by H. Q. Frost
"Cool." She giggled with excitement. "Do you work every day this week? My dad's usually home by five. I could make dinner or something.
"I'm on schedule every day. If not at Surf, at Reboot."
"Okay, what about maybe early Thursday? He has a doctor appointment at ten so he's going into work late. You could maybe come over for breakfast or something?" The hopeful tone in her voice made him inwardly groan.
Though he'd agreed to eventually meeting her dad, he didn't want to. He wasn't really the meeting dads' type and the longer he could put it off, the better. But for her, he'd suck it up.
"On Wednesday I work at Surf. I'll just tell them I'll be late and I'll come over for a quick dinner."
"Awesome! And I'll meet your mom whenever you want. As long as I don't have to work."
"I'll figure something out." Knowing his mom wouldn't be letting him use her vehicle much longer if she didn't have proof Nyla was real and really needed rides to work, he was going to make that meeting happen. Pulling into the theater parking lot, he asked, "Your dad can pick you up tonight, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Dom." After unbuckling, she lunged at him and squeezed him tight. Not expecting her to kiss him, he turned his face just as she went for his lips and she awkwardly got his cheek. "Okay, thanks."
Before he could redeem himself for the unexpected kiss that ended with him being an asshole for denying her, she was out of the car. That was her last attempt, and after the denial of his lips, she assumed that was her answer. She was friend-zoned.
"Shit." He huffed as she jogged away from the car.
Dropping his head, he glanced over and saw her work badge on the passenger seat and quickly snatched it up, getting out before the group she lingered in entered the theater. At the front of the car, he leaned against the hood of the running vehicle.
"Nyla!" he called her name, opting to make her come to him or he wouldn't do what he planned on.
When she looked back, he held up her badge and she turned to the group waiting on her before jogging back toward Dom.
A few feet away she said, "Toss it," and opened her hands.
"I'm not a good throw," he lied, not moving from the casual lean against the car.
"Dom, I'm gonna be late." She huffed and walked toward him with her hand out, but he kept the badge at his side, not making an effort to hand it over until she was close enough. "Can't punch in without that." She smirked keeping her eyes on the badge in his hand.
"I figured." He still didn't make a move until she was standing in front of him, and he lifted his hand but didn't extend his arm.
She furrowed her brows like he was crazy and blurted, "Dom," taking a step closer and yanking it from him.
He let her grab the badge, but his other hand swiped to her lower back and pulled her against him before slamming his lips to hers. The unexpected kiss sunk her against him and she reached her arms up to wrap around his neck while the make out session held the attention of her gawking group of friends.
Leaning on him for support when they broke the kiss, she lazily muttered, "I'm gonna be late."
"Leave your window open tonight. I'm coming over." He kissed her once more before making sure she had her footing then walked around to the driver's door.
With girlish giggles she ran toward her group of friends; the guys looked grossed out and the girls were swooning from the romantic gesture that played out better than Dom was hoping for.
"Fuck," he mumbled adjusting himself in his pants as he drove off in a hurry to get his mom's car back.
***
"Dom, I can get you a car for two G, man." Boney shoved the rest of his hotdog into his mouth while on his lunch break.
"What kind?"
"It's a rusted-out pickup, but it runs decent. I know you want a Camaro, but you're dreaming too big." Boney laughed at him.
"If I drop two grand on this and it quits on me, I'm out two grand I've saved toward a dependable car."
"I don't think it'll take a shit on you. We know the guy selling it."
"Who?" Dom glanced his way.
"Renee and Kait's brother."
"Oh. Fuck no. Fuck that." He shifted on the bench, wanting Boney to drop the conversation.
"Don't be a puss." Boney nudged him. "You need a car. I can't keep picking you up for work."
"I'm on the way, Boney. And I give you gas money!"
"Yeah but we ain't always gonna be on the same shift."
"Then I'll walk. It's happened before."
"But if the boss sees you walking into work he's gonna think you ain't dependable."
"I haven't missed a fucking minute since I started this job, and I've picked up six extra shifts. I think I've proved I'm dependable."
