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Risking Everything?

Author: Manuel Kyle
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-28 15:03:49

DOMINIC’S POV

I stood on the balcony with the cigarette balanced between my fingers. The faint glow of the city lights stretched out beneath me, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were elsewhere. The cool night air bit at my skin, but I welcomed it. It was better than being inside, facing the woman I’d just left behind.

The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and through it, I could see Ruby lying in bed. She wasn’t asleep yet—I could tell by the way she shifted under the covers, as if trying to get comfortable. I’d left her abruptly, and she hadn’t said a word. But I could feel her confusion from where I stood.

I inhaled deeply, the smoke burning my lungs before I exhaled slowly, watching the thin wisps disappear into the night. What was I supposed to say to her? "Sorry, Ruby, I can’t handle this because it reminds me of a life I’ll never get back"?

Pathetic.

The truth was, I had felt something back there. Something I hadn’t felt in five years.

The last time I’d held someone so cl
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