by H. Q. Frost
"Watch that log," Dom warned and grabbed her hip.
"Dom, you gonna come camping with us?" Mark asked, lighting his path with his cellphone. "It's the last weekend of the month before it gets too hot."
"I can't miss work," Dom regretfully muttered. "I wanted to."
"Where do you guys camp?" Nyla asked and Dom glanced at her, wondering if she'd go with them.
"Westshore. My folks have a cabin up there but it only sleeps two so we usually pitch tents. You camp?"
"I've never been." She snatched Dom's arm after almost losing her footing on the rough terrain.
"You should come. Dom can call off and you two come."
"I work weekends too," she said tripping again, showing she was more inebriated than Dom thought. He halted her to a stop then squatted in front of her.
While she climbed onto his back, Mark said, "You call off too. You guys could come Saturday night so you'd only have to call off one day."
Seeing an opportunity to keep her around, Dom said, "I will if she does."
"I'll see. The end of this month?"
"Yeah. It'll be sweet. We take tubes out on the stream with a cooler full of beer on its own tube. It's fucking fun. This'll be Dom's first time too if he can come this—"
"We'll see," Dom interrupted him in a mumble and set her on her feet. "You guys can head back. I don't think they'll fuck with us. We're almost to the street and they wouldn't come this far alone."
"Later, Dom and Dom's chick," Leo said lighting a joint.
"So see you at the end of the month." Mark held out his fist and she chuckled, bumping hers with his.
"Maybe."
"Just make it a def," he called out as they went separate ways.
"So, I forgot how bitchy them girls are when a new girl comes around. I'm sorry. I didn't have sex with her yesterday," Dom blurted before realizing how stupid it'd make him feel.
"But you do?" she quietly asked, afraid to take his hand while they talked about the jealousy-inducing subject.
"Have sex with her? I have," he muttered with regret. "I don't like her, she's just—"
Pushing her hand to his lips she said, "Shh. I don't want to talk about them anymore."
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked as they stepped out of the woods.
Her eyes landed on the hood of Boney's car. "Why did he hit you with his car?"
With a chuckle and a groan he looked in the opposite direction. "I don't really want to talk about that."
"It's pretty messed up, Dom."
"You don't understand us."
"Yeah, 'cause me and my friends wouldn't do anything like that. We didn't fight each other or try to kill each other where I came from."
"He didn't try to kill me. We fought and he tried to drive away but I tried to stop him because I wasn't done and he hit me."
"But why'd you even fight?"
"Here." He unzipped his hoodie. "Put this on."
"It's hot," she protested.
"I know, but I want to hide that you're a girl. Less chance anyone will fuck with us," he said as they hit the first neighborhood they'd have to travel through.
With his logical explanation, she quickly zipped it and flipped the hood up, shoving her hands into the pockets while hunching her posture to bring the least amount of attention to her female physique. She would have held his hand but that would have given them away, and not until he put the thought into her head did she begin to worry that Renee was the least of her problems until they made it back to her house.
"Why'd you fight?" she whispered.
"You. He was freaked you'd tell."
"Dom, I said I won't," she urged in hopes he'd believe her.
"I know you won't. Boney wasn't sure, but we talked it out."
"You fought it out." Her eyes rolled.
"He knows you won't now. And when I told him we were friends he didn't believe me so he made me bring you out tonight."
"Oh," she mumbled. "So I only came so you could prove something?"
"What?"
"You didn't want me to meet your friends. I only came so you could prove to Boney I wouldn't tell."
"That's not why you came. You came 'cause I wanted you to meet them and I'm hoping me and you can hang out more."
She smiled over at him but it immediately fell and she grabbed his face. "You're bleeding."
The street lights illuminated his face enough that she could see where Renee scratched him. His fingers went to the claw mark across his cheek that he'd forgotten about.
"It doesn't hurt. Keep walking," he told her with a nudge.
"She might have rabies."
Laughing, he took her hand. They kept their voices down, though the streets were empty, up until they were halfway to her house when two guys crossed to get to their side of the road. Dom lifted his shirt and tucked it under his gun so it was out in the open.
"If they stop us, I want you to run and hide in someone's backyard," he whispered keeping his eyes on the two guys.
"No," she said with worry.
"I'm not messing around. If you don't, you might get me killed." The worst possible scenarios filled his head, making anger stiffen his joints.
"What will you do?"
He felt guilty for the tremble in her voice and pulled her to his other side, away from the guys. "If I have to, shoot them."
Before she could say anything, the two men were approaching.
"You got a smoke?" one asked, but all four kept walking as a show that none of them wanted trouble.
"Naw, sorry, man," Dom replied, pushing Nyla ahead to walk a little faster.
They stayed silent but Dom kept her in front of him and watched their back until they were far enough away.
"God, this neighborhood is so scary." She shuddered.
"Don't fuck around on the streets at night. And don't run outside in the dark to investigate loud noises in your backyard." He nudged her and she grinned.
"If I hadn't, we wouldn't be here today."
"I woulda still got us here," he countered and she grinned, falling in step with him again and laying her head on his arm.
