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Smiling, she drifted her eyes to his cheeks. Carefully she studied them, trying to find the indentation she prayed would be there from her dreams. If the dimples were there, it only solidified his beauty. “They’re bulletproof. All of them are.”

“So, brave and smart.” He dropped his finger from the glass, finally looking away from the city and to her. “I’m sorry that I put you through hell yesterday.”

The pure apology that slipped from his mouth stunned her for a moment. “It’s all right,” she assured him.

“And I’m really sorry about Cass throwing your heels. I—”

“You didn’t get mad at him, did you?” she asked before he could finish. Dom seemed pissed enough when Cassius had taken her to see him at the restaurant.

He stared at her strangely, seeing the worry in her eyes about whether he punished Cassius or not. “No, I didn’t,” he soothed before a fire lit in his eyes. “But I should have. I liked those. They were new, weren’t they?”

“Yes.” Maria laughed. “And good, because Cassius was actually trying to help you, you know.”

“Yeah, he told me.” Dominic went back to looking at the city, knowing she meant about forcing her to feel the pain she had caused him. “But I wouldn’t have wanted you to see that, or feel anything close to the pain I felt. I only ever wanted you to understand my pain, but I wouldn’t ever want you hurt by it.”

Maria’s throat suddenly became tight. “But Cassius was right; I would have never understood without seeing you with her. She is pretty ….”

“Don’t talk like that,” he demanded.

“Like what?” Maria was confused. “I meant what I said. She is very pretty.”

“I know you meant what you said.” Dominic didn’t think she was trying to be malicious in any way, knowing her girl code went too deep. Taking a step closer to her, he forced her small, pointy chin higher under a tatted finger. “But I don’t want you talking about me liking another woman ever.”

Maria raised a brow. “You don’t like her?”

He shook his head, staring down into her jeweled eyes. “No.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Maria glared up at him, appearing offended. “She’s beautiful.”

Dominic’s eyes went down to her pouty lips. “She’s not you, princess.”

His admission made her stomach do a somersault, but Maria couldn’t help whispering the obvious. “But she’s in love with you ….”

Seeing she needed to hear the story and not wanting to keep secrets, he let his finger drop from her chin as he began. “Bristol and I went to school together our whole lives, and she was not only my only friend in school but in all of Blue Park. When I realized she developed feelings for me, I should have cut her off, but I … couldn’t. I didn’t have anyone else, and Bristol made me feel like I was almost a normal kid when I talked to her. I didn’t want to lose that and the only friend I had. So I turned her down over and over, and I selfishly had to watch her heartbreak every time I did. I swear to you, throughout our friendship, I’ve never once kissed her or gave her any sign to think we were anything but friends. You could ask her yourself, and she would tell you. But”—Dominic cleared his throat, having to look away from her face and to the city below—“you’re not the only one who chose Kayne over me.”

Instantly Maria’s stomach sank. The story that he was telling her to give her a peace of mind was taking a turn.

“We all grew up together in Blue Park. Me and Kayne never got along in school. There’re multiple reasons, but it mostly came down to our fathers. But when Bristol started dating Kayne senior year, I knew she had done it, at first, to make me jealous, in hopes that it would make me realize I loved her. But Kayne had gone out with her for the same reason. Bristol wasn’t his type. He wanted easy and available all throughout high school. He used her the same way she used him. The only difference was”—Dominic looked back sadly into Maria’s eyes—“Bristol fell for him in the end.”

Swallowing down the bile that tried to rise from the pit of her stomach, Maria realized her part in letting history repeat itself ten years later.

Dominic was right; Kayne had never changed from the boy who had grown up in Blue Park. He just became a man from Blue Park instead.

“W-Why are you telling me this?” she asked, sensing the ultimate “but.” She knew Dominic no longer wanted to hurt her or guilt her anymore for choosing Kayne, so why is he telling me this?

“Because, Bristol has a son ….”

“Oh,” Maria breathed. “And I’m guessing he’s about nine or ten years old?”