"Hey."
Dom's voice is soft, almost hesitant, as I open the door to let him in. He stands there for a moment, his expression unreadable, before stepping past me. His natural scent, a mix of something fresh and subtly woody, fills my senses as he moves by. I catch myself inhaling slightly before shaking it off.
"Have a seat," I say, gesturing to the couch.
He nods, walking over and lowering himself cautiously, as if uncertain of how to position himself. His fingers fidget slightly, his nervousness mirroring my own.
"Is that the tutor?" Mrs. May's voice cuts in from behind me, her tone carrying a sharp edge of skepticism. She eyes Dom up and down, then shifts her gaze back to me.
"Yeah," I reply quickly, meeting her gaze without hesitation. "The one they specifically handpicked." My tone is a little sharper than I intend, but I don't back down.
Mrs. May purses her lips before offering a slow nod. "Oh, okay." A pause. Then, in a slightly softer tone, she adds, "The pizza's in the microwave."
I nod in acknowledgment, watching as she turns and retreats down the hallway.
I'm about to start speaking when Dom beats me to it.
"Helen, how are you holding up?"
The softness in his voice catches me off guard. There's no formality in his tone, no rehearsed words. Just something genuine.
Something inside me melts, my resolve briefly faltering.
"I'm... I'm doing good," I stammer, lowering myself onto the couch beside him. My eyes flicker to the neatly arranged textbook and notes he's set on the table.
Dom nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
But even through his calm exterior, I can tell, he's nervous too.
Trying to ease the atmosphere, I shift the conversation. "Do you mind? I got us pizza."
I need him to be comfortable.
' I have questions, questions that only he might have the answers to. I need him to open up.'
His eyes lift to mine, curiosity flickering in them. "You did?"
I shrug, playing it casual. "I was about to take my lunch anyway," I say, as my stomach tightens in hunger.
A smile breaks across his face, his posture relaxing slightly. "I don't mind at all."
I get up, walking toward the microwave, pulling out the two medium sized pizza boxes.
As I return, I hand him one, and as our fingers brush, just for a split second, a sharp jolt of something electric shoots through me.
I freeze. Did he feel that?
I glance at him, searching for any sign that he noticed, but his face is unreadable. He simply takes the box from my hands as if nothing happened.
"You're forgetting something," he suddenly says, raising a single, perfectly arched brow.
I blink at him, confused, mid bite into my cheesy slice. "What?"
He leans back slightly, his smile deepening. "The drinks you owe me," he reminds me, amusement dancing in his tone.
I pause, then laugh, pressing a hand against my forehead. "Oh my god, I totally forgot about that."
Dom chuckles, shaking his head. "I know. It's fine."
He leans back into the couch, effortlessly at ease now, as he takes a bite of his pizza.
I watch him for a second longer than I should.
"I didn't know you and Dan were cousins," I say, breaking the silence between us. My voice is casual, but inside, curiosity simmers.
Dom's reaction is immediate. His fingers pause mid-motion before he places his half-eaten pizza back in the carton. A slight frown tugs at his brows as he shrugs.
What the hell is going on between them?
"Yeah, he is," he replies, his tone flat, unreadable.
I watch him carefully. His face gives nothing away, like a locked door I can't quite open.
"He is?" I press, hoping to draw more from him. Maybe if I leave enough space, he'll say something else.
But all I get is a subtle nod before he returns to his pizza, chewing deliberately, as if hoping I'll drop the topic.
I won't.
"Was that why we met on the road that day?" I ask, careful with my words now. There's a fine line between curiosity and pushing too far, and I'm toeing it.
Dom finally glances up at me, his gaze lingering. "Yeah," he says, exhaling lightly. "We live two streets away from each other. I was just out for my daily run."
I nod as if I accept that explanation, but something about the way he says it, so clipped, so neutral, makes me feel like there's more.
Silence settles between us again, thick and full of unspoken things. I study his features—the strong jaw, the way his lips press together just slightly when he's thinking.
"Now that I really look, I see the resemblance," I say, testing the waters.