The sounds of sirens interrupted the minor intimacy he hoped to further explore when they got to her house.
Concealing the gun on his hip, he said, "We should probably run, just in case they come down this street. They'll stop us just 'cause we're out this late."
"Race you," she challenged and took off in a run.
His longer legs could take him farther faster, but he didn't want her behind him so he kept pace with her, making her think he was trying. They ran the rest of the way to her house, slowing their pounding steps a few doors down.
"Come in," she panted and used the excuse, "Let me clean up your face."
"What would happen if your dad caught me here?" He followed her to the backyard.
"Nothing. I'm twenty-one, Dom," she snickered. "I've had boyfriends and guy friends. I don't think he'd appreciate you staying the night or anything, but I'm allowed to have friends over."
"At three in the morning?"
"He'll never find out," she whispered and opted to climb through her bedroom window just in case her dad was awake.
When she booted Goliath out, he said, "You don't have to kick your cat out every time I'm around. This is her house. I won't touch her."
"She'll make you. She's a cuddler." A dim lamp clicked on; she looked into his face and winced. "Those are deep, Dom."
"They don't hurt," he insisted but followed behind her while she pulled him from her bedroom into the bathroom.
Scooting Goliath back, she quickly but quietly closed the bathroom door then began digging through the cupboard.
With the bright bathroom light to illuminate everything on his face, she gasped. "You got stitches." Her finger went to his hairline.
"Only four. Boney got seventeen." His proud smirk made her roll her eyes.
"Little burn," she warned before putting the washcloth with alcohol on it to the scr
atches. "You're skin's so soft and clear," she whispered close enough to his face her breath touched his lips.
With his eyes locked on hers, he whispered in response, "I wash my face."
In a chuckle she shoved him and said, "It makes you look like you have a baby face. And your blue eyes." Her eyes flashed to his but only briefly as nerves flipped her stomach. It was the perfect opportunity for an actual kiss that she hoped he'd deliver, but she didn't want to beg for it.
"I don't wash those." He grinned, and when she laughed, almost pulling away, his hand slid over her hip and his arm wrapped around her back, pulling her against him. "Your smile makes me feel happy."
Their lips were almost touching and when her eyes closed, he went for it, softly pressing his mouth to hers, but before he could part hers with his tongue, there was a knock at the door.
"Nyla?" her dad called out.
Her eyes sprung wide and her hand flung to her lips before she whipped around to face the door.
"Yeah?" nervously came from her throat.
"I have to go to the bathroom."
"Okay. Just give me a few minutes. I'm not feeling good." She buried her humiliated face in her hands.
"You have the runs again?"
Dom muffled his laugh in the washcloth she used to tend to his face.
"Just give me a little bit," she called back, too mortified to face Dom.
"Try and hurry," her dad grumbled.
"Oh my god," she whispered into her hands, still with her back to Dom. "Oh my god, okay." Slowly turning to face him, he was grinning. "Shut up." She swatted at his chest until she started to giggle. "Stay behind the door a minute, I'm going to get him out of the kitchen, then you can run to my room. After you climb out, make sure you close the screen so Goliath doesn't get out."
The bathroom light flipped off and she cracked the door, peaking into the empty kitchen for her dad before waving Dom to her bedroom then heading toward the living room.
"I'm out," she quietly told her dad who was sitting on the couch with the TV on. "Dad, turn the TV off and get back in bed. Get a few extra hours. It's the weekend."
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled turning the television off and getting to his feet. "You sick? I'm not, so it wasn't from dinner." He followed her into the kitchen.
"I'm fine. Night."
Before she got to her bedroom door, he sternly called her name. After freezing, she slowly turned to face him.
"We need to get you a car. I don't want you walking to work."
"I'll start looking tomorrow, Dad. Night."
"Night," he grumbled closing the bathroom door.
With her heart still racing she walked into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her then leaned back against it while her eyes closed. Hands softly grabbed her face and before she could yelp from the surprise, Dom's lips covered hers. She thought he would have left, but he wasn't leaving without the kiss he'd tried for in the bathroom. Her hands grabbed his wrists while he held her face, studying her lips with his then letting his tongue do the same before entering her mouth and tasting her. He pulled back when she moaned and their eyes stayed locked until a muted sneeze pulled them apart.
"You were cuddling Goliath," she mumbled and he grinned before sneezing again.
"Take my phone number. I usually let Jeff carry my phone around, but if you ever call me and he has it, he'll tell me."
Unsure where she put her cell, she grabbed the notepad from her dresser, and when she opened it to grab a piece of paper, he saw the drawing. The artistic ability was what made him grab it from her hands.
"Dom," she blurted loud enough that she slapped her hand over her mouth, not able to stop him from seeing the picture she drew of him after their first encounter.
"This is me," he said studying the drawing before looking into her embarrassed face. "Did you draw this?"
"It was before. When I saw you that first day. It's not really accurate," she fumbled with her words while reaching for the notepad.
"You're an artist, Nyla," he said, snatching it back from her then began to flip through the pages, impressed by the portraits of her cat, of the scene out her front room window, and the other random art that filled the book. "Can you draw me a picture of you?"
