Dominic

Why did my heart contract and stomach swim with butterflies over that declaration?

I knew the answer to that question easily; I liked him back.

A hell of a lot.

"I'm overlookin' the pig headed comments about me looks and arse and also overlookin' your current brain fart. You don't like me Dominic. You like Destiny or was there another reason you almost stuck your tongue down her throat in reg class today?" I snapped.

I hated how much that situation actually annoyed me.

Dominic grinned. "I didn't almost kiss her, babe. She was in my face to try and bribe me into kissing her, but I wasn't about to cave, not when I just got you. If it was a test though, you would have passed with flying colours"

"A test?"

Dominic nodded. "Yeah, you're like a closed book sometimes. I don't have a clue what you're feeling or thinking, but when Destiny was close to my mouth, and you went red in the face, I knew it had made you mad."

I felt myself blush. "No, it didn't. I don't care-

"Yeah, you do. You don't like me kissing Destiny, and I'm betting you don't like me kissing anybody else either, do you?"

I looked away from him, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look back at him.

"Do you?" he repeated.

Did I like Dominic kissing other girls?

I really didn't.

"No," I murmured.

He smiled in triumph. "Good because I don't like kissing anyone but you. I know I'm a prick and that you aren't my biggest fan, but I want to be with you. I think I'd kill if you belonged to someone else."

"Belonged? I'm not a piece of fuckin' property-"

Dominic grinning made me stop mid-sentence.

"What?" I growled.

He shrugged. "Stop being so defensive with me, babe. I want you, and you want me. Just admit that to yourself and we can move on from here."

I huffed, looked away from him and closed my eyes.

"I have issues, Dominic-"

"Look who you're talkin' to," he cut me off laughing. "Don't preach to me about issues."

I sighed again, opening my eyes and looking back to him. "No, I've issues with… with… lettin' people get close to me."

He smirked again. "I'm pretty close to you right now, babe."

I rolled my eyes and punched his arm. "No, I mean in here," I snapped and pointed to my heart, only to drop my hand and look away.

"Bronagh," he murmured.

When I wouldn't look at him, he pulled me closer to him and kissed my cheek. "Babe, there is nothin' wrong with letting someone get close to you. This isn't the same as what happened with your parents."

I closed my eyes at the mention of them. "Please, don't talk about them. I love and miss them, but they are gone. Talkin' about them just hurts me chest."

Dominic kissed my check again and nodded his head in understanding. "Okay, I won't mention them again, I just want you to know this isn't the same."

I snorted. "Yeah, it is, if I start to care about you - more than I already do - and somethin' happens that takes you away, then I'll be hurt. I already lost two of the loves of me life Dominic; Branna is all I have left. I don't get close to people, because I can't handle knowin' they could leave me without a second's notice. It terrifies me, okay?"

I felt another kiss on my cheek. "I won't ever leave you. That's something you should know about me, baby. Once you're mine, I won't ever let you go. I'm a stubborn prick eighty percent of the time, so even if you want to leave me, I still wouldn't let it happen."

I would say ninety-nine point nine percent of the time.

My heart was pounding against my ribs as he spoke, my feelings for him deepening with each passing second. "You have to promise you won't leave me, say it."

Dominic nuzzled his nose against my cheek. "I'll promise never to leave you if you promise not to hurt me." He grinned.

I rolled my eyes at his playfulness. "I promise."

"I promise, too."

I sighed then. "What if you get bored of me?"

Dominic just looked at me and said, "Babe," as if what I just said was stupid.

I rolled my eyes again. "What if you get punched in the head and die?" I questioned.

Dominic shook his head. "I can't promise you I won't die because no one knows when that boat comes for them, but I'm not letting you out of this because you're afraid of death. Death is a part of life, babe, everyone and thing dies at some point. I just want you around me until that day comes."

I let my jaw drop.

"Deep, huh?" Dominic snorted.

He wanted me around until he died which could be tomorrow or seventy years from now. So yeah; it was fucking deep.

"Eh, yeah!"

Dominic shrugged. "Whatever, it's true, you have no idea what you do to me, Bronagh. You make me feel, baby, really feel. I want you to be mine for good this time, no bullshit. Will you be mine?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

My stomach was a fluttering mess at this stage. "Can I not think about it-"

"No, you wanted to be with me quick enough last night so answer now."

I growled. "I can't just decide right away after everythin' that happened today. I have to think-"

"No, you don't. If you want me, answer me now, and let me know."

I felt like strangling him. "How can I be with someone who I like but really hate at the same time?"

Okay, I didn't hate him, but he did piss me off a lot.

Dominic grinned. "Easily."

He was impossible.

"Will you leave me alone in school and stop bullyin' me?" I questioned.

He rolled his eyes this time. "I don't bully you, I tease you, but I'll leave you alone in the making you mad sense."

What?

"What does that mean?" I questioned.

"I won't say shit to make you mad. I'll just kiss you instead."

I gasped. "We can't kiss in school!"

I felt myself blush, and I didn't know why.

"Why not?"

"Because everyone knows we hate each other," I replied in a duh tone.

Dominic snorted. "No, everyone knows I have a thing for you."

Double what?

"What? How? How can everyone know when I didn't even know?"

"Because you get so mad at me, it makes you blind to what's in front of you. You ignore me, but no one else does. Damien tells me how everyone watches me stare at you or try to annoy you just so I have your attention."

I didn't reply back to him.

I just remembered a time when my mam told me when I was little that if a boy was really mean to a girl it could mean that he liked her, but didn't know how to go about telling her so acted like a bully instead, so he would still get her attention. She actually told me that when Jason first started bullying me when we were kids after I refused to kiss him during yard time. I thought that was stupid, but it was a fact. Not with everyone, obviously, but with Dominic, it apparently was.

"If Ryder and Branna get married, you'll be me brother-in-law and I will be your sister-in-law. You can't kiss an in-law."

Dominic snorted and pecked my lips with his. "Watch me, babe."

I sighed as he leaned against me, his forehead to mine.

"Answer. Now."

I groaned. "Fine."

"Fine as in you will be my girl… again?"

Why not? What was the worst that could happen?