Dominic

"Hey, Bronagh. Can I talk to you for a second?"

I cleared my throat and said, "Sure, Gavin. Come on in."

"Who is it?" Branna's voice called out from the sitting room.

I closed the door when Gavin stepped inside. "It's Gavin Collins, he wants to have a chat."

I smiled at Gavin then gestured towards the stairs and whispered, "We can go up to my room, she will only listen in if we stay down here."

Gavin chuckled under his breath making me snort. We headed upstairs then, with Branna's quizzical gaze on our backs until we were out of sight and safely inside my room.

"So… what's up?" I asked as I awkwardly walked towards my bed and sat on it, facing Gavin.

He sighed and ran his hands through his thick, wavy dirty blond locks and for a moment I found myself just staring at him. I know, I know, I was Dominic's girlfriend, but I was only human, and Gavin was hot. Anyone with eyes could see that so give me a break.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry, I was a complete fuckin' dickhead for bailin' on our date. I know things won't work out for us like a couple and that you're with Nico now, but I do want to be your mate. I've been feelin' like crap since that night and even worse when I saw your hand bandaged up at school."

I raised my eyebrows; I didn't know what I was expecting him to talk to me about, but an apology from him definitely wasn't it.

"Is it bad?" he asked, gesturing to my hand.

I looked down at my hand, looked back up and shook my head. "No, it's fine now, only a little stiff. The bruisin' on it has faded to yellow. After I get a check-up at the hospital next week, I can take the bandage off," I explained.

Gavin nodded at me then sighed as he stared. "You look good."

I blushed.

He smiled. "I'm not chattin' you up, I mean you just look… good," he said with a shrug.

I still continued to blush while he continued to smile.

I cleared my throat. "I'm not gonna lie, I did call you a few choice names in my head when you just left me last week in McDonald's but I do understand why. Dominic… he can be very persistent and overwhelmin' to deal with."

Gavin snorted as he came to sit next to me on my bed. "Understatement, Bee."

I smiled at him. "I forgive you, if that's what you need to hear. I don't hold grudges… unless you're Jason Bane. But since you aren't, no worries."

Gavin laughed and relaxed completely next to me. "I'll be thankin' God for small favours tonight before I go to bed."

I snorted, and it made Gavin cackle, which set me over the edge with laughter. I could not handle it when people cackle, it got me every time, and I had to laugh.

"I'll get goin', I just stopped by to get that off me chest. I hope we can be mates though? Like hangin' out and shite like that," Gavin said as turned his head to me.

I looked back at him and ignored the voice in my head that shouted 'no, we don't want any more change!' and gave Gavin a smile and said, "Yeah, I think a friend is just what I need."

Gavin beamed at me, and it made me feel shy; I actually had a beautiful lad as my friend and a complete stunner as my boyfriend… little me wasn't doing too badly for herself.

Gavin leaned in to hug me and I returned it. "I'll see you on Monday and-"

"No, Ryder, stop him!" Branna's voice suddenly screamed from downstairs.

Gavin and I pulled apart from our hug and turned to my door as footsteps pounded up the stairs.

"Oh, shite," Gavin breathed when the door was flung open.

I winced when it smacked out the wall, but full-on recoiled when I saw Dominic filling up the doorway, his face twisted in rage. I jumped out in front of Gavin and raised my hands up in surrender.

"Dominic, he just came over to apologise to me. He isn't tryin' to ask me out again or anythin', he just wants to be friends-"

Dominic shot forward and I had to fling myself at him so he wouldn't dodge around me and get Gavin, whom I could sense was standing behind me waiting for a blow to hit him.

Dominic's arms were tight around me as I squeezed myself to him. He growled into my temple and tried to shake me off him, but I wasn't letting go for anything, and he realised this after a moment and relaxed a tiny bit to settle me against him.

"First and only warning you're getting, Collins. She's mine, if you try and take her away from me, I will kill you."

Holy. Fuck!

"Dominic-"

"Fuck you, Nico. She can be me friend if she wants to be-"

Dominic tried to push me away from him, but my arms were locked around his waist and weren't coming apart any time soon.

"GET OUT!" Dominic roared, which caused me to duck my head because the noise of it stung my ears.

"I'm goin', man. Don't worry," Gavin snarled and moved towards the door. "See you in school, Bee."

Dominic swung his arm and missed Gavin, because he ducked away and left the room, passing Branna and Ryder who were both standing outside my room looking in and watching.

I locked eyes with Branna and nodded for her and Ryder to leave. She nodded back at me and reached inside my room and closed the door leaving Dominic and myself alone. I removed my arms from around him and made a move to step backwards to give him some space, but he kept me in place, and it made me sigh.

"I'm just tryin' to give you some space to cool off-"

"Why was he here? In your room?" he growled down at me, cutting me off mid-sentence.

I shrugged. "He wanted to apologise and-"

"I got that but why. Was. He. In. Your. Room?"

I blinked at him for a moment then shook my head. "Because he wanted to talk."

Dominic's gaze on me was hard as he looked down at me. "Why in here? Why not downstairs?"

I sighed. "I don't know, I figured it would be easier to talk up here and-"

"You suggested you both come up to your room?" he roared.

I flinched away from him. I knew he wouldn't hit me or hurt me physically, but that still didn't change the fact that he was scaring me.

"Dominic, you're frightenin' me," I said, my voice shaking.

He grunted and moved his arms from around me and began pacing my room. I got a headache looking at him, so I moved to my bed, climbed onto it, and snuggled under my covers. I was already in my pyjamas, and I was content enough to stay for the night now that I was there.

I heard Dominic sigh after another few minutes of pacing. "Bronagh?"

I didn't answer, which caused another deep sigh to escape his mouth. I heard him moving about and then came the noise of things hitting the floor, and I instantly knew it was his clothes and shoes.

He was stripping!

I mentally kicked myself; we're having serious problems, and I was melting over him getting semi-naked. My mind was apparently stuck in the gutter where Dominic was involved.

I tensed when he climbed into my bed behind me. I didn't fight him off when he tangled his limbs up with mine. First his arms came around my waist and he pulled me against him until I was moulded into the front of his body, then he tangled his legs up with mine and put his head resting above mine.

"I live you, pretty girl," he murmured and kissed the crown of my head.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second then open them. "I live you, too."

He turned me to him then, lowered his head, and brushed his lips over mine. I knew I should have lightly kissed him back or even attempted to tease him with a whisper kiss, but I just couldn't. I pressed my mouth hard on his and forced my tongue into his mouth.