Chapter 156: Chapter 156
Music Recommendation: This Love by Taylor Swift.
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Dominic dismissed the two guards and the three maids standing outside his room door with a single nod. Once the hall was silent, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
A small sound left his throat announcing his presence. More like a chuckle when he saw how buried she was in the book she held.
Celeste’s head turned at once, her smile blooming as she gently set the book on the lampstand.
The sight of her smiling again tugged something deep inside him. Dominic’s own lips curved as he strode toward her in a rush that was both playful and controlled. He was gone for just two hours, but his movements betrayed how much he had missed moments like this.
He drew in a deep breath as he reached her side, then let himself fall onto the bed with deliberate ease, tugging her down into his arms until she hovered above him. Her hair fell like a curtain between them. His gaze lifted, locking onto hers. His eyes were dark, tender, and filled with more affection than words could hold as he stared into her soul through her eyes.
"And how is my queen doing?" he asked lightly, though his voice carried a great amount of softness that gave him away.
Celeste’s smile brightened. "Perfectly fine. I prefer our room to the hospital’s sterile walls."
Dominic chuckled, the sound low and warm. He reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. His touch was careful and lingering. "I hated seeing you there too," he admitted quietly. "Cold sheets, the beeping of machines. You don’t belong in a place like that." His thumb traced lightly along her temple. "As long as I can move the doctors, you’ll never have to be where you don’t want to be. Anywhere you want to be, that’s where they’ll go."
Celeste’s smile deepened as his fingers brushed against her cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. For the first time in days, she didn’t feel like glass, that was fragile and on the edge of shattering.
"I love you here, and not there," he murmured again, almost to himself. His thumb lingered, tracing lightly at her jaw. "Every second felt like... punishment."
Celeste tilted her head, amused. "Punishment? I was the one lying there with needles and tubes, Dominic. You were just sitting."
"Just sitting?" His eyes narrowed, though affection danced in them. "If only you knew how much of my life was ripped out of me every time you closed your eyes and looked too pale. Sitting was torture."
Her laughter bubbled up, soft and low. "And now you’re dramatic."
"Only for you," he returned without hesitation.
Her chest fluttered. He said it so easily, like it was simply a fact, and somehow that made it all the more dangerous. She wanted to tease him for it, but his stare held her still. There was something disarming about the way Dominic looked at her when no one else was around. It was so unguarded, and heavy with emotions he rarely confessed.
"You’re beautiful," he added suddenly, his voice quiet, as though the words slipped out before he could stop himself. "You know that, right?"
Celeste blinked, her lips parting. Her heart stumbled over itself at the blunt sincerity.
She chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tightness in her chest. "You sound like you’re trying to win me over."
Dominic leaned in closer, so close her hair brushed his cheek. "I already have," he whispered, and the heat crawling up her neck gave him all the proof he needed.
Celeste swatted his arm with playful indignation. "Don’t say things like that, you’ll make me—" she cut herself off, biting back the admission.
"Blush?" he teased, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
She shook her head, trying to push away, but his arms tightened, pulling her flush against him. "Dominic—"
"Stay," he said, softer this time. "Just... stay like this for a while."
Her breath caught. It wasn’t an order, not his usual commanding tone. It was a plea. And that unsettled her more than anything.
He told her she spent days in coma but with each second they spend together, it feels like she had spent months apart.
The room fell into silence, broken only by the steady rhythm of his breathing. His fingers threaded absentmindedly through her hair, q
with his other hand resting securely on her waist, grounding her.
Celeste found herself relaxing, melting into him despite her better judgment. "I thought you were going to drown yourself in work the moment I was discharged," she said quietly.
"I thought so too," he admitted, pressing his forehead to hers. "But then I realized the world can wait. You can’t."
Her chest tightened again. "Dominic..."
"Yes, baby?"
"Sometimes, you scare me."
He leaned back, brow furrowed. "Scare you?"
She nodded slowly, her smile faint but sad. "You love like it’s the only thing keeping you alive. It feels too heavy sometimes. Like I’ll break under it."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were steady, and unwavering, carrying the same dangerous devotion that had always frightened her.
"Then let me carry the weight," he said simply.
Her breath hitched.
She wanted to argue, to deflect with a teasing remark, but his sincerity made her throat ache. So instead, she buried her face against his chest, inhaling the faint scent of him, warm and grounding.
Dominic exhaled, finally allowing himself to relax. His hand rested at the small of her back, tracing circles.
They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Then, she shifted slightly, murmuring that he was making her too warm, he only chuckled and draped the blanket further around her shoulders.
"Dominic." She called, playing with a button on his suit jacket.
"Hmm?"
"You’re impossible to keep up with."
"Perhaps," he said, lips brushing her temple. "But I’m yours all the same."
Her heart tumbled violently against her ribs. She pretended not to hear him, but she didn’t move away either.