned closer, his hand brushed against mine, and my heart betrayed me by racing.

What if he knows?

What if he’s lying straight to my face?

"I don’t know. Just... curiosity. I can’t stop thinking about it. It just felt off to me."

Dominic’s eyes lingered on me, like he was trying to decide if I knew too much. Then, finally, he leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.

"You overthink everything babe. "Sometimes a fall is just a fall. Sometimes bad shit happens for no reason. Not every mystery has an answer."

He was too smooth. That was too calm.

He’s definitely hiding something. I can feel it.

I watched him closely. The twitch in his eye, the restless tapping of his fingers. He was trying too hard to act like this was nothing.

I looked into his eyes, forcing the question out anyway. "You’re telling me you have no idea why it happened?"

He tilted his head, meeting my gaze. His smile faltered. "Do you think I would?"

My throat went dry.

For a moment, we just stared at each other.

I closed my eyes, trying to believe him. Trying not to notice the way his fingers hadn’t stopped tapping against his thigh.

He exhaled, then leaned closer and kissed my cheek like it was instinct. "You think too much, Rivera. Just... let me hold you for once."