Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 339

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Chapter 339

CELESTE

My mouth stayed open long after Dominic finished the last of it, and the shock that held me there had nothing to do with Juliani. Julian had stopped surprising me a long time ago. What had goosebumps crawling up both my arms was Scarlett, and the things one woman had done for a niece most people would have called somebody else’s problem.

Lynette, Scarlett, Tasha. The whole sad story sat heavy in my chest, and every detail of it shrank my own brother/ until I could barely find him at all. Scarlett was only an aunt, and she had been ready to die for Tasha. Felix would have kicked me straight into the fire if he believed the flames might keep Seraphine warm.

I felt sorry for Scarlett in a way I could not name, a pressure building behind my eyes that had no business being there. Underneath the sorrow sat a small, hard knot of anger at Sparrow. So many people had already taken from those girls, so why could he not have simply helped them without asking for anything in return? Why did he have to sleep with Scarlett too? And now he was marrying Tasha? He should have just helped them.

But those were only my thoughts, and I kept them where they belonged. I knew Dominic held Sparrow in the highest regard, trusted him with his security and his life, and perhaps I was being too hard on a man whose history I knew nothing about. As long as Sparrow stayed loyal to Dominic, that was the only thing that mattered to

“Earth to Mrs. Ford.”

A hand waved slowly in front of my face, and I snapped back to find Dominic watching me with his eyebrows raised, equal parts amused and faintly concerned. I smiled.

“Sorry. I was somewhere else.”

“Clearly.” He tipped his head. “What were you thinking about?”

I hesitated, turning the question over the way you turn a stone before deciding whether to lift it. “At the courthouse, Julian told me you slept with Scarlett.”

Dominic scoffed, short and sharp. “Of course he did.”

“And he said something else.” My voice came out quieter than I intended. “He played me a recording of your voice. Said he met you a few days ago and you called what we had payback, and you said you would not stop until you got bored. I did not want to believe a word of it. But when you dismissed me and cancelled lunch, I took the audio to a guy, and he verified it. It was authentic.”

I paused, and the words came out raw. “The pain was so much that living stopped feeling like living. I drove here tonight thinking you had brought me to this beautiful place to end everything between us.”

He pulled me into his arms before I could finish, and his apology came against my hair, low and thick with regret. “I wish you had told me about the audio in the car outside the court house. I would never have let you carry so much unnecessary pain.”

Then he leaned back and took my face in his hands. “Yes, I said those words to Julian. But that was a long time ago, and at the time, I only wanted to provoke him. The truth is that even though we were playing a game, from the very beginning, you were already so important to me that I would never have let your reputation be ruined. Never.”

His thumbs traced my cheekbones as he spoke, and his voice went softer still. “When the attorney called to tell me the divorce certificate had been issued and that you were on your way to collect it, I was so happy I practically flew

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out of my office.

I got to my car and drove straight to the courthouse, and on the way I had already started making the reservation for this garden. I wanted no one else here while we used it. Then I arrived and saw Julian harassing you and pushed him away. I wanted to give you a surprise proposal. I acted cold because I did not want you to figure out that I was going to propose.”

“The call I took,” he went on, “was the manager of this garden. Everything had been prepared, and I needed to get here to make it beautiful and special for you. Forgive me for making you hurt. You must have been carrying so much pain in silence while I was on the other side feeling excited about what was about to happen/If I had known what was in your heart, I would never have acted cold toward you.

Is that why you cried so much after I proposed?”

I nodded, and he sighed. “I did find it a little odd. You were crying so much it was very unlike you. But then I thought you had gotten really emotional. I didn’t get it then, but I do now. I’m sorry for everything, my love.”

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