2. Reunion.
2171 Words
Summer Cooper’s message vault to Dominic Pauls:
Nic,
Right now, I’m in a little village in Greece. I’m attaching a photo of the view in front of me. Do you remember when your sister brought a goat home and it tried to eat your pants? You’ve hated goats ever since, so this might not be the best place for you. Still, I think the view would be worth it. But don’t worry—I'll always stand between you and any devilish goats.
With love, a peaceful Summer.
---
2. Reunion.
Summer.
I feel my lips stretch into what is already an involuntary smile… but I just can’t help it.
His dark eyes, to anyone else, might not be anything special, but to me, they’re probably the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. I’d recognize them among thousands. As a girl, I used to dream about those eyes. And now that they’re in front of me again—the mystery behind them, the seriousness, the secrets tucked behind that quiet intelligence—it all leaves me momentarily unanchored.
Five years. Five years without seeing him and my heart is racing like only a second had passed, like my feelings had never changed. It’s… almost addictive, this feeling. It fills the void in my chest. All it takes is having him here.
“What are you doing here?” he repeats, calmer now, standing still in his tailored grey suit—immaculate and gleaming. His beard is perfectly trimmed, his dark brown hair styled neatly like he’s ready to begin his workday rather than having just finished it.
My smile grows wider. His presence feels familiar. It makes me feel… safe. Like home. There’s nothing unknown or new about him. He simply is home.
“Dominic.” I speak his name out loud. My hands, still covered in flour, brush against my clothes as I step toward him, but Dom takes a step back, dragging his suitcase in front of him to block any contact.
My brows knit in confusion, but I get it.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t hug you. I’m…” I glance down at my stained clothes, “a mess.”
“Where’s my sister?” His voice is tight. His whole posture is.
He glances quickly at me, then scans the kitchen around us, clearly not thrilled with its state.
“Heaven stepped out.” I scratch my nose nervously but freeze, realizing I’ve probably just made myself dirtier.
An awkward silence settles in, and I search for words to fill it.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough.”
My eyes snap up to his.
“What?”
He stares at me, but I can’t read his expression. Is he angry? Surprised? Uncomfortable? Maybe all of the above.
“What are you doing here, Summer?”
Okay, he keeps asking, and I keep dodging the answer.
“Well, it’s a bit of a long, complicated, slightly depressing story, but—”
“What… are… you… doing… here?” he repeats through clenched teeth.
Oh, Jesus.
“Your sister is letting me stay here for a while.”
“What?” The disbelief in his gravelly voice is unmistakable.
He turns, pulls out his phone, and starts dialing as he strides into the main living room. I follow barefoot, his scent filling my lungs and flooding me with feelings I’m ashamed to even admit to myself.
My nose bumps lightly against his back when he stops abruptly. Then he growls into the phone, “Anything you want to explain, Heaven?”
I take a step back, puzzled.
What’s going on?
“No, there’s absolutely no way… stop threatening me with the same crap… listen, this isn’t about… you’re just… never.”
He hangs up, and a heavy silence falls over the apartment. Which, honestly, matches its gloomy vibe. I wonder why Heaven doesn’t have a single photo here. She loves photography—so did her mother. If I remember correctly, their childhood home was filled with beautiful pictures everywhere.
I open my mouth to ask Dom about it, but I stop when I see the frustration and bitterness in his expression. Slowly, I begin to understand.
Oh.
Oh!
“This isn’t Heaven’s apartment, is it?” I ask, but I already know. The tic in his eye and his clenched jaw say enough.
It’s Dominic’s apartment.
It’s his home.
It’s…
“Right.” I let out a tiny laugh. “I’ll go.”
I head for the stairs quickly, completely mortified. I feel like a wanderer, drifting without a plan. Can this situation get any more embarrassing?
“Wait.”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“Summer, just stop!”
I flinch at the force in his voice. He didn’t exactly yell, but it’s louder than I remember him ever speaking. Then again, it’s been five long years. The twenty-year-old I once knew probably isn’t the same as the twenty-five-year-old standing in front of me.
I nibble my lip, searching for an escape that doesn’t make this more humiliating.
“I can go to a hotel,” I say. It’s the last thing I want to do, but clearly, he doesn’t want me here.
“Yes,” he nods. “That’s probably for the best.”
His quick reply makes me flinch. The relief in his face stings.
I swallow hard.
“I’ll just grab my suitcase. I won’t bother you any longer.”
He’s already backing away, typing something on his phone like the problem’s been solved.
“I’ll wait downstairs. I’ll take you.”
“No need—” I start, but he’s already out of sight.
I scratch my head, wondering how on earth I ended up in this mess.
I could always go back to my parents’.
I shake my head. No.
With trembling hands, I pack my things hastily. It doesn’t take more than five minutes. I head down to the living room where Dominic is already waiting. He’s still on his phone. When he sees me, he barely glances up.
“Let’s go.”
I take a breath and follow.