"I'm just sayin', man. Trust me, okay? How much you got saved for a car?"
Even though he'd known Boney a few years, he didn't trust the guy enough to tell him the truth.
"Not two grand."
"I can loan you the money and you can make payments. I'm just telling you 'cause summer's coming and you're gonna pick up more hours and we won't have the same shifts. It's gonna be hotter than my balls right now trying to walk to work. You know how hot my balls are right now?"
Dom chuckled.
"Touch 'em, they're hot." Boney grabbed his wrist but Dom fought him back in laughter.
"Stop, you fucking perv."
Clapping him on the shoulder, Boney said, "Buy the truck, Dom."
"Man." He huffed. "Don't you know someone else selling? Renee's the type of bitch that'll think I owe her something if I buy a truck from her brother."
"Nothing as dependable as this for cheap. Why ain't you fuckin' her no more? She's been hanging out at my place too much lately."
"'Cause I'm trying to get with Nyla." Dom got to his feet and gathered his garbage.
"You're still talking to that bitch?"
"Shut up," he warned, walking to the trash barrel.
"I'm just askin'." Boney smirked but Dom wouldn't look at him.
"Just shut up, Boney."
"What, man?" He laughed. "She was fine as hell, maybe 'cause it was dark, but I'd hit it. If it don't work out, give her my number."
"Fuck you," Dom mumbled walking away.
By the end of his shift he was grimy, sweaty, smelled like tar and sweat and wanted to collapse in his bed. He regretted telling Nyla he'd come over, and only because he had to be back at work at eight a.m. Sunday.
"Why you walking?" Boney narrowed his eyes at him.
Not wanting Boney to know his business he said, "I'm good. I'm not hanging out tonight. I need a shower, man. Take off."
"I can drop you at your place, Dom. Get in."
"I gotta stop at the store. I'm good." He started walking away from Boney's car.
"Dumb fuck, tomorrow after our shift I'll take you to see the truck."
With a wave of his hand, he kept walking. If he had his phone he would have texted her and canceled. Afraid if he didn't show up, she'd be pissed at him, he walked all the way to her house, trying to lay low because walking around that late on a Saturday night without protection was dangerous.
"Nyla," he whispered through the window. Starting to lift the screen, he called her name again but was only greeted by Goliath. "Hey, girl." He grabbed the cat before she jumped out the window, and when he looked toward Nyla's bed, she wasn't there.
His eyes went to her closed bedroom door and saw the handle was locked, indicating when she left, she went out the window. With the cat tucked under his arm, he walked to the side of the house to check if her dad's car was in the driveway and saw it parked in the same spot as it was when he picked Nyla up for work. On her back patio he sat in a chair letting Goliath purr in his arms while he showed the feline attention he didn't want to. The attention he wanted to show was supposed to be to Nyla's body, not petting a cat under the chin and waiting for an allergy attack.
The thought maybe she picked up another shift at work was negated by the fact her bedroom door was l
ocked, but he didn't rule it out as a possibility. He sat on her back patio for close to an hour before Goliath started to get antsy and he had to put the cat back into the house before she squirmed out of his arms. Brushing the hair off his dirty clothes he headed to the front of the house and the sound of quiet voices made him pause a minute. He didn't want trouble that night, not as tired as he was and without his gun.
When he noticed one of the voices was Nyla's, he walked out from between the houses and saw her sitting on the trunk of a car parked out front, and next to her was a male figure. Jumping off the trunk, she held out a forty bottle and bowed until her friend took it from her hand.
"Thank you. I had fun tonight."
"We should hang out outside of work more often." Pulling her into his arms, she eased into the hug and Dom froze as jealousy filled him.
When the guy leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, Dom's hands curled into fists and he was ready to walk away. Just go home. Accept his loss. He was too tired for that shit.
Nyla jumped back, giving the guy a shove. "You know I'm kind of seeing someone."
