Out of Oblivion Page 9

  "I'll just give you some moral support as you cook then." I smiled.

  Dominic smiled back. "That's acceptable."

  The sofa I sat on faced the grill, so I didn't need to twist my body to watch him. My mouth watered as the aroma dominated the patio. I didn't know what the marinade was, but it smelled divine. Dominic's back was to me, and my eyes drifted to his bum. I wasn't the type to stare at men's body parts, covered or not, but his was just the perfect shape, and the jeans he wore made it hard not to look. When he turned, I quickly looked away, my face heating. I hoped he didn't see, but when I noticed him trying hard to hide his grin, I knew he caught me.

  I needed to be more careful. Dominic was a great guy, especially for everything he did for me, but I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. There was a time I would have jumped at the chance for a relationship with him, but now that I knew what it meant to be with a dominant male, I never wanted it again. And even he weren't so inclined, I doubted I would be ready for another relationship any time soon, if ever.

  "I'll pay you back for the clothes once I find a job." That should remind him I expected to keep things platonic between us.

  He frowned. "You really don't need to worry about that."

  "I really do," I said. "I'm grateful for all your help, but you shouldn't have to spend your money on me."

  "You know. If my brother hadn't paid for my schooling and everything I needed to get my business started, I would have struggled. I would not be where I am right now without his help, and he refuses to let me pay him back. So this is my way of paying him back. I'm paying it forward and helping you. When you're in a better position financially, you can help someone else, and I'll consider that my payback. How about that?"

  How could I argue with that logic? "That's acceptable."

  Dominic chuckled. "Oh, and by the way, Kurt wasn't the only one interested in your dreams. I wanted to ask you about your art during the party, but as host I had a job to do. It would have been rude to neglect my guests, and I needed to keep an eye on things. I should have asked you for a rain check right then and there, but I figured I could ask you out when the party died down. Then I overheard you and Kurt talking, and I assumed you weren't interested in me, so I let it go. Another big mistake on my part."

  I suddenly found my twisting fingers interesting and scrutinized them to avoid his gaze. This was not a conversation I wanted to have right now. Aside from the fact that talking about anything to do with relationships made my stomach squeamish, I felt a little sheepish over his admission.

  "What's wrong?" Dominic asked.

  "I thought because you didn't stick around, you weren't interested in me."

  "Looks like we were both a little foolish that night," he said with a wry grin. "I should have asked you out anyway."

  "I would have said 'yes'."

  "Lesson learned." Dominic dished up the steaks. "Table or on the sofa?"

  It would still be too weird to eat at a table. "Here's fine."

  Dominic set my pate in front of me and his across from mine. "I'll be right back."

  He returned moments later with a salad and a can of Coke for me.

  "Thanks, you remembered." Coke was one of my weaknesses, especially with Scotch.

  Dominic winked.

  We ate in silence for a while. At first I didn't mind it so much, but then I ran out of things to think about and I felt awkward. I wanted to say something, but I had little to talk about except for what happened over the last year, and I didn't want to revisit that. Thankfully, Dominic saved me.

  "Are you planning to go back to school?"

  Okay, well, it wasn't much of a save. It was another topic I was reluctant to discuss. I would love to, but I didn't have the money to go back. Even if I did, I wasn't sure they would take me back when I dropped out so suddenly. "I'm not sure. I wasn't sure about my abilities as a graphic artist anyway. I could get a job and take art classes or something and focus on my art."

  "Okay, let me rephrase the question. If money and lack of self-esteem were not objects, what would you want to do?"

  I set my fork down and sighed. He was right though. I was basing my decisions on fears, and I knew my parents would have been unhappy about that if they were here with me. They would tell me to go after my dreams regardless. "I would want to go back to school."

  "I'll help you with school if you need it."

  "Dominic, I—"

  He held up a finger to stop me. "Pay it forward, remember?"

  I sighed again, more audibly this time to emphasize my exasperation. "Why do you insist on helping me? I mean, I wasn't the nicest person to you when I was with Kurt. You don't owe me anything, and this goes beyond the bounds of friendship."

  "Does it?"

  I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn't have a good reply.

  "Clearly you've never had any good friends if you would question what friends will do for one another."

  I considered what he said and shrugged. "You're right. I've never had a good friend. When I was a kid, my parents were my only real friends. I most of the people I went to school with disliked me. Then when I came here I met Alexis, but it turned out she wasn't as good a friend as I thought either."

  "Well," Dominic said, reaching out and giving my hand a squeeze. "Now you do, and you'll just have to learn to deal with it."

  I grinned. "I might be able to suck it up. You know, in the name of paying it forward and all."

  Dominic chuckled, and we finished our meal in silence. This time it didn't seem so awkward.

  Chapter 13

  With Dominic's help, I reapplied for the fall semester. I told him I would go on my own, but he insisted on being there "for moral support." He ended up doing most of the talking, but it turned out to be a good thing. I wasn't prepared to tell them why I left school in the first place—the real reason—but Dominic explained it so there was no room for vulnerable exposure on my part. I was expecting a barrage of questions, but the woman's expression changed to one of recognition. Apparently she saw my story on the news a few weeks before. It shocked me to learn I'd been a newsworthy subject in the week following my rescue. I asked Dominic about it later that day, and he said the media was all over my story, but he and the hospital staff kept them out of my room while I recovered. Now I understood why he insisted on steering me away from watching TV.