As we ride the elevator down, his cologne surrounds me—rich and dizzying. I glance at him. He’s… grown. Not just physically—his seriousness, always present, has only deepened. There’s no trace of the boy he once was. Even his voice is deeper, more commanding.
To distract myself from the tightness in my chest, I focus on the movement of his thumbs on his phone. Our breathing—the steady rhythm of his and the erratic one of mine—are the only sounds in the stifling little box.
“I heard your father retired, and now you’ve taken over. Congratulations.”
His fingers pause on the screen, but that’s the only sign he heard me.
I clear my throat, desperate to fill the silence.
“I sent you a message the day you got the position. Did you read it?”
He glances at me.
“I did,” he says flatly, and goes back to his phone.
“Oh.” Disappointment floods me.
I’d hoped his number had changed—that it was the reason my messages over the years had gone unanswered.
“Have you been really busy?”
The elevator opens. He gestures for me to step out first, and I walk beside him to match his long strides.
“Must’ve been a big change, becoming CEO at such a young age.”
I almost have to jog to keep up with him.
“It is what it is,” he mutters.
His driver is waiting by the car. Dominic opens the back door for me, then slides in on the other side. I watch him move, still trying to absorb that he’s really here. Despite his coldness, my heart swells just from being near him.
Once inside, he tells the kind-looking driver to take us to the nearest hotel.
I turn to Dominic, smiling at how close we’re sitting. The city lights paint his face in hues of blue, giving him a futuristic glow.
“You’re really handsome.”
He looks away, hiding his face.
I smile wider.
“Why didn’t you ever answer any of my messages?”
“I had nothing to say.”
“I thought we were friends.”
“Were we?”
I laugh, scooting closer until my knee nudges his thigh playfully.
“You’re still as grumpy as ever.”
“And you still can’t take a hint.”
“Oh, were those hints?”
He almost rolls his eyes but instead turns to look straight at me.
I smile even more, drinking in the sight of his face.
“I really am happy to see you, Nic.”
He sighs, shaking his head at the nickname he’s always hated.
“Did you get tired of your nomad life, or did your parents finally cut you off so you’d quit that ridiculous influencer game of yours?”
I ignore his comments. He’d never understand my lifestyle. He wouldn’t believe I haven’t taken money from my parents in years. I still remember the way his face twisted when I said I didn’t want to follow in my father’s footsteps. That was the first time I truly disappointed him. And if he thought I was a joke before, choosing not to go to university just made it worse.
I know a losing battle when I see one. I never liked fighting with Dominic—especially not now, after all this time. So I let his words drift away.
I only have this short ride with him. I won’t waste it.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
He rolls his eyes this time and mutters something.
“I guess not. You probably don’t have time for something that… ordinary, right?”
Still no answer.
Without warning, I reach over and snatch his phone, hiding it behind my back as he tries to take it back.
“Summer…”
“That’s better.” I grin, looking him straight in the eye. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, Nic.”
And he does. He looks at me.
And I drink him in.
Every part of his face. His presence. The butterflies, the racing heart, the warmth in my cheeks—he makes me feel alive again. Like I’m not just some hollow shell.
“You’re still a nuisance, Summer Cooper.”
I laugh when he leans over and grabs his phone back, barely touching me, which must’ve been a challenge for him.
Dominic straightens his suit jacket like he’s brushing off lint, settles back into his seat, and resumes typing on his phone.
“When was the last time you rested, Dominic Pauls?” I ask, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
“I will, once I’m rid of you.”
I nod, accepting it.
“Make sure you eat. You’re looking a bit worn down—it’s taking a toll on your looks.” I reach out, gently brushing my thumb under his eye. He doesn’t react. “Are you eating well?”
“I already have a mother. I’m not looking for another.”
“How is she?” I ask, my touch soft, my voice serious.
Our eyes lock, and for a moment, we both remember—something long ago, something neither of us has dared mention since.
“She’s fine.”
I exhale, relieved the cancer hasn’t come back. That would be too much for the Pauls family to face again.
The car stops in front of a fancy hotel, but I stay put, waiting for him to look at me again.
“Want me to drag you out, Summer?”
“You couldn’t even if you tried.”
“Good. I won’t try.”
I smile, used to his bitter humor.
“Hey,” I say softly, meeting his eyes, “I didn’t know you lived there. Heaven told me it was her place, which I should’ve doubted the second I felt that ice-cold atmosphere. I know I’m not your favorite person, but I swear I didn’t do this on purpose. Still… I’m glad I got to see you again, Dominic.”
“Do you have money for the hotel room?”
Okay, he really wants to get rid of me.
“Yes,” I say, touching the purse at my shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”
“I’m not worried.”
I study his face one last time, unsure when I’ll see him again.
Maybe in another five years.
“Eat well, Dominic,” I say, gently smoothing the crease between his brows with my thumb. “And give that brilliant mind of yours a break. I don’t want you getting sick.”
I wrinkle my nose at him and step out, taking my suitcase from the driver.
Standing at the hotel door, I wave goodbye.
And then I watch Dominic disappear from my life again.
- Writer