"Right," the friend mumbled with doubt then droned, "The guy that couldn't pick you up today because he doesn't have a car. And you haven't really seen him in two weeks. And you don't know where he lives. And you don't even know his last name."
"Screw you, Gavin." When she headed for the house, he grabbed her elbow, digging his fingers into her flesh. "Ow!" She yanked her arm free but the second Dom heard her yelp from pain, he headed toward them in a sprint.
Before Gavin even realized what was happening, he was under Dom's fists and tumbling backward. No stopping his fury, Dom was on him, wailing away while Nyla begged him to stop.
"Please, help me!" she frantically called to a group of guys walking by.
Seconds later, Dom was pulled off and thrown to the grass; when he jumped back up, someone shoved him again.
"Stay down!" the man screamed at him while his friends helped Gavin to his unsteady feet.
"Nyla!" her father's voice clipped through the dark from the front door.
"Dad," she belted out, fearing he would realize it was Dom that caused the trouble and he wouldn't want her seeing him.
The group of guys didn't care about Gavin's wellbeing, they just wanted him out of there so they could take off. They did the deed that was asked of them by a desperate girl, and wanted to be on their way before cops showed.
When Gavin took off swerving down the road, their group reassembled and walked away without acknowledging Nyla, Dom, or her dad again.
"Nyla, in the house," her father demanded.
"Dad, give me a minute," she said in desperation and went to Dom's side as he cooled off, knowing he'd fucked everything up.
"Now! You live under my roof, my rules!"
"Dom," she whimpered as her father headed down the walkway to physically get her into the house. "Dom, why'd you do that?"
"Nyla," her dad snapped at her side.
"No, dad!"
"Get the hell out of here before I call the cops!" he threatened Dom.
"Maleek?" a voice called out from next door. "Everything okay?" Austin, their neighbor, was headed across the lawns. He rubbed his hands over his bare stomach as he wandered their way in only boxer shorts.
"Nyla, get in the house. Austin, call the police."
"Dad, no!" Nyla begged.
"Come on," Austin carefully pulled Nyla toward him.
"Dom!" she yelled as he started to walk away, not willing to disrespect her father any more than he already had.
"Forget about him," Austin said pulling her toward her house.
"Nyla! In the house!" her dad scolded.
"No! Dom!" She pulled free from Austin and ran after Dom who turned in time to catch her and stop her from falling. "I'm coming with you." She cried, grabbing him with desperation.
While her dad fumbled with a cellphone, Austin headed toward them.
"Go inside, Nyla," Dom instructed.
"No. No! I'm coming with you!"
With a sigh he took her hand and turned to walk her back toward her house; Austin reached out to grab her but Dom warned, "Don't touch her."
Holding her hand, he walked Nyla over to her dad who was on the phone with police.
"Sir," he said with a nod and held Nyla's hand out to him.
Caught off guard by Dom's actions, Maleek stood dumbfounded until the dispatch operator on the line got his attention.
"Sorry, my mistake," he said, hanging up the phone then taking Nyla's hand.
"Dom!" Nyla whaled shocked he wouldn't let her go with him.
"Go in the house, Nyla." He faced her dad again. "I'm sorry for fighting on your property, Sir."
"He was protecting me, Dad!" Nyla insisted over and over. When Dom started to walk away she begged, "Let me give him a ride home!"
Hearing she wouldn't give up, Dom took off in a run to get farther from her house before her dad changed his mind and called the police again. He couldn't be arrested.
Before turning the corner, he stood in the shadows and watched Maleek walk her through their front door and Austin walk back to his house. He'd come close to punching Austin in the jaw when the meddlesome neighbor tried to manhandle Nyla back to her house.
The walk home was silent in his head but the city screamed with obtrusive nightlife around him. Quietly heading through the front door, Jeff was on the couch with the TV blaring.
"Man." Dom huffed. "Turn it down."
"Myra called your phone earlier. I told her you were working until midnight." It explained why she wasn't home when he'd showed up around eleven. She'd made sure Gavin had her home by midnight so she wouldn't miss Dom.
"Thanks. Get to sleep, Jeff." Dom headed for the bathroom.