A small smirk tugs at his lips. "Only if you really pay attention," he admits.
I take another bite, chewing thoughtfully. This feels like a dance, one where every word matters.
"So, what exactly happened that day?" Dom suddenly throws the question back at me, his voice light, but his eyes sharp.
I blink at him innocently, pretending I don't understand what he's referring to.
He tilts his head, catching on. "Ah, I see what you did there. You don't want to talk about it," he says, amusement flickering across his face. He raises both hands in mock surrender, as if conceding defeat.
A slow smile spreads across my lips. "Just like you don't want to talk about Dan," I counter smoothly.
His expression shifts, just slightly, but I catch it. He adjusts on the couch, his fingers tightening around the pizza crust before he takes his last bite.
"You know, Dan and I don't really get along," he finally admits.
I feign ignorance. "Why is that, though?"
I know I'm pushing now, but I need answers. There's something here, something unspoken, and I want to understand.
Dom exhales, his gaze dropping for a moment before he looks up at me again. His eyes are softer this time, quieter, like he's silently asking me not to go any further.
"Honestly, Helen… I don't want to talk about it," he says, his voice steady but gentle.
And just like that, the door closes.
I hesitate, my lips parting as if to argue, but something in his expression stops me. His eyes aren't cold, but there's a weight behind them, a silent plea.
I sigh, my shoulders sinking slightly in defeat. "Alright," I murmur, letting it go, for now.
The disappointment sits heavy in my chest as I take my last bite of pizza. Without another word, I rise, making my way toward the fridge. If nothing else, we still need water.
I open the door, the cool air brushing against my skin as I grab two bottles.
Behind me, Dom shifts on the couch, but he says nothing. The silence is different now, not awkward, not tense, but something else.
"Mrs. Edwina wanted me to make sure we did the test and assignment, then submit them to her," Dom says, his voice calm as I place the water on the table beside him.
I blink, my eyebrows rising.
Mrs. Edwina was obviously reaching.
"Really?" I say, dragging the word out, but before he can respond, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
I hadn't even remembered I had a phone, let alone checked if Dan had responded.
A message from Selena pops up on my screen.
"How's the date tutorial going with Dom?"
I shake my head, a small smile creeping onto my lips. A date tutorial? Who even says that?
Quickly, I type back.
"This guy is closed off as a brick."
Before pressing send, I glance at Dom. He's flipping through his notes, focused, his fingers trailing over the pages. His jaw clenches slightly as he concentrates.
I press send.
"So, we haven't done much on physics yet, but we can go through what we've been taught," Dom says, his eyes scanning his notebook.
Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I lean forward, watching him.
His voice is steady, rich, and deep as he begins explaining Newton's Laws of Motion.
"When you suddenly stop a moving car, your body lurches forward due to inertia, that's Newton's First Law.
The harder you kick a ball, the faster it moves, that's the Second Law.
And when you walk, you push against the ground, and it pushes you forward in return, that's the Third Law."
I stare at him. I had never known he was this good—so composed, so sure. His passion for teaching is evident in the way his eyes light up, the way his full lips move as he speaks.
Then, suddenly, our eyes meet.
Something in his gaze holds me still.
"Do you get it now?" His voice is softer this time.
I nod.
"Good. Let's run a test, and I'll give you an assignment."
As he writes down the questions, I notice the way the veins on his forearms stand out slightly. He definitely works out a lot.
Dom hands me the paper, and as I begin writing my answers, I can feel his gaze on me. He hasn't touched his phone once.
The room falls silent, except for the scratch of my pen against paper.
I finish the test and hand it back to him. Our fingers brush, intertwining for just a second.
And there it is again.
That same electric shock, racing through my body.
I pull away immediately, my breath catching.
Selena's words flash in my mind.
You know Dom likes you, right? He's giving you all the green lights.'
I glance at him, my heart pounding.
Then reality crashes down on me.
'With everything happening right now, with Dan, his parents, and the things Dan told me about Dom, I can't just hurt Dan. I promised him.'
I swallow hard, forcing a small smile as I take a sip of my water.