Chapter 122: Chapter 122
Music Recommendation: Daylight by Taylor Swift.
......
Celeste didn’t move at first. Her forehead rested against Dominic’s chest, and her body remained stiff in his arms, as though she wasn’t sure if she should allow herself to sink into him.
His warmth surrounded her anyway. His scent...that faint musk of his cologne mixed with her own perfume still clinging to his skin was dizzying, familiar, and almost enough to pull her under.
She felt a strong push to speak, and couldn’t keep quiet. Not when he was holding her like this. Not when he had already seen the tears she tried so hard to hide.
Her lips parted, and when she spoke, her voice was no more than a whisper. "I hate birthdays."
Dominic’s arms tightened around her, though his hands softened, smoothing slowly over her back. He didn’t say anything, not yet. He gave her the space to keep going.
Celeste swallowed, and the words came out unsteady. "When I was born... It ruined my mother’s life. That’s what birthdays mean to me. A reminder of what I did to her. That she was bound to him because of me. That her light went out because of me." Her breath hitched, and her chest ached in a way she hated. "So what’s there to celebrate?"
Dominic closed his eyes for a moment, breathing her pain as though it were his own. Then he drew back just enough to cup her face again. His thumbs brushed the wetness that had gathered along her lashes.
"Celeste." His voice was steady, but unbearably gentle. "You didn’t ruin anything. You didn’t choose to be born. That was not yours to carry."
Her throat tightened. She shook her head. "If she never had me...."
"If she never had you," Dominic interrupted softly, "then the world would be robbed of you. And that, Celeste, is the true tragedy."
Her eyes searched his, and he let her. He let her look for cracks in his conviction, but there were none. He meant every word.
Dominic tilted his forehead to hers, his voice dropping even lower. "We don’t have to rush this. I won’t push you into celebrating if you don’t want to. But when you’re ready, I want you to see your birthday the way I do. Not as the day the world broke, but the day it was given to you."
Something in her chest cracked slightly. The crack was not enough to crumble her walls, but it was enough to let his words seep in.
She exhaled shakily, her head falling against him again. "You make it sound so easy."
Dominic pressed a kiss to her hair. "That’s my job."
The corners of her lips twitched, the faintest ghost of a smile threatening.
They sat down to dinner not long after. Celeste moved quietly, setting his plate in front of him, then her own.
She didn’t announce anything. She didn’t even look at him as she poured water into her glass. She felt his eyes on her, watching her every small motion, heavy with meaning.
She finally sat. For a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to eat. She stared at her hands, and noticed the way the fork trembled slightly between her fingers.
She never imagined her body would react this way to something as simple as making meals for Dominic. Of course, it would. Dominic was used to luxurious food, and high class chefs.
She shouldn’t have sent them away. She made a mistake!
She fidgeted, but Dominic picked up his fork first, and without hesitation, he took a bite of what she had cooked.
Celeste’s eyes lifted at last. She searched his face for the truth, because Dominic was incapable of lying about things that mattered.
She shut her eyes for a second, and swallowed. When she opened them again, she saw it immediately. His expression softened, his jaw stilled as he chewed, and his brows lifted just barely.
He was impressed.
Her heart skipped.
Dominic set his fork down slowly, leaning back just enough to meet her eyes with something warm and unguarded. "This is... really good, Celeste."
Celeste lips thinned. The heat that rushed through her chest was foreign, and almost uncomfortable. She had expected indifference, or maybe a polite approval. But no. His reaction was genuine.
She bit back the urge to smile too brightly. Instead, she ducked her head and scooped her own bite, pretending it wasn’t a big deal.
Dominic watched her eyes, smiled and shook his head. If only she knew how much he loved her.
"I’m glad you like it," Dominic teased after she took her first bite.
Celeste blushed. "Thank you, darling," she returned the tease.
Dominic chuckled, and returned to his meal.
Halfway through the meal, Celeste set her fork down and looked at him. Her voice was quiet, and tentative. "If... if we go to Paris... could Amara come too? If she has nothing else going on? I know you said just us but she’d love this with me,"
Dominic tilted his head.
She added softly, "Please?" Her face softened more than usual.
That single word unraveled him. Dominic had faced men begging for their lives, and it hadn’t moved him. But Celeste asking him for something so softly, and sincerely was different. There was no force in him capable of saying no.
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
Celeste blinked, a little surprised. "Really?"
Dominic’s lips curved faintly. "Really."
A small laugh escaped her, quiet and startled, and then she giggled. It slipped out before she could stop it. It was so genuine and unfiltered, and it lit her face in a way that stole his breath.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, his fork forgotten. He didn’t eat, nor did he move. He just watched her. He watched her laugh, and watched her glow despite all her attempts to dim herself.
There was nothing in the world he’d choose to do at the moment.
Dominic stood up, and walked over to her. "Come here," he requested, stretching his hand forward.
Celeste blinked up at him when he extended his hand. For a moment, she hesitated, her eyes darting from his palm back to his face, as though she was trying to read the unspoken reason behind his request.
Dominic didn’t push. He stood there patiently, with the kind of quiet steadiness that always, somehow, unraveled her resistance all the time.
Finally, she slipped her hand into his.
Dominic’s fingers closed around hers, firm but careful, because she was precious. If not to anyone, to him!
He drew her up from her seat, guiding her across the room with unhurried steps. Dinner sat forgotten behind them.
The living room was quiet, and dim except for the faint golden glow spilling from the lights above. He didn’t bother with music. He didn’t need it. The rhythm of their hearts was enough.
Dominic pulled her close, his other hand settling at the small of her back, pressing her against him until she could feel the solid strength of his chest with every shallow breath she took.
He began to sway them, slow, and uncoordinated. It was not really a dance but this was something softer. It felt more intimate than any ballroom perfection could capture.
Celeste’s lashes lowered. Her cheek rested against his shoulder, and after a moment, her arms slid up around him, hesitant at first, then tightening as if she finally allowed herself to lean on him fully.
Dominic’s movements slowed even further, until it felt less like dancing and more like holding. He buried his face in the nook of her neck, breathing her in, his lips brushing feather-light against her skin.
"Celeste..." His voice was low, almost muffled against her throat.
She hummed faintly. It was a reply, but it trembled more than she wanted it to.
"I love you."
Her breath caught in her chest, and for a heartbeat, she shut her eyes, smiling.
Dominic didn’t take it back. He didn’t flinch or soften the words. He pressed them deeper into her skin, into her bones, and into the very air around them.
"I love you, Celeste." he repeated, letting the words hit her like a wrecking ball.
Her throat ached. She wanted to answer. She wanted to give him something back, but the words tangled, heavy and complicated inside her. Still, her arms tightened around him instinctively, holding him as if she was terrified he might slip away if she didn’t.
"Thank you so much for the gift," she smiled.
Dominic smiled back. He closed his eyes, swaying her gently in the quiet, and kissed the curve of her neck once. The kiss was reverent and unhurried.