  Thanks to Dominic's intervention, they reinstated my scholarship based on an extended medical leave of absence, and I could pick up where I left off. Of course, I needed to retake the classes I didn't finished, but that wouldn't be a problem. Now, with that out of the way, I was excited about the prospect of going back to school. I didn't realize how much dreaded that appointment.

  My cast came off the week before classes started, which was a bonus. Trying to get around on crutches would not have been fun. It wasn't until the morning of the start of classes that the nerves set in.

  "You'll be fine," Dominic told me.

  It wasn't the classes that made me nervous though. I was about to face so-called friends who had sided with Alexis and turned their backs on me. I wasn't sure how they would react towards me being back in school, but it turned out most of my fears were unfounded. Most of them saw what happened on the news and apologized for the way they treated me before. They were glad I got away from Kurt and expressed how lucky I was to be alive. It made me wonder exactly what the media told people about me, and I felt somewhat self-conscious. I would be horrified to learn they all heard he had treated me like a dog and some of the things he made me do.

  Alexis was another story. Just before my last class of the day, she stalked towards me and grabbed my arm.

  "You have some nerve coming back here acting all high and mighty."

  I ripped my arm out of her grasp. "What are you talking about, Alexis?"

  "I can't believe you're spouting all those lies about being kidnapped. You had an innocent man arrested so you could move in with another man. Why couldn't you break up with him like
a normal person? You might be able to fool other people, but you don't fool me. You are nothing but an evil lying bitch, and I'll make sure everyone knows it."

  I watched, stunned, as she walked off.

  I ended up skipping my last class and going home. Dominic arranged to pick me up after classes, but I walked. I needed time to think and calm myself down. Unfortunately, all the walk did was allow my confusion and hurt to stew. By the time I arrived home, I was sobbing. To avoid facing Dominic in this state, I ran straight to my room and locked the door. With my face buried in my pillow, let out a howl of frustration and anguish. How could she think I was lying? She hadn't spoken to me at all in the weeks before I moved in with Kurt. There was no way she could know what really happened. I didn't know what her problem was, but it was beginning to piss me off. She either needed to discuss it with me or let it go and get on with her own life.

  A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I ignored him, hoping he would get the hint and go away.

  Moments later, Dominic knocked a few more times. "Haleigh, what's wrong? I thought I was picking you up?"

  Apparently not. "Give me a minute."

  I went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. It didn't help. I sighed as I unlocked the door and sat on the bed. "Come in."

  "What happened?" Dominic sat beside me, leaving a comfortable amount of space between us.

  "It's not a big deal. I'll get over it."

  He frowned. "Good friends listen to their friend's problems so they can offer support. That's kind of hard to do if you don't talk about your problems and pretend everything is okay when it's clearly not."

  I sighed and explained what Alexis said.

  "Nothing that happened to you is your fault. You realize that, right?"

  I snorted. "Except that none of it would have happened if I listened to you."

  "I thought we agreed to let that go as long as you at least listen to my advice in the future?"

  "It doesn't change the facts." Dominic's scowl inspired me to change the subject. "Besides, Alexis treated me badly before I moved in with Kurt. In fact, it's what prompted the move in the first place. Had she and I been getting along, as we usually did, I would have never considered it. So would it be unfair of me to say it's her fault?"

  "How about we avoid laying blame and admit we can't control how people act towards us? All we can do is decide how we will react."

  This would have been good advice a year and a half ago. I hadn't reacted well to the situation from the start. I allowed Alexis' behavior to stress me out and intimidate me instead of confronting her about it. Despite being uncomfortable with moving in with Kurt, I stubbornly turned down Dominic's alternative because I assumed he was offering it as a way to keep me and Kurt apart. Then when Kurt's behavior became obsessive and overbearing, I ignored it, believing it was just because he loved me.

  "You sound like my dad," I said, my arms folded over my chest.

  "He must be a wise man."

  I was about to respond with a sarcastic quip, but my concerns over my parents' disappearance silenced me. I hoped they were okay.

  "We'll find your parents. Please, don't worry about them," Dominic said, as though reading my thoughts. "So, how are you going to handle the situation with Alexis?"

  "I'll just avoid her."

  Dominic groaned. "You can't allow her to make you feel you don't have a right to be there. You shouldn't have to tip toe around her just because she has a stick up her ass over something."

  "I don't know what else to do," I said, throwing my hands up in frustration.

  "Well, when you forgive yourself and stop blaming yourself for everything that happened, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Dominic left me alone again, closing the door on his way out.

  I groaned loudly and threw myself back onto to the bed. He was absolutely infuriating at times, but as annoying as he was, he was also right.

  *****

  My second day wasn't nearly as bad. In fact, I didn't see Alexis at all, which made it great. I ran into Jason though. It was the first time I saw him since returning, but I was sure Dominic filled him in on everything.

