When Protective turns Personal - Episode 4
782 Words
Luna tried her best to act normal the rest of the morning, but her heart hadn’t stopped racing since Dominic held her in the snow. She kept replaying it:
the grip on her waist,
the warmth of him,
the moment his eyes dropped to her lips before he pulled away.
Forbidden or not… she felt it.
And she knew he felt it too.
Aria dragged Luna into the living room to decorate more ornaments. Christmas songs played softly from a speaker, and the fireplace made the whole room glow.
Dominic walked in with a toolbox, fixing a loose part of the staircase banister. He kept his distance, focused, serious — too serious.
Aria didn’t notice anything.
But Luna did.
Every time she laughed at something on her phone…
Every time her smile returned just a little…
Dominic’s eyes flickered toward her.
Quick.
Subtle.
But hungry for reassurance that she was okay.
Luna tried to ignore it.
She failed.
Aria went upstairs to find new ribbons for the tree, leaving Luna alone. Her phone buzzed.
Ethan Gray:
Luna. Please. I need to explain.
You misunderstood everything last night.
I still want us. Please talk to me.
Luna’s stomach twisted.
She stood from the couch, pacing.
How dare he?
How dare he pretend nothing happened when she literally saw him kissing another girl?
She stared at the message, anger mixing with hurt.
That’s when Dominic’s voice came from behind her.
“Is he bothering you?”
Luna jumped a little — she hadn’t noticed him walk in. Dominic’s eyes weren’t soft this time. They were sharp, controlled, edged with something fierce.
“What did he say?” Dominic asked quietly.
Luna hesitated. “Just… excuses.”
Dominic’s jaw flexed. “Luna, you don’t owe him a second of your attention. Not after what he did.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I just… don’t know how to feel yet.”
Dominic took a slow step toward her.
Not too close.
But close enough that she felt his presence wrap around her like warmth.
“You feel hurt,” he said.
“And you feel angry. That’s normal. But what you must not feel… is guilt. He broke the trust, not you.”
His voice was steady, deep — but his eyes held something more.
Something possessive.
Something he struggled to hide.
Luna looked away. “It’s embarrassing. Everyone saw us as the perfect couple.”
Dominic’s expression darkened. “Perfect couple? He never deserved you.”
The words cut straight through her chest.
Before she could respond, Aria came downstairs shouting, “FOUND THE RIBBONS!” which forced Dominic to step away instantly, putting a safe distance between them again.
But Luna caught the look in his eyes before he turned —
A look that said he didn’t just care.
He cared more than he should.
Later, Aria begged to go outside again to take pictures for social media. Luna went with her, trying to clear her mind.
While Aria posed dramatically in the snow, Luna wandered toward the pine trees, hugging her sweater tighter.
She didn’t hear anyone approaching.
But she definitely heard her name.
“Luna.”
Dominic.
He was carrying chopped firewood, but his eyes were locked on her — not with anger this time, but with something conflicted and unspoken.
He lowered the firewood and stepped closer.
“This morning,” he began slowly, “when you slipped… I should’ve kept more distance. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Luna blinked, startled. “You didn’t. I just… wasn’t expecting it.”
Dominic exhaled, a breath that left him looking more human, less guarded.
“Good,” he said quietly. “Because I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”
Luna’s breath hitched.
He stepped closer — not touching her, but close enough that she could feel the heat of him against the cold air.
“Luna…” His voice deepened, full of restrained emotion. “I don’t know what’s happening. But I know what I felt when I saw your message from him. And I didn’t like it.”
“Like what?” she whispered.
His eyes dropped to her lips again — the same way they had earlier.
“Jealous,” he admitted, barely audible. “I felt jealous.”
Luna’s heart pounded.
Before either of them could say more, Aria’s voice echoed across the yard:
“DADDY! LUNA! Come see the snowman!”
Dominic stepped back fast, running a hand through his hair, swallowing the moment whole.
“It’s cold,” he said, voice back to normal. “Stay close.”
But his eyes?
Still burning with everything left unsaid.
Everything forbidden.
Everything just beginning.
- Writer
