After we leave Rosaline’s, Dom drives me to his parents’ house. His parents are out of town on an anniversary trip, so we don’t go inside. Instead, we settle on the swinging bench on their back porch. Dom stretches out on his back until his feet hang off one edge.
After a questioning tug on my hand, I lay down beside him, throwing an arm over his torso and a leg over his hips.
My brain has a lot to process, and I hold on tight to the man I love as I file away the new information about my brother and the woman who loved him. Mentally, I revisit the moments in the hospital near the end when Rosaline would appear. I was so focused on avoiding her and Dom that I never took the time to ponder why Josh’s smile was so much wider. I was too set on keeping my distance when they were around to realize the two of them rarely visited Josh together.
I always thought I left before the other showed up. Never realizing Rosaline was there to visit Josh all on her own. To spend as many moments with the man she loved as she could.
Because his final day was coming, and she knew that. But she wanted one more day for as long as she could have them.
“One day,” I murmur against Dom’s chest. “That would’ve been a good question for Josh to leave us. What would we do if we only had one day? If our futures were limited like his was?”
Dom’s hand slides up to cup the back of my neck, but he doesn’t make me look at him, only strokes my hairline with his thumb.
“If I only had one day,” he says, “I wouldn’t let you continue to stand outside my town house, never coming in.”
I still against his chest. “I don’t do that.”
He grunts, but the noise suspiciously sounds amused.
“I don’t do that…a lot,” I concede. “And it’s just a quick glance. When I happen to be in the neighborhood. You’re probably mistaking someone else for me.”
“You have a bright red raincoat and puzzle-patterned rain boots. It’s hard to mistake those.”
Damn. “That’s an extremely popular look.”
Dom’s chests shakes with a chuckle, and I smile in response. He lets out a soul-deep sigh. His free hand finds one of mine, tangling our fingers together. “If I have one day left, or thousands, I want you to be in every one of them.”
Rosaline’s face comes to my mind, her mixture of sadness and contentment when she spoke about Josh.
“I’m not afraid of the days with you in them,” I whisper. “I’m afraid of the ones I might have without you.”
“Because you think I might leave?” he asks.
“Or die.” The confession is so quiet, I’m surprised he hears it, but from the way his breath hitches, I know he did.
“I can’t promise not to die, Maddie. But I can swear that while I’m living, I will always be loving you. And I think you’d enjoy being loved by me. If you let me do it up close.”
I choke out a laugh. Propping myself up so my arms are braced on his chest, I gaze down at Dom.
“How close?” I ask in a nonchalant voice. Sliding my body fully on top of his, I ease up until our faces are inches away from each other. “This close?”
Dom’s eyes are hot as he smirks. “Closer.”
“Closer?” I ease my body forward until my nose presses against his and our lips are a breath apart. “This close?”
“Mm,” Dom hums deep in his chest, and I can feel the rumble through the front of my body. He palms my ass, then presses me against him. “Closer.”
“Any closer and you’re going to be inside me.” I’d intended a teasing tone, but my voice is so breathless I may need a puff from my inhaler. It’s been too long since I was this tangled up in Dominic Perry. And I realize that if he were to slip his strong fingers between my legs in this moment, there would be no panic. No fear. Because in my bones, I know Dom would be touching me because he wants to. Because he loves me.
“Soon,” he mutters, then releases his hold on my ass to wrap his arms in an iron hold around my waist. “Give me one day.”
I blink. “What?”
“Give me one day. Tomorrow. To love you. And at the end of the day, you can decide if you want to give me one more.”
I realize what he’s doing. Taking the uncertainty onto his shoulders. Offering me the cautious approach to love he thinks I need.
Which makes my answer easy.
“No.”
He scowls and the expression has me smiling and leaning in to kiss his nose. “I love you. I don’t want just one day. I want them all.”
His body stiffens, a statue under me. “Maddie?” My name is a raspy question in his throat.
I make a production of rolling my eyes. “Stop saying my name. I’m the only one on this porch. Who else would you be talking to? Just say what you want to say.”
Dom mixes a chuckle with a groan. “I love you. And I accept. All your days are mine.” Finally, he drags my head to his for a crushing kiss. When he pulls away, his hands cradle my face. “You’re crying.”
“Am I?” Reaching up, I touch my cheeks to realize they’re damp. Rubbing my thumb and forefinger together, I smile at the moisture. Then I let my hand drop and grin down at the man I love. “Happy tears.”