A Little Broken (16 page)

“I want to tell you something, now, but I’ve never done this before and… I’m scared, for a lack of a better term.”

“
You’re
scared? Scared of what? You’re starting to make me nervous, Dominick. Whatever it is, just tell me,” she coaxed, worry plain in her voice. He never talked in riddles and she could feel anxiety beginning to fill her as the silence grew between them.

Dominick sat back on his haunches, and, feeling exposed in her nakedness, she covered her breasts with her arms. Of course, her lower half was still out in the open, but there was nothing she could do about it now – she only had two arms, and the way he was perched between her legs did little to hide that fact. She watched him as his chest heaved, as if he was trying to catch his breath before continuing on with what he needed to say. She tried to stay patient, knowing he would tell her, but it was a tough internal fight for her. Jessie had learned she always thought the worst, expected it even, and she was doing it now. Unknowns scared her, and he’d long since stopped being one of the unknowns for her. Of course, she had been waiting for the other shoe to drop… Maybe this was going to be it? She hoped not.

“I love you,” he blurted, his face going red at his outburst. “I’m sorry. I had this whole speech plan – I’ve been working on it for at least a week – all romantic. I even bought flowers, but forgot them in the other room. If you want them I’ll go get them…” his voice trailed off before he shook his head and started again. “Jessie, from the moment I first saw you, walking home from the diner, I knew I had to meet you. You looked so sad, so lost in your own thoughts, and I felt this draw to you, this inner demand to see you smile. I had some urging instinct that if I could just get you to laugh, the world would stop turning and the night would never be dark,” he paused for a moment, swallowing hard, his gaze falling from her face to her arms covering her, before falling to the floor and their clothes. “I know that sounds ridiculously hoakey, but I can’t help it. I know your life has been hard and you’ve hit rock bottom before, but I want you to know that with me, you’ll never even touch the floor because I’ll hold you up when you can’t do it on your own.”

Jessie opened her mouth to say something, what, she wasn’t sure. But Dominick stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips.

“No. I didn’t tell you because I expected a proclamation of undying love from you; I just had to tell you, on my terms. I had to make sure you knew, and that you would realize that I’m not going anywhere. I also didn’t want it to be blurted out during some completely inappropriate time…which has almost happened, more than once.”

Breathing hard, Jessie nodded. She had been thinking only a little bit ago that she could possibly love him, and she hadn’t had time to evaluate it, think about it, roll it around to see if it fit. She knew that she cared about him; she couldn’t wait to see him at the end of each day, and enjoyed the time off they had together – but, was that love?
Real
love? She realized that she’d never felt the way she did when she was with him, so it was definitely something…but love? Jessie just didn’t know, and she appreciated Dominick not putting her on the spot.

“Hmm…this seriousness is
not
what I wanted for this moment…” he said as his hand trailed down her body and he used a finger to caress her folds, still wet from his previous attention. Jessie gasped, her body squirming against his hand. “
This
is the reaction I had intended to get from you. I need you; I’m pretty sure if you turn me away now, I’ll die inside. Let me love you, Jessie?”

His words were a question, and Jessie nodded, wanting him after his words of love. She wanted the expression he promised, the feel of his body, and he didn’t disappoint. He stripped out of his shorts quickly and kissed her hard, his lips firm against hers. She was the one to press the motion, her tongue sweeping out to wet his lip. A wildfire of urgency whipped through her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as humanly possible. Her breasts were pressed against the firmness of his chest, his weight almost painful, but she didn’t let go. Instead, she rotated her hips against him, rubbing herself against his hardness.

Groaning, he lifted his lower body and plunged into her, neither of them needing any more foreplay. She exhilarated in the delicious stretching of her body; she was moist enough to take all of him and it not hurt. Without preamble, he began to move, to pump into her. Jessie had grown accustomed to having to remind him she wasn’t made of glass, so his unrestrained, passionate movement had her building quickly. She arched into him, meeting him thrust for thrust, her pleasure building quickly.

“Dominick, I’m close,” she moaned. Wrapping her legs around his torso, she used her hands on his wrists to hold her steady, trying to not mark him with her nails as sensation coursed through her body.