While he stood under the steaming water, recapping everything that happened and thinking he'd probably ruined his chances with Nyla, there was a pounding at the door.
"Dom, it's Myra," Jeff loudly called through the closed door.
"Dammit," he belted, wishing Jeff knew when to control the tone of his voice. Jumping out of the shower, he grabbed a towel and opened the bathroom door. "Jeff, shh. Go to bed. Now!"
Jeff's reply was to twist Dom's nipple then hand him the phone and run away in a fit of laughter.
"Fuck," Dom groaned rubbing his burning flesh. "Nyla?"
"Dom." At the obvious sign of her tears he winced as his stomach flipped and that familiar feeling of anxiety hit him.
"Stop crying."
"Are you okay?" Her tears couldn't be abated.
"I'm fine. Are you okay? Does your dad know you're talking to me?"
"I'm twenty-one, Dom. I can talk to who I want." A few huffing breaths from her heavy cry made him close his eyes feeling nauseous from the only thing that could scare him.
The years of his mother's tears from being battered and bruised by his father instilled that anxiety in him. He wanted to comfort a crying woman, but at the same time, stay away.
Heading for his bedroom he told her, "You have to stop crying," and closed the door.
"I can't." She sniffled.
"I..." He didn't know what to tell her. He wanted to go to her, but the last thing he needed to do was piss her dad off more.
"My dad." She took a minute to calm her breathing. "He's so pissed, Dom."
"I'm sorry."
"Not at you." She sighed and her crying seemed to be slowing down. "He's pissed at me and right now he doesn't like you. He wouldn't let me explain." The crying picked back up.
"Hey, calm down, okay?"
"I didn't know you were here."
"I wasn't working until midnight. I got off at ten and walked over. Jeff doesn't really remember my schedule."
When she chuckled, a small smile pulled at his lips.
"I talked to Jeff earlier for like twenty minutes so he could explain what he was eating to me." There was a smile in her tone that started to ease his queasy stomach.
"Yeah, he's good for use
less information."
"Dom." She sighed. "I didn't kiss Gavin."
"I saw it all."
"God, I wish you didn't attack him." With an exhale of a calming breath she closed her eyes.
"You know what type of guy I am. If you can't handle that shit, Nyla, I don't know what to tell you."
"You're supposed to be the good book, Dom," she whispered.
"He hurt you!" he exclaimed at the fact she was annoyed with him for protecting her.
"He grabbed me, yes. But you should have come for me, not attacked him."
"Whatever, Nyla. I gotta go."
"No, wait, Dom. Thank you for helping me."
"If you don't want it to happen again, then stay away from me."
She sighed his name. "I didn't say that. I just wish none of that happened before my dad met the real you. You're not that guy. The guy that shot that asshole next door or the guy that beat up Gavin—"
"Yes I am. I did both those things and I'm not sorry."
"Dom." She sniffled as tears started and he sighed.
"I don't think we should hang out anymore. You want me to be someone I'm not."
"No I don't!" she said in a panic. "I just don't want you to be violent."
"I've been around it my whole life. Violence breeds violence."
"Why is that your excuse for everything?" she snapped. "Poverty breeds stupidity. Violence breeds violence. Do you want to be violent? Do you like hurting people?"
Wanting to piss her off, like she was him, he replied, "Sometimes."
"Then I don't think we should see each other anymore. If I have to fear for my safety, I don't want to be around that."
At the insinuation he would hurt her, his stomach churned. "Fuck you, Nyla."
"Isn't that what you're saying?" she yelled at him, no longer keeping her voice down for her dad's sake.
"No! I said I can be violent, but not toward you or any woman. Fuck you for calling me a woman abuser!"
"I fucking didn't!"
"Then what the fuck did you mean, Nyla? Goddamn! I'm not fucking stupid! That's what you were saying!"
"You said you like to hurt people—"
"Not women! I'd never touch a woman! You don't know jack shit about me!"
"You never tell me anything about you, Dom! You won't even tell me where you live!"
