Page 128 of Tethered

“We’re not a consolation prize. You don’t get to just pick us back up when you feel sad and lonely.”

“I’ve been trying since the day you left,” he protests.

I straighten. “What are you talking about?”

“Every time I tried to talk to you, you shut me down. Every time I booked family holidays or day trips, you declined. I even planned them for when I knew you weren’t busy—”

“That means nothing! You sued me for custody.”

“If I didn’t, I’d never see you.”

“You subjected me to one of the worst periods in my life because you were feeling left out?” I think I’m too shocked to be angry. Yet. There’s something chewing at the edge of my conscience, waiting for me to notice it.

“Can you open the door, please? I want to explain.”

“Ten years?”

Dominik hesitates. “Yes. I tried, Lowe. Every time you were seeing someone new, it made me physically sick, and I’d try to move on. It didn’t work.”

But I’m not hearing what he’s saying anymore because my brain is stuck on ‘every time you were seeing someone new’ and I can’t move on either. There’s absolutely no reason why he would know when I’d been seeing anyone, let alone several people. I’ve never discussed those people with Vee and I sure as fuck didn’t tell Opal. Those dates didn’t ever go anywhere, so Dominik shouldn’t know about them.

My lungs suddenly feel too small, and I have to stand up so I can take a full breath. All the hair on the back on my neck is on end, and I think I might scream if Dominik just admitted what I think he did.

“What someone?” I ask, with a surprisingly steady voice. “Who were these people that made you so sick?”

Dominik snorts. “I didn’t make a habit of learning their names. You went through them like sweets.” Then he realiseshe’s fucked up, and there’s a hitch in his breathing that tells me all I need to know. “Vee always told me.”

“Oh, my fucking God.” My eyes widen. “Have you been following me?”

“Of—”

“I never tell Vee about my dates. You’d know this if you ever bothered to talk to him. Are you fuckingfollowingme? Don’t answer that, I’m gonna throw up.”

I press a hand to my forehead, which feels feverish. I’ve never noticed anyone too familiar or suspicious around me, but Dominik can afford anything. I stare at the door and steel myself. “Answer me. Are you having me followed?”

“Occasionally, yes.”

My stomach sinks, but my anger rises as I process the violation.

“What the fuck, Dominik? I’m gonna take you to fucking court, and I’m gonna fucking ruin you, even if it bankrupts me.”

“You weren’t supposed to find out. It was only to make sure you were both doing okay.”

“Then you pick up a fucking slate!” Now, I really do scream. It scrapes my throat the whole way up, but I vent my frustration until I’m breathless. Something bangs against the door and Dominik swears, whatever he says muffled by my screaming.

I sink into a crouch, letting my head hang between my knees. All of this is making me dizzy, and my neck still hurts from earlier. “Stop pretending you care about him,” I moan.

“Of course I care about him, but I recognise that he’s always been my way in with you. From the very beginning, you chose him over me.”

I snap, shooting to my feet, lightheaded and furious. My whole body trembles and I have to swallow twice to get my words out.

“You’ve been using Vee like a pawn.”

“Tohisbenefit.”

I shake my head. “To your benefit!”

Dominik’s voice changes, becoming more hesitant as he tries to talk his way out of this. “You’re misunderstanding me.”