"Of me?" she responded to the strange request.
"For me. Draw me a picture of you for me."
"Yeah, maybe," she muttered while she grabbed the notepad and ripped a clean sheet off. "Here, write down your number." She thrusted a pencil toward him but he was too busy staring into her face to see it. "I'll give you my number too," she offered, to avoid his gaze.
When he took the piece of paper and pencil, he said, "I'll get you to work tomorrow. What time?"
A smile spread her lips and she watched him scratch down his phone number before mumbling, "Noon."
"I'll be here at eleven thirty." He kissed her lips before heading for the window. "Night." A smile filled his face.
As he closed the screen, a quiet sneeze interrupted his smile and he darted around the corner in a hurry to get home.
With a grin across her lips, she clutched her notepad to her chest and fell back onto her bed until Goliath walked across her face, making her laugh and abandon the notepad to cuddle her.
"Mom, I'll bring your car right back," Dom urged, almost late to pick Nyla up and get her to work on time.
"I don't like it, Dom," his mother snapped. "This is the fifth time you've taken my car!"
"And nothing's happened to it!"
"I'm not worried about my car, I'm worried about you."
"Nothing's happened to me either! Please. Come on! She can't be late to work."
"When're you going to get your own car, Dom? You're still saving, aren't you? When you get just enough, I'll help you with the rest. I wish I could buy you a car, but I don't have the money."
Pulling the keys from her hand, he kissed her cheek. "I don't want you to buy me a car, Mom. Love you."
"Dom," she said before he walked out. "Will I ever meet this girl?
"Uh… Probably." Before that conversation went deeper than he had answers for, he rushed out the door.
At that point, Nyla was just his friend. They hadn't hung out outside of him getting her to work, and it'd been two weeks since he kissed her in her bedroom. A second job filled his already busy schedule, so developing a relationship wasn't on the top of his list. Not wanting to lose her altogether, he made it a point to get her to work on the days she was on shift. Trying to help Nyla out and maintaining his own schedule, all the while still making time for Jeff, kept him going from six in the morning until midnight during the week. The weekends ran later, but the money was needed and the time away from his troublesome friends was appreciated. It helped his attempt at bettering himself so he could get out of that city one day.
Pulling in front of Nyla's, she ran out the door and he noticed her dad standing in the doorway watching them. Dom offered a wave, but as expected, didn't get one in return. Not wanting to piss her dad off, he kept his middle finger to himself.
"Hey. Thanks again, Dom." Leaning, she quickly hugged him; that was the extent of their physical contact those past two weeks he'd seen her.
"Your dad doesn't like me giving you rides, does he?"
"He doesn't mind, but he's mad he hasn't met you."
With a smirk he said, "My mom said something like that too."
"I feel like we haven't even talked, even though I saw you three days ago. How's the construction job?"
"Busy, but better than Surf." He chuckled glancing at her again, just wanting a moment to study her. The short fifteen-minute drive to her work three times a week didn't offer the time he wanted.
"Do you want to meet my dad?" she blurted, unable to move on from the subject she'd wanted to talk about for a few days.
"Um." For her, he would. To get closer to her, he would. To try and maintain a friendship with her, he would.
"Never mind." Nervous laughter trickled from her. "Stupid. One day when we'r
e not so busy I'll probably have people over or something and you can meet him with my other friends."
Dom was a lot more unattainable after getting that second job, and the relationship she had hoped for after the kiss seemed to be going in reverse.
"I'll meet your dad if you meet my mom," he offered.
Grinning with excitement, she said, "Deal," and grabbed his hand.
The contact she'd wanted from him was stilted and she decided to take the initiative because Dom was the only male interest she wanted to devote effort to. He continued to pick her up for work so she figured there had to be some attraction there. If he didn't retaliate, she'd get the hint and back off.
Playing with his fingers she asked, "Hey, so, are you gonna go on that camping trip?"
"Boney's making me. He made sure I'd have the weekend off from Reboot and he's making me call into Surf that Sunday."
Wondering if he hadn't told her because he didn't want her around, she mumbled, "That's cool."
"Will you be able to call off?"
Her insecurities made her feel immature but the effort she expected from him wasn't there.
"If you want me to come, I'll call in sick."
He wiggled her hand and waited for her to look at him. "I thought that was the plan? We were gonna go together? You said last Monday you'd come."
"You haven't said anything about it." She shrugged.
"I just forgot. Kind of been really busy, Nyla."
"I know." She pulled her hand away. "But don't think you have to invite me because I brought it up."
"I don't." His gaze went to her hands that were balled in her lap, wondering what he did wrong and why she was pulling away. With so much already on his plate, the thought of how to build their dwindling friendship wasn't there. "So will you come?"
"Yeah, if you're sure." Her noncommittal shrug was getting on his last nerve.
He wasn't stupid enough to believe she didn't care either way.
"If you don't come, I'm not gonna go," he lied.
"That's dumb."
"I don't want to go if you're not," he lied again.
"I'll go. But my dad might want to meet you before then." With a wince she looked his way.
Keeping his eyes on the road he took a deep breath before nodding and lying again by saying, "That's cool."