  "Hey, Haleigh. How've you been doing?"

  "Good. You?"

  "I've been great," he said, grinning. "Hey! If Dominic gets on your nerves, let me know. I'll take care of it."

  I laughed. "He's not so bad."

  "He can be a little pushy and preachy."

  "Yes, there is that." I said, nodding.

  "He's a good guy though and means well."

  "Yeah." Suddenly, my face flushed.

  It would have been a good time for Jason to look away, but he didn't. He raised his eyebrows. I needed to change the subject before he asked questions.

  "How have things been here for the last year?"

  "Same ol' thing, except I have a new girlfriend." Jason's grin lit his entire face. "Her name is Bekka. If you join me for lunch at the bistro, you can meet her."

  "She won't mind?"

  "Not at all. She's really easy going."

  "I would love to then."

  With that settled, we waved as we headed to our classes.

  *****

  Jason and Bekka were waiting at the bistro when I arrived just after noon. He waved me over to their table.

  "Bekka, this is Haleigh. Haleigh, Bekka."

  I held out my hand, but Bekka stood and gave me a quick hug. "I've heard so much about you, I feel like I already know you. You look well."

  I stiffened at the contact, but smiled so I wouldn't hurt her feelings. "Thanks. It's great to meet you."

  She sat on the bench with Jason, so I took the one across from them.

  "I ordered a big plate of nachos for us to share, if that's okay," Jason said.

  "Yeah, that sounds great."

  Neither of them brought up what happened with Kurt, so I got the impression Dominic told Jason not to talk about it, or they avoided the topic assuming it was something I would rather not discuss. Either way, I was grateful. In the last couple of days, I had old friends, and even people I never met, grilling me about it. I tried to remain diplomatic about the whole thing, but it was getting harder. I hoped the novelty of talking to the former abductee would wear off soon.

  Bekka immediately delved into a story about how she and Jason met. Oddly, it had been at the same play party where Dominic initiated his big rescue. She was a very buoyant person and reminded me of Alexis in a lot of ways. They were both social butterflies, but Bekka was more self-confident and down to earth. Unlike Alexis, she didn't hold people to higher ideals than she held for herself. She obviously adored Jason, and it was easy to see why he fell head over heels for her. I was happy for them both.

  "Would you like to go out Friday night?" Bekka asked. "Just us girls."

  I wasn't sure I was ready to deal with crowds yet. Even being at school was difficult when I found myself surrounded by too many people. I had always been an introvert, but going out never bothered me before. Kurt kept me so secluded, I must have gotten used to being alone with him all the time. "I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that."

  "It's okay. I understand. Just let me know if you ever want to do something together."

  I smiled. "Thanks. You'll be the first to know."

  Chapter 14

  Normally, I was excited about my birthday, but this year I wasn't in the mood for celebrating. I still hadn't been able to contact my parents and celebrating my birth without them seemed pointless. I told Dominic I wanted a quiet birthday at home, but it was obvious he was scheming. If he was planning a party, I'd die.

  "I have a surprise for you," he announced that morning.

  I froze. Kurt had tainted my love of surprises for the unforeseeable future. I swallowed my fear, since I didn't want to explain it to him, and let Dominic lead me to his office. Well, at least I was sure it wasn't a surprise party. There was no room to hide people in that small space. He motioned for me to sit in his computer chair and loaded up Skype on his PC. H
e started a video call, and I almost screamed when my parents appeared on the screen.

  "Mom. Dad. Where… why… I've been so worried. Your number didn't work."

  My mom was crying as hard as I was, and my father looked like he wasn't far from joining us. "Oh, Haleigh, do you have any idea how worried we were?"

  "I know, mom. I'm sorry."

  My father waved his hand. "We're just glad you're okay."

  "After your call, we knew something was wrong, and we tried to get the money together to come looking for you, but the bank wouldn't approve our application for a loan. Then our property taxes went up, which forced us to sell the house. We didn't get much from the sale, but it was enough to put down on a house in a retirement village."

  "I was hoping you moved and something… bad didn't happen."

  After we had gotten reacquainted, and the shock had worn off, I turned to Dominic. "How did you find them?"

  "A friend on the police force knows all kinds of neat little tricks for finding people. I contacted them and explained what happened to you and assured them you were safe, but I figured seeing and talking to them would be a nice birthday present. So I helped them set up Skype." Dominic handed me a package he had been holding.

  "We wanted to watch you open it," my mom said.

  I opened the gift from my parents. It was a new smartphone. They couldn't afford this. I started to object, but my dad cut me off.

  "We got a buy one get one free deal and decided it would be a good way for us to keep in touch. We can even talk free on our phones using Skype. Dominic showed us how," my dad said.

  "I've added your phone to my account," Dominic said.

  When I frowned at him, he mouthed, "Pay it forward".

  "Honey, I'm so glad you found a man who obviously adores you," my mom said.

  Her erroneous conclusion startled me, and I wondered what Dominic had told them. "We're only friends, mom."

  My mom winked. "Okay, you tell yourself that."

  Before my face turned a darker shade of red, Dominic handed me another package. "This one's from me."

  "You gave me enough." I tried handing it back.