CHAPTER 88: NOT EVERYTHING YOU SEE IS MEANT TO BE QUESTIONED

The car was warm, but I was still cold. My fingers wouldn’t stop twitching in my lap. I hadn’t said a word since we left the station.

Dominic’s hand rested on the steering wheel. I could feel his eyes drifting toward me now and then checking, like he always did, in that quiet way of his.

My thoughts kept spiraling. Over and over again, back to that moment. That glimpse of ink on Mr Blake’s wrist. That snake.

The exact same tattoo Scarface had. And Baldy.

And now Mr. Blake.

"So," he finally said, "you gonna tell me what’s been making you chew your lip for ten minutes or do I have to pull over and kiss it better?"

I blinked and looked at him. "What?"

He smirked. "You do this thing when you’re overthinking...right here." He pointed at his own bottom lip. "It’s cute. Distracting, though."

"Dominic," I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Can you not flirt for five seconds?"

"Nope. Not when you’re sitting in my car."

"Okay, so... you know Mr. Blake from school?"

Dominic glanced at me. "Who’s Mr. Blake?"

I looked at him, surprised. "Seriously?"

Dominic shrugged, one hand on the wheel. "I barely know any of the staff. Unless he’s hot or cute, I probably checked him out."

I rolled my eyes at him. "That new teacher? He’s kinda young, always wearing a leather jacket to look cool. Ring a bell?"

He shook his head, making a U-turn. "Nope. Doesn’t sound familiar."

I raised an eyebrow. "Dom!? He literally gave us detention on Tuesday."

He blinked. Then his face lit up. "Oohhh....that guy." His mouth curved up into a sly grin. "The one with the ’I’m a cool teacher’ energy and the resting asshole face. Yeah, I know him. What about him?"

I hesitated, my fingers picking at a loose thread on my jeans. "He’s the one that brought Alia to the hospital."

Dominic’s eyes flicked to me. "Woah. What a plot twist. Didn’t see that coming."

I swallowed. "That’s not the crazy part."

Dominic turned his head slightly toward me. "There’s more?"

"When he was on a call... at the station," I said slowly, "I saw something on his wrist."

Dominic’s grip tightened on the wheel. "What kind of something?"

I looked down at my hands. "A tattoo."

He blinked. "Okay? People have tattoos, babe."

"Not like this one." I turned my head and locked eyes with him. "It was the same tattoo the guy who stabbed Liam had. That curled snake thing. On the same exact spot."

Dominic’s expression didn’t change for a second.

Then it did. Like something inside him went still.

He reached up, adjusted the rearview mirror. "The exact same one?"

I nodded. "Yes. He tried to cover it up when he noticed me looking. But I saw it."

He let out a low breath. "Shit."

I leaned back in the seat, staring at the roof of the car. "Dom... what are the odds of that? I mean, what the hell does that mean? Why would a teacher at our school have the same tattoo as the guy who attacked Liam?"

"Did he say anything?" he finally asked. "When he saw you looking?"

"Yeah. He acted like it was nothing. Said it was old. That it didn’t mean anything anymore."

Dominic scoffed under his breath. "That’s always what people say when they’re hiding something. And you believed him?"

I shook my head. "No. Not even for a second."

"Smart boy." He leaned back, keeping one hand on the wheel.

I sighed.

"Damn. And here I thought the man’s biggest crime was that cringey leather jacket."

I didn’t smile.

He noticed.

"Okay, okay," Dominic said, one hand sliding over to briefly squeeze my knee. "This is serious."

Dom’s jaw clenched. "Did he threaten you?"

I looked out the window. "Not directly. But right before he left... he looked at me and said... ’Be careful, Ash. Not everything you see is meant to be questioned. Sometimes, for your own good, it’s better to act like you didn’t notice anything at all.’"

Dom slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Son of a bitch."

I nodded slowly. "The way he said it....." My voice cracked a little. "He didn’t say it like a warning. It felt more like a threat."

Dom cursed softly. "You think he’s involved in whatever this gang shit is?"

"I don’t know," I whispered. "But I don’t think it’s a coincidence."

"I don’t know if he helped Alia because he wanted to... or if he’s trying to cover something up. What if it’s all a plan?"

"Or he’s trying to manipulate you," he said. "Like, make you trust him. Confuse you. Make you second-guess everything you’ve seen."

"It’s working."

Then Dominic spoke again, quieter this time.

"I hate that you’re in this."

I turned to him, surprised by the softness in his voice.

"You shouldn’t have to be looking over your shoulder. Or worrying about tattoos. Or running from people who want to hurt you."

My heart was thudding fast.

I felt like a glass heart....fragile, cracked and barely holding together. One more hit, and I’d shatter.

I looked down at my hands. "I don’t think I ever had a choice."

He nodded. "Maybe not. But I’m not letting anything happen to you. Ever. Not again."

I met his eyes.

He didn’t look away.

"I mean it, Ash," he said, as he pulled over in the middle of the road. "You don’t have to carry all of this by yourself. Not while I’m here."

I didn’t even realize I was tearing up until my throat tightened. I blinked fast, wiping at my face. "I’m scared," I said.

"I’ve seen that kind of fear before. It never goes away... unless someone pulls you out." He said. "But you’ve got me."

He reached over, squeezed the back of my neck gently. His thumb brushed behind my ear before he pulled his hand back.

"I don’t care who he is," Dominic muttered. "If Mr. Blake tries anything. I mean anything....I’ll be the one they arrest next."

I gave a shaky laugh. "That’s comforting."

He smirked. "Hey, at least I’d look hot in handcuffs."

I snorted. "You’d flirt with the arresting officer."

"Only if he’s cute."

I leaned back in the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car.

"Do you think he’s part of it?" I asked after a while. "The same group? The ones that hurt Liam?"

Dominic exhaled slowly. "I think he knows more than he’s saying. And if he’s wearing that tattoo..." He shook his head. "He’s shady as hell."

"Right?"

"I don’t like it," he muttered. "I don’t like him."

I glanced at him. "Dom..."

"What?"

He started the car again, glanced at me with a grin. "Seatbelt, baby. I drive fast when I’m turned on."

"Dominic!"

"What?" he laughed. "I’m just saying. Be glad I haven’t crashed us into a streetlight with how good you look when you’re stressed."

I laughed.

"Can we... not go back to the hospital tonight?"

He was silent for a second. "You don’t want to go back? Where would you like to go?"

I shook my head. "I just... I can’t. Not tonight. I know Mom’s there, so I’ll go tomorrow. First thing. But I can’t walk back into that place right now. I need... space. Just for a night."

Dominic didn’t question it. He didn’t give me any speech. He just reached over and squeezed my hand once. "Okay. I’ll take you home."

"You sure?" I asked, finally looking at him.

He glanced at me with a soft smile. "Ash, if you said you wanted to drive to the moon tonight, I’d start fueling the rocket."

That got a smile out of me.

"Thanks," I said quietly. "Really."

He reached across the center console and gently squeezed my thigh. "Home it is."