“Let go, baby, I’ll catch you. I’ll go with you,” he grunted, picking up his pace. With that, he rolled inside of her, the tip of him pressing just the right spot inside of her. He did it once, twice, and on the third time, Jessie screamed, unable to prolong it.

Jessie let go, cresting over the cliff he’d brought her to. She felt Dominick jerk inside her, holding true to his word and climaxing with her. He continued to move until he couldn’t any longer, and he stilled, his face buried in her neck.  She was breathing heavily, boneless and unable to move, as he kissed her neck and whispered to her.

“I’ll always catch you, Jessie. I’ll be where ever you are, please know that. I love you.” His voice was soft, a quiet promise to her that gripped her heart and brought tears to her eyes. She wanted that, more than anything. She just hoped that she would be capable of doing the same for him, because if not, it really wasn’t fair to keep him. If she didn’t truly love him, she’d have to let him go – keeping him without returning the emotion would be selfish, and she knew it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“WHAT!?” Toni shrieked, her voice loud enough to silence the entire diner.

“He told me he loved me,” Jessie said softly as she moved behind the counter to grab napkins.

“I got that part. You didn’t say it back! Why? It’s clear you love him, Jessie,” Toni said, passing her a dispenser to load.

“He told me not to. Besides, I’m not sure I
do
love him. I mean…I care for him, a lot. I couldn’t imagine my life without him, but how do I know if that is love?”

“Stupid girl. I love you, but you’re being stupid.” Toni paused long enough to take a deep breath while she shook her head. “Every time you talk about him you light up – even now! Look at you, pink in the cheeks and trying not to smirk. You’re not the same girl you were when you came here; everyone notices the changes in you. You smile at the customers, you talk with them, hell, you have regulars now! They come specifically to sit in your section, to talk to you, to have you wait on them because they enjoy your company. The Jessie who first got here kept to herself, spoke only when spoken to – you were a robot!” Toni exclaimed, her voice rising.

“I know, I know.” Jessie was already wishing she hadn’t told her friend, but she had to tell
someone
. She had been going crazy with the knowledge all morning, wracking her brain to try to discern how she felt. Dominick kept true to his word – he hadn’t wanted her to say the words back to him, and completely dropped the topic after they’d made love. They’d spent the rest of the night going through her multitude of purchases; she’d tried everything on for him, giving him the fashion show he’d originally asked for, and she’d relished in every compliment he’d paid her. She’d felt good, pretty under his gaze, and she was pleased that she’d gone shopping, even if a part of her still felt guilty about him spending money on her. When she’d spoken up and voiced how she felt, he’d simply told her that if he hadn’t had the money, or hadn’t wanted to do it, he wouldn’t have. Dropping the subject, he’d put some girly movie on in the bedroom and they’d cuddled together on the bed. Jessie hadn’t even realized they fallen asleep until the blasting of the alarm clock woke them this morning.

“How many times a week do you stay the night at his place?” Toni asked, snapping her out of her thoughts once more.

Jessie didn’t answer, not wanting her friend to know she stayed with him so often. She was pretty sure it was probably six or so nights. It always seemed assumed that after whatever they did during the evening that they’d go to bed together. Besides, though she stopped at her condo from time to time to get things she may need, she’d grown to hate it there; it was dark and gloomy and no longer suited who she was becoming. At the same time, it wasn’t like he’d asked her to move in with him…and even if he had, she wasn’t sure she’d say ‘yes.’ There was something about putting your clothes in someone else’s dresser, losing the place that is ‘yours,’ that made things more…real. Real was hard for Jessie still, especially since, though she was getting better, she still lived in both the present and the past, simultaneously.

“I’ll take your silence to mean a lot,” she said sarcastically. “You don’t have to be ashamed about it…and if you didn’t want my loud-mouthed opinion, you wouldn’t have brought it up. So, live it and like it, you know you love me anyway.”

That brought a smile to Jessie’s face. She was right in that respect; everyone got it as it was with Toni – she never pulled her punches and was as nosy as they came. In all reality, the pair of them were completely different, personality wise, which was probably why they got along so well. Toni seemed to balance out her timidity, though she wasn’t quite sure what she brought to the table.

