CHAPTER 92: YOU MIGHT AS WELL ACCEPT I’M YOUR SUGAR DADDY

Who would have ever thought I’d be right here... Naked, soaked, and clinging to the guy I swore I hated?

The guy I thought was the biggest jerk in school.

The guy who once held me by the collar that night and accused me of pushing Liam off the roof.

The guy I couldn’t stand the sight of.

And now... this same guy is literally the glue holding my shattered heart together.

He’s not just the one who found the footage that cleared my name.

He’s the one paying for my mom’s hospital bills.

The one feeding my baby sister when I’m too anxious to eat.

The one who whispers "You’re safe now" when I’m shaking from nightmares I can’t explain.

The same guy who makes me feel wanted emotionally, physically, completely.

Dominic.

And somehow, he became my home.

The water from the shower kept running cold, but I didn’t want to step away.

We were both quiet for a while his arms around me, our fingers still interlocked.

His fingers grazed my spine gently. "You scared me today, you know? Back then, in the rain...when you looked so empty in the eyes. I couldn’t think straight."

He was right.

Earlier today, I wished I could fade out of existence when I couldn’t find Alia.

"I’m still scared," I whispered. "About my mom. The blackmailer. School. Everything. I feel like any second now, something else will go wrong. "

He smiled at me. "Yeah. And if it does, I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere, Ash. Even if everything falls apart again. Even if you push me away."

My throat tightened.

I hated how easily he could do that...just say something like that and make me want to cry.

I let out a breath and finally pulled away from the water. My skin was freezing, my lips were chapped, even hair was clinging to my face.

"Come on," he said, reaching for a towel. "Let’s warm up before you get sick."

He helped me dry off, even though I could’ve done it myself. But I didn’t stop him. It was the way his hands moved around my hair so carefully. No one had ever touched me like that before. He’s calm, he’s sweet, sometimes I feel he’s not real.

We collapsed back into bed. His arms were wrapped around me, as our legs tangled. And for a while, we just laid there.

Silent.

It was the kind of silence that made me feel like I was finally safe in my own body.

I turned to him. "You think it’s weird? Us?"

"What? Being here like this?" he asked, brushing my cheek. "With you in my arms? No. It feels like the most natural thing in the world."

I smiled a little. "It’s just... people like you don’t fall for people like me."

He laughed, pulling me closer. "Don’t say that. I don’t care about anything, I just want you."

I looked up at the ceiling. I was starting to have that feeling I didn’t want to name too soon... the one I wasn’t afraid of anymore.

Could this be love? Am I actually falling in love with Dominic? This isn’t just a crush or like anymore.

I turned a little. "Hey... I haven’t said anything, but... my mom’s surgery is on Monday."

Dominic’s hand brushed over my waist like he already knew. "Yes, she’ll be fine. Don’t worry."

I hesitated. "Thank you for real. For helping. With everything. But how did you even know about the surgery?"

Then he sighed, his fingers kept grazing my thigh.

"You remember the day I carried you from the Shawn pawn shop, my cry baby?"

"Yeah..."

"I told you that on the way, I stopped to check on Alia in the hospital while you were asleep in the car."

I nodded. "Right."

"Well... while I was there, I asked one of the nurses how your mom was doing. She told me they were waiting on payment to schedule the operation."

I stared at him.

"So I did an anonymous donation," he continued gently. "And I talked to the doctor myself. Told them to start the procedure immediately, I’d pay the rest once it’s done."

"Oh my God..."

This... this was the most emotional thing anyone had ever done for me.

He tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear. "Of course. I’d spend everything I have if it meant taking even one ounce of pain off your shoulders."

"Dominic..."

His voice softened. "I’m serious. Money’s just money, it’s meant to be spent. Besides, you’re the first person who’s ever made me feel like me without trying to fix or impress anyone."

"So yeah... you might as well just accept I’m your sugar daddy now," he teased. "But just know, I’d rather be the guy who takes care of you even when the world forgets to."

My whole body tensed.

"How can I even begin to repay you?"

He leaned in. "You can start by kissing me."

He kissed the side of my head. "Just promise me you’ll stop acting like you’re hard to love."

I sighed.

Maybe love wasn’t always loud and obvious.

Maybe sometimes, it was quiet hands drying your hair. Cold water kisses. Moments like this, that made everything else fade away.

Was this what falling in love felt like?

I wasn’t sure how love was supposed to feel.

Was it supposed to hurt like this? Ache in your chest like something might explode if you dared name it?

The way I could still feel the warmth of his touch hours after it faded?

Or was it just me wanting it to be, because I was tired of being alone?

Because I needed someone to make the dark less terrifying?

I’d never been in love before. Crushes, sure. Obsessions, maybe. But this... this felt like something bigger

Dominic wasn’t supposed to fit into my world.

He had friends, confidence, a future. His world is crowded with people who adore him.

I had anxiety, trauma, and a crumbling family held together with expired meds and overdue hospital bills.

He didn’t belong in my world.

And I didn’t belong in his either.

What if this ended the way everything else in my life always did badly?

I turned over to look at him again. His lashes fluttered slightly as he dozed off, his bare chest kept rising and falling against the sheet. His arm was wrapped across my waist like he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.

Was I already in too deep?

I didn’t know.

All I knew was...his presence made everything hurt a little less.

Tap.

I blinked, startled, as Dominic’s fingers nudged my waist gently.

"You hear that?" he whispered.

I paused, my heart was already reacting before my brain could.

"...What?"

"Shhh," he hushed me gently, lifting his head off the pillow. "Listen."

I held my breath.

And then I heard it.

A faint thump.

Like something shifting outside the room. A shuffle. A footstep. Then....another crash.

The fuck?

"Did someone just... break in?" I whispered.

"You locked the door, right?"

"I did." My pulse spiked.

Dominic swung his legs out of bed. "Stay here."

I grabbed his arm before he could move farther. "Are you serious? What if it’s someone dangerous? Let me go with you."

He hesitated... then gave a slow nod. "Okay. We go together. Quietly."

Dominic slipped on his jeans quickly, tossing me my hoodie. I crept to the door beside him.

But then another noise.

My stomach dropped. "Shit," I whispered. "That came from the kitchen."

He nodded. "I’ll go first."

We moved out into the room slowly.

My throat was dry. "What if they have a knife or something?"

"Then they’ll wish they didn’t," he muttered.

Another shuffle.

My breath caught.

"What the hell is that?" I whispered.

Dominic held up a hand to hush me, peering around the corner like we were in some horror movie.

Then...

He paused.

"...Oh my God," he muttered.

I peeked over his shoulder.

Then, we turned the corner....and both of us just stopped. My eyes widened immediately.