"Well, no. I already had a few days worth of clothes. I mainly just grabbed my laptop and a few things from my living room. What do you mean things were tossed in my bedroom? If it was things from the closet, I did that looking for my dad's gun."
"Yes, I saw those things, but all of your things were tossed. Your dresser had the drawers pulled out. There was a cabinet that had papers pulled out. Someone was looking for information. On what I am not sure of at the moment."
"All of my things are at that house. I don't even have a way to stop anyone from breaking in because the door is gone! I can't have someone trashing the place. Everything I own, all of my memories, the only things I have left of my parents are in that place!"
Dominique was upset, and I understood, but I couldn't let her go back there tonight. Jacob may have gone back there to find her. He may be waiting for her to return right this moment. Furthermore, he knew she was with me, which worsened matters. I had to find out what Tim knew. I had to know if Dominique was in real danger.
"I understand you are upset, Dominique, but you can not return there tonight. So instead, you will go tomorrow and have Tim with you to fix the door. That will stop anyone from breaking in, hopefully. Moreover, I don't think Jacob will try anything with Tim there. Tim is part of his....gang," I said, knowing I had hesitated as I tried to think of the right thing to call Jacob's pack.
She sighed as she grabbed the things from the store. She was upset that I wasn't telling her everything. Yet again, I was left only telling her part of what was going on. I was in a losing situation here.
"Eventually, you will tell me what is going on, right? I don't think I can take this crap anymore. I need to know what is going on, especially since I'm mixed up in the middle of it."
"I can only tell you my part of it. Tim will have to explain the rest. And yes, I plan on telling you everything when the time is right."
"And when will the time be right, Nathaniel? I'm tired of hearing that you will tell me and you don't. There never seems to be the right time for all of this, so please, just tell me."
I walked up to her and pulled her against me. I wanted so badly to tell her, but I knew I couldn't right now. I had to figure out what was going on with Jacob first. Then, after that, well, maybe after, I would tell her.
"I can't, Dominique. Not now. I don't think you are ready just yet. Just give me a little more time, and I will explain everything to you, okay?"
"Fine," Dominique sighed.
"Thank you," I said as I hugged her.
We went in, and she plugged in the refrigerator and put the things she had bought into it. She put the plates and cups into the cabinet. I watched her fix her food, and we sat at the table. She had offered me some, but I turned it down. The food smelled wonderful. I had forgotten what the taste of some foods tasted like, but I still enjoyed the smell of them. I remembered the night at the restaurant. When I saw Tim at the table, I had moved closer. I could tell by the look on Dominique's face that she was not happy to see him.
I hadn't been happy to see him either. Tim had looked so surprised because he had known what I was as I had known what he was in an instant. It didn't take me long to figure out that Dominique didn't know what Tim was. Moving myself into her life had been easy after that. However, she never asked me why I didn't eat or drink anything. The more I mulled it over, the more I wondered about that. Did she already know or suspect and just didn't say anything? I looked up and saw her watching me. I smiled, but she just raised an eyebrow. My thoughts had me far away from her, and she must have realized it.
"I'm sorry, Dominique. I do not mean to be distant."
"It's okay. I was just wondering what you were brooding on. You had a pretty serious look on your face."
"I was thinking a few things over. If I asked you what you truly thought of me, would you tell me?"
Dominique coughed and sat there for a minute. She was thinking about my question.
"Um, want to clarify that question for me?"
"What do you think of me? How do you see me? Am I a good person? Do you think me odd? Do you like to be around me? There are many ways I could ask the question, but it is really up to you as to how you truly think of it."
"I told you I care about you, Nathaniel, and I do. Have you pissed me off? Yes. Have you hurt me? Yes. Have you made me laugh? Yes. Have you made me happy? Yes. I can only say what type of person I see when I look at you. I see a person of mystery because you don't really let me in. I like mysteries. They call to me. I like to unravel the story. That's the part of me that likes to write. I also see a good man. One who is sweet and caring with a jealous streak. And earlier tonight, I felt like I was looking into your soul. There was a connection there I have never felt before," Dominique said as she put her hand over mine.
I smiled. I knew she had felt the connection between us. However, she was also afraid of admitting it, which was easy enough to figure out. I heard her heartbeat, and it was much faster than usual. I picked up her hand and kissed it. She gave me a sheepish smile and finished off her food. There was something she wasn't telling me. I just had to bide my time.
"Now, since I have told you what I think of you, why don't you tell me what you think of me? I honestly can't figure out why you even want me, let alone be jealous over me."
"There is so much I would need to explain to you in order for you to fully understand why I want you, Dominique. That part will have to wait until I am ready to tell you everything about me. But for now, I will tell you what I see when I look at you, okay?"
Dominique raised her eyebrow again but said, "Okay."
"I see a beautiful young woman. She has been through a lot in her short life, but she continues to smile. She holds her head up high, and she knows what she wants. While she is shy when it comes to love, she still believes in it. She has the most beautiful smile, which always reaches her gorgeous eyes. Her personality, well, it's amazing. She can be shy, but she is always straightforward and very blunt sometimes."
"Her soul shines with beauty, and that beauty radiates from her very being to everything around her. Some people do not like it because it outshines them, which is their loss. Her heart, while battered and bruised, is still so loving. She gives all of herself to you and asks for nothing in return. There is a darkness in her that she doesn't truly let anyone see. That part of her has been closed off to the world because she is too scared to let anyone see it and know how she truly feels. She is scared that if they see, she will be torn apart with no chance of recovery."
"Wow. You really see all of that?" Dominique asked as tears slid down her cheeks.
"Yes. I see you, Dominique," I said.
I moved, so I was right in front of her. I got on my knees and wiped the tears sliding down her cheeks away. She wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on me. I put my arms around her as well. I held her for a time as I felt the slight tremble in her body. I knew she was still crying. I felt the conflict going through Dominique as I held her. I gave her a few minutes to sort through it before moving. Then, I leaned up and kissed her when she lifted her head.
"Thank you for truly seeing me. It's been a long time since I've felt anyone has," Dominique said.
"I understand the feeling better than you know, Dominique. However, I think you should get some rest now. If you had a concussion, then your head would still be hurting."
"Will you stay with me until I wake up to leave?"
"I'll lay with you for a little while, but then I will have to go. It's all I can give you for now."
"I'll take it for now. But you will have to tell me what is going on with you, or I don't know if I will be able to hang around."
"I will, I promise. Just not tonight."