by Bryce Oakley
"Her bedroom is down the opposite hall of Martha's, if you want to go check on her," Billie said, interrupting her reverie.
Sabrina nodded, unable to move. "I don't know what I want," she said quietly, the confession slipping from her lips in a strange moment of revelation.
"Well, start with what you don't want," Vero said, tilting her head to the side. “That’s what I did to figure this one out.” She gestured to Billie, who grinned.
Figuring out what she didn’t want –– that was much easier.
She didn’t want to lose her future, and at the same time, she didn’t want that to mean that she’d lose Domino.
And for the first time, she considered that those weren’t mutually exclusive desires.
She watched Billie and Vero's easy way around each other, as though they simply fit together.
They were both successful, busy, career-driven people who wanted ambitious things in life, and they were navigating it together.
Was there a way forward like that for her and Domino?
She had panicked when they had first kissed, thinking that Domino might just be trying to sleep with her, but after hearing from Billie that Domino must truly care for her…
She wanted Domino –– that was a fairly straight-forward desire in her mind.
There were limitless reasons why it wouldn’t work.
Domino was wild; Sabrina liked labels and boxes.
Domino could date any girl she wanted; Sabrina hadn’t been on a date in months.
And yet, something about them did work. Sabrina enjoyed Domino and the sparks were undeniable. Why should she keep fighting everything in her heart that told her to just leap?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Domino
Domino sat on her childhood bed, staring around her bedroom. Her parents had changed it slightly to make it into a guest bedroom, but the walls were still the same vibrant yellow she had insisted on in middle school, and her first broken guitar still sat in the corner.
It wasn't a large room –– her parents were accountants with five children, after all –– but it had always been her sanctuary.
She had always been an oddball growing up. She had been bullied and teased relentlessly, until she had simply adopted her weirdness as cool, instead. She was different, and she was a bit wild, and the more she could confidently portray that, the more people started to think she was doing it on purpose.
There was a different bedspread on the bed now, and the mattress had been changed into a fancier memory foam version of her cheap springy twin, but the boring, classic wooden bed frame was the same.
There was still a framed surfing poster on the wall, which was hysterical given that she hadn't ever surfed when she hung that poster up.
A light knock drew her attention towards the door.
"Domino?"
It was Sabrina.
She raked a hand through her hair. God, Sabrina. Seeing her in that dress was much harder than she ever could have predicted –– it just amplified the feeling of having what she wanted so close, and yet miles away.
And at the same time, she respected Sabrina's choice. Sabrina wanted to be friends. Domino wasn't the kind of asshole who couldn't be friends with someone just because she was attracted to them.
Sabrina knocked again.
"Come on in," Domino said, standing up. She straightened her posture and took a deep breath, trying to look much more carefree than she felt.
Sabrina opened the door and slipped inside, then shut it behind her. "Hiding out?"
"Something like that," Domino said with a grin.
"Wow, this is so not what I expected," Sabrina said, looking around. "Check out how organized this room is."
Domino laughed, looking around with new eyes. "Yeah, Mom changed it a lot. I promise it was classic Domino while I was here."
"I'm picturing like fifty pairs of jeans on the floor, hair products falling off the dresser, at least three guitars," Sabrina said, gesturing to the places she was talking about. She smiled, but there was something tentative in her expression.
"It was more like one pair of jeans on the ground, one jar of hair wax on my bedside table, and that lovely ol' thing in my hand, always," Domino said, pointing to the broken guitar.
"What made you play bass, then?" Sabrina asked, walking over to the guitar.
"I went through a huge Paul McCartney phase. He's left handed, I'm left handed, we're basically twins," Domino said, shaking her head with embarrassment.
"Paul? Paul is your favorite Beatle?" Sabrina said, cringing.
"Uh, sorry, have you ever heard 'Eleanor Rigby'?" Domino said defensively, holding up a hand with raised eyebrows. "The man's a genius."
Sabrina shook her head. "You can thank Jane Asher for Eleanor Rigby," she said, crossing her arms. "It was Jane's family that actually gave Paul his love of classical music and encouraged him to think outside of the box when it came to songwriting."
Domino paused, waiting for the punchline. "Really? His girlfriend?"
"Hey, girlfriends are sometimes wonderful influencers," Sabrina said, shrugging. "Do I even have to mention Yoko and Pattie?"
"Oh, don't tell me you're a Yoko apologist," Domino teased.
"Guilty as charged," Sabrina said, grinning.
"Do not tell me your favorite Beatle is Ringo," Domino said, grimacing.
"George. Clearly the most talented of the bunch," Sabrina said confidently.
Domino stared wide-eyed at the woman before her. "Is that why you said that Zoey or Meg could be the George of the band? You think Billie and I are overrated?"
Sabrina laughed. "Yowzers, you really took that to heart," she said. "I was just trying my best to persuade you to step outside of your comfort zone."
Domino nodded, biting her lip. "Well, I did. And Meg really is an awesome songwriting companion," she confessed.
Sabrina smiled. "I'm proud of you," she said. She cleared her throat, as if setting her determination to something. "Speaking of stepping out of comfort zones, though..."