“Alright, Miss I-Know-Everything, what would you do?” Jessie asked her.

“If Dominick Wace told
me
he loved me? I’d fall to the ground, kiss his feet and tell him I worshipped the ground he walked on…but that’s just me. Hell, you’ve seen a lot more of him than me – lucky girl - how you could
not
is beyond me! That man is rock candy, dark chocolate, and a giant black forest cake all rolled into one.” Toni winked as she said it, and they burst into giggles.

“Ah, that sound is like music in this drab place,” a voice called out from the employee hall. Turning, Jessie found Mr. C’s smiling face walking toward them. Puzzled, she arched an eyebrow, hoping he’d elaborate further.

“Your laughter – I’ll admit it, little lady, I never thought I’d hear it. Tell me, what was the joke so I can get some humor into these old bones because surely, if you laughed at it, I’ll probably need oxygen afterward,” he said jokingly, putting his arm around Toni and pulling her into a hug before doing the same to Jessie. This was new for her, though he’d seen him hug the other girls several times. Fighting her usual reaction of stiffening, she relaxed into his fatherly embrace, relishing in the friendly comfort he offered.

“Oh you know, the usual female love of sugar and all things that are good yet bad for you at the same time,” Toni said, saving Jessie more embarrassment of the true subject of their fit of laughter.

“Ah, so you’re talking about my nephew, are you?”

Jessie flushed, wishing the world would fall away from her feet. How could he have known that?
He was probably listening before he came through,
she thought; after all, he had arranged the meeting to begin with. Silly man. Straightening, she tried to school her face, but she knew it was a futile effort – he’d seen the color in her cheeks, she was busted.

“Now, now, Jess, none of that blushing. I promise I won’t tell him – I’m just glad to see you happy. Oh, and if you’re done with your side duties, you’re good to go, by the way – unless you’re hungry, then feel free to eat, both of you, on the house today. I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy.”

Jessie’s knee-jerk reaction was to decline, but she hesitated. She’d promised herself she’d eat, and she wasn’t meeting Dominick until dinner. It was only two, and their date was at eight – she doubted the banana he’d put in her purse before leaving this morning was enough to constitute food. A rumbling from her stomach made the decision for her. Walking around the counter, she perched on a barstool and picked up a menu.

“What’s good here?” she asked her boss, scanning her options, though she knew them already. In all the time she’d worked at the diner, she’d never actually eaten any of the food. When new customers came in and asked for her opinion she’d had either rattled off the day’s special or the most popularly ordered items. Thinking back on that, she probably should have at least sampled some of the food, and a twinge of regret for possibly misleading her now regulars went through her.

Silence met her question, and she brought her head up to find Mr. C and Toni both staring at her like she’d been speaking in Swahili. They seemed shocked and perplexed by her question, and she thought for a moment she’d offended them both; perhaps they’d realized she’d never taken the time or care to try any of the food.

“What?” she asked, self-consciously.

“I need to thank that nephew of mine,” her boss muttered quietly. “Put the menu away, I’ll have something fixed up for you – something light, how does that sound?”

Nodding, she placed the menu back and asked for a coffee, which Mr. C promptly placed in front of her as well a caddy with cream and sugar.  When she’d finished prepping her drink, a plate was placed in front of her, and she looked up to thank Mr. C.

“I thought an omelet with spinach, cheese, and some mushrooms would do well. High in protein but still light,” he informed her as Toni slid into the seat beside her. Jessie picked up her fork and took a bite, moaning at its fluffy goodness in her mouth. It was an explosion of flavors and probably the best omelet she’d ever had.

“Hey! No fair, I’ll want that too! Why is that not on the menu?!” Toni exclaimed, cupping her own coffee in hand.

“Pfft, because I said so, and I’m the boss, I can do that. Luckily for you,” he said, placing an identical plate in front of her, “I know you well.”

The pair ate in companionable silence, while their boss excused himself to check in with a couple of the regulars. It didn’t take long before Jessie was full, and she looked down at the remaining two thirds of the omelet in despair. It was really good, perfect; it was light, just like he’d said it would be, and she wanted to eat more, but she was already full and she hated it.
Stupid stomach,
she thought, convinced it was sabotaging her.