To Love & To Hold

Chapter 10

"And I looked at you, really looked at you, and I thought, 'That's us. That's exactly what we've been doing.' Three years of pretending, of making excuses, of hiding behind that contract." He shook his head. "Something just... snapped. I couldn't do it anymore. I had to know what it would feel like to kiss you, even if it ruined everything."

"It didn't ruin everything," she said softly.

"It almost did. If you hadn't collapsed, if Marcus hadn't texted me..." He couldn't finish the thought. "You would have been gone. I would have come home to an empty room and a cancelled lease, and I never would have known..."

Ericka reached up, pressing her fingers to his lips. "But that's not what happened. I'm here. We're here."

He kissed her fingers, then captured her hand in his. "Promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll never disappear like that again. If something's wrong, if you're hurting, tell me. Even if you think I'm the one who caused it. Especially then."

"I promise." She shifted to look up at him. "But you have to promise too. No more pushing me away because you're scared. No more pretending you don't feel things."

"I promise."

The sound of keys in the lock announced Maxwell's return. He pushed through the door carrying two paper bags that smelled incredible: bacon, fresh coffee, something warm and yeasty.

"Hope you're decent," he called out, kicking the door shut behind him. "Because I'm not seeing anything I can't unsee."

Ericka laughed, sitting up straighter but not pulling away from Dominic entirely. "We're on the couch, Max. Fully clothed