Domino felt as though time momentarily stopped. Should she dare hope she knew what Sabrina might say?
"I... have been thinking," Sabrina said slowly. She audibly gulped, as though she was nervous.
"Oh yeah? About what?" Domino forced herself to sound more casual than she felt. If Sabrina said something like, We should go with blue for the closet organizer drawers, she didn't want to look stupid.
"I would like to request a re-do," Sabrina said.
Domino tilted her head to the side, not understanding.
"From the moment we met, it's been one colossal mistake after another. You hit me on your bike, I got really drunk before we even knew one another. Things like that. I haven't been on my A-game, and it's freaked me out," she said, fidgeting with her hands.
Domino stayed as still as she could, afraid to ruin the moment or make Sabrina change her mind.
Sabrina held out her hand to shake Domino’s. “I’m Sabrina. Want to be friends?”
Domino laughed, unable to figure the women out. “Nice to meet you, Sabrina. I’m Domino. Want to go hang out with my entire family?”
Sabrina grinned, arching a brow. “I do. In fact, I have a really fun idea for that.”
* * *
They all sat in the living room once again. Domino was grateful that the conversation had shifted more towards Vero and the new album that she and Billie had been hard at work on.
“Colorado is so beautiful,” Billie said.
Sabrina sat on the sofa next to her. Domino caught her eye as they both simultaneously took a drink of their wine.
“And Vero’s dad has been teaching me how to produce,” Billie continued.
“Are you going to produce The Shrikes next album?” Holly asked, her eyes wide in actual interest.
Drink for mention of The Shrikes next album.
Sabrina sipped from her glass.
“If there’s a next album,” Matt said.
Small
drink for Matt being an asshole about the band. It had to be small, or else they’d be blackout drunk in twenty minutes.
She watched Sabrina try to suppress a laugh.
Mom sighed. “I knew from the very first moment I heard you two play that you’d be famous one day. You inherited my talent, you know? I raised you kids to all be musical, but only the girls seemed to listen.” She swirled wine in her own glass, tipping it to drain it in one gulp.
One large sip for Mom saying something strange about raising them or their childhood…
Domino watched as Sabrina finished off her glass.
“You know, I blame the Carebear,” Lydia said.
Domino finished her own glass, feeling much more tipsy than she had anticipated. In just an hour, the game had led to them finishing off two bottles of wine.
“So, Holly, tell us more about your research,” Billie interrupted, side-eyeing Domino.
Holly’s face lit up. “So many interesting things are happening in the wolf world right now. You may be interested to know they just found a wolf for the first time in years in Colorado, actually,” she started.
Sabrina leaned over to whisper in her ear. ”You’d better take me home," she said quietly.
“We made this game too easy,” Domino giggled, whispering back. “Way too many chances to drink.”
Sabrina laughed quietly, shaking her head.
She gazed at Sabrina, only inches away. Electricity seemed to fill the air between them. She wanted to kiss her so badly.
Sabrina turned away, clearing her throat. A quiet ding notified Domino of a text on her phone. She checked it as inconspicuously as she could.
Sabrina: Can we share a car? I don’t want to go alone in a rideshare at this time of night a bit drunk. My couch is very comfortable. I’ll drive you back in the morning?
Domino nodded and cleared her throat, turning back to where her parents sat, looking solemn. "Sabrina has a stomach ache. All that cheese on the lasagna, you know? So we're going to go,” Domino said quickly, standing from the couch.
Billie at least tried to hide her grin, but Vero laughed, much to the confusion of the rest of the Rush family.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sabrina," Vero said quickly to cover it up. "I hope you feel much better soon."
"Get lots of rest," Billie said, the corners of her mouth threatening to tug into a grin at any moment.
"Drink lots of fluids," Mom said, giving Domino an air cheek kiss. "I hope it's not something contagious." She eyed Sabrina as though she should be quarantined.
"I'm sure I'll be fine as soon as Domino gets me home," Sabrina said pleasantly.
Vero snickered, which drew concerned looks from Matt and Holly.
"So nice to meet you all," Sabrina said. They stood and began to make their way to the front door. Domino tried to walk in a straight-ish line.
A low growl came from somewhere near the foyer. Martha.
Mom sighed and walked past them to scoop up the dog. "She has just been so cranky since she went blind. The poor thing," she said.
"She's always been cranky. She's been cranky since day one," Domino said, walking past the terrifying dog and her mother.
"She gets it from your mother," Dad joked from somewhere behind her.
Domino laughed, waving again and trying not to shove Sabrina out of the front door.
Sabrina burst out laughing as soon as they were out of sight of the front door, rounding the side of the garage where Domino's car was parked.
The rideshare pulled up quickly.
Domino climbed in the backseat first, and Sabrina followed.
As the car pulled out of the neighborhood, Domino watched the familiar palm trees slide past the windows. She wasn’t drunk, but she was definitely too far gone to drive.
She looked over at Sabrina, who seemed to be in the same situation.
Sabrina smiled back at her, adjusting her legs to be crossed. Her hand touched Domino’s and her eyes widened.
