Page 15

I promised Nick to wait outside the gym at school on Monday, so I sat at a bench under a tree. Of course I was there super early, I wouldn't be myself if I didn't. While I waited for him I pulled out a book and started reading.

All of a sudden I felt the scar on my shoulder start to tingle, and I rubbed it to see if it would stop.

Then, I felt a swirl of foreign emotions.

It was a mix of shock, anxiety, and longing.

It hit me like a wave, and I had no clue where it came from.

I closed my book because it was impossible to read like that. When I looked up I saw him. Dominic.

Dominic. It was as if the world had turned to ice at the sound of his name in my mind, then melted under the heat of his gaze.

He was standing by the school's main entrance, looking every bit as imposing as I remembered.

His eyes met mine from across the courtyard, those icy blue orbs cutting through the morning mist like lasers.

He stood there, motionless, a strong pillar against the shifting and churning tide of students.

His dark hair caught the first rays of sunlight, setting off a halo that made him look ethereal—yet terrifyingly real.

His broad shoulders were thrown back with an air of authority, his lean frame exuding strength even from afar.

The sight of him dredged up memories best left buried, but there was something else—a pull toward him that I couldn't resist.

He didn't move or say anything. He just watched me with an intensity that made my heart pound and my scar tingle. His eyes those mesmerizing, icy blue.

I stood, not realizing what I was doing. My feet started carrying me to him against my better judgment. His eyes widened in shock—shock, yes, but there was a flash of something else too. Triumph? Desire? Maybe both. It was impossible to tell with Dominic.

As I navigated the throng of students, I collided into someone. I looked up from my daze, realizing it was Nick. His sandy hair was tousled and his brown eyes sparkled in the morning sun. He gave me a warm smile and reached out to steady me. "Hey, Elaine," he said gently, "You okay?"

I glanced behind him to see Dominic still standing there, his gaze never wavering from me. His eyes were burning now with a fiery intensity that wasn't there before, his fists clenched at his sides.

"I'm fine," I lied to Nick, forcing my voice to sound as normal as possible. Yet I knew nothing was fine anymore. With Dominic back in town, things were about to get very complicated.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked with concern etching itself across his handsome features.

"Yeah of course." I tried to swallow down my anxiety, but it carried through to my voice.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder placed directly on my scar.

I felt a jolt of electricity go through my body, followed by a wave of comfort.

Somehow, this contact seemed to soothe the constant thrum of anxiety that had been my constant companion since seeing Dominic.

I turned to see him standing there just inches away from me, his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were softer now, the icy blue having receded like a wave leaving behind calm pools that showed something I hadn't seen before - vulnerability.

"Elaine," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze was intense, but it wasn't frightening. Instead, it was filled with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

"Dominic," I replied as his hand fell away from my shoulder. The absence of his touch immediately sent a pang of longing through me which made no sense. My emotions were a mess and Dominic's proximity was doing nothing to untangle them.

I looked back at Nick, who had been watching our exchange with a confused expression on his face. It was clear he didn't understand what was happening and honestly, neither did I.

"So this must be Thomas." Dominic's voice was laced with a loaded calmness as he focused his potent gaze on Nick. His eyes narrowed slightly, taking in the unsuspecting guy before him.

"Actually, it's Nick," came the slightly defensive reply from Nick as he held out his hand, flashing Dominic a polite smile. Dominic just stared at it for a moment before looking back at Nick, not moving to return the gesture. The tension was palpable, and I felt my heart race uncomfortably.

"Heard a lot about you, Nick," Dominic continued, disregarding the extended hand. His tone gave nothing away about whether what he'd heard was good or bad. I couldn't help but feel that this was some sort of veiled warning.

Nick retracted his hand slowly and put it in his pocket, giving Dominic a cautious look. "And you are...?"

"Dominic," he answered simply. The name hovered in the air between us like a storm cloud, heavy with unsaid words and unacknowledged history.

"Right." Nick turned to me. "Elaine, let's go."

Nick's voice was soothing, yet firm, as if he were trying to protect me.

He looped his arm through mine and began to lead me away from Dominic, but I couldn't get my legs to follow.

My feet felt glued to the ground, caught in Dominic's gravitational pull.

I looked back towards him, his icy blue eyes burning into me.

"Elaine?" Nick's confused voice shook me out from my trance, making my body jolt.

"Yeah," I muttered hoarsely, "let's go." I forced myself to move, leaving Dominic behind.

Throughout the day Dominic's presence was palpable.

It was like a phantom limb; I could feel it even when he wasn't there.

Even in the midst of crowded hallways and noisy classrooms, my senses were always tuned in to him.

Each time his gaze met mine, that same tingle spread across my scar and sent shivers down my spine.