Domino felt it, too. They had touched before, but something about the dark backseat, the tension in the air, and the way Sabrina was looking at her made Domino feel brave.
She took Sabrina’s hand in hers, linking their fingers together. She rubbed her thumb over Sabrina’s soft skin, looking down at their hands. At how well they fit together.
It was funny how a simple touch of hands made her stomach twist in butterflies. It felt strangely intimate, holding Sabrina’s hand.
The lights overhead lit Sabrina up like a strobe light as they passed underneath them. She saw that Sabrina had a shy smile on her face as she stared straight ahead, as though she was getting extra bashful about the innocence of their touch.
That shy smile did funny things to Domino.
They stayed in tenuous silence until they pulled up to Sabrina’s house. They unlocked hands and climbed out of the car.
“Thanks,” Domino said, closing the door behind her.
Sabrina was giving her a curious look.
“Everything okay?” Domino asked.
“Sure,” Sabrina said, turning back around to walk up the front steps and unlock the door.
The lights were off and Isla’s door stood open. “I guess she’s out for the night,” Sabrina said, glancing around.
Domino nodded, watching Sabrina. It looked as though she wanted to say something, but kept second-guessing herself.
“So, do you have extra blankets for the couch?” Domino asked. “And a glass of water?”
Sabrina nodded, opening an ottoman to point to blankets before walking into the kitchen.
She came back with water, setting it on the end table. “Do you need, uh, pajamas?” She asked, swallowing as though the word pajamas felt scandalous.
“Sure,” Domino said, shrugging.
Sabrina walked down the hallway without another word and returned after a moment with a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. “Well, uh, sleep tight,” she said, then leaned forward to kiss Domino on the cheek.
Domino read the lean incorrectly and turned the wrong way, making their lips touch in an awkward, quick kiss.
“Wrong way,” Domino joked. “Sorry.”
Sabrina bit her lower lip, then turned on her heel and disappeared back down the hallway.
Well, that was weird. Domino shook her head and turned on a lamp, shutting off the overhead ard light. She kicked off her shoes and changed into the offered pajama bottoms.
She arranged the pillows, changed her t-shirt, and turned off her light. As she pulled the blanket over her, she heard footsteps in the hall, then the hallway light flipped back on.
“Everything okay?” Domino asked, rubbing at her eyes.
Sabrina stood awkwardly in the hallway.
"I feel really silly saying it aloud," Sabrina said, fidgeting with the subtle ruffles around the neckline of the dress.
“Do you need help with your dress?” Domino asked.
“No,” Sabrina said, shaking her head.
"Would you rather do charades?" Domino joked.
Sabrina laughed, surprised. “No, what I mean is, I think,” She shook her head, and then closed the distance between them in two long strides. She grabbed Domino by the shirt and pulled her close, then claimed her mouth possessively.
Domino was shocked, not expecting that level of boldness. But if there was one thing she knew, it was that Sabrina Meloy bewildered her.
And she loved that.
She wrapped Sabrina in her arms, parting her lips to kiss Sabrina with all of the passion that she had been withholding.
Their first kiss had been tentative, desperate, but this one was all emotion, all of the pent up feelings she had been holding in the past few days.
This time, it was Sabrina asking the question, and Domino's answer was a clear yes.
She gripped the fabric of Sabrina's dress in her hands.
Sabrina quickly pulled back, her voice almost breathless. "Don't you dare rip my dress," she said. "Someone very special gave me this dress."
> "Oh, did they now?" Domino said with a grin, moving her hands to hold either side of Sabrina's face as she kissed her again.
Sabrina's fingers dug into her back, insistent and impatient, and their bodies moved in sync, as Domino moved her mouth to worship the soft skin of Sabrina's neck.
“I lied. I think I do need help with my dress,” Sabrina said, then turned and playfully ran down the hallway.
Chapter Thirty
Sabrina
Sabrina laughed as she ran into her bedroom, but nerves made her stomach clench.
Domino walked slowly up the hallway, as if wanting to savor the moment. Sabrina felt the tension rise between them even more.
The excitement. The intrigue. The way her cheeks hurt from smiling.
"I wanted to be all sexy-like, but I couldn't get my dress off by myself," Sabrina said.
"This seems to be a problem you have often," Domino said,
Sabrina rolled her eyes and turned around, holding her hair out of the way. "Or maybe I'm just fulfilling one of my own fantasies," she said, closing her eyes as Domino dragged the zipper of the dress open.
"So, you've been thinking about this moment from the very first night you stayed over at my place?" Domino whispered.
Sabrina grinned. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "That night never happened."
Domino chuckled, letting the dress slide open in the back. She gently pushed it over Sabrina's shoulders and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on Sabrina's shoulder.
Sabrina’s entire body tingled with anticipation.
"Is it because you don't remember?" Domino whispered.
"Oh, I remember quite a lot," Sabrina said. Way too much. ”At least, I remember that."
Domino pushed the dress over Sabrina's shoulders and breasts, then helped her out of the arms. The dress slipped down over her hips and then Sabrina gingerly stepped out of it, placing it gently on top of the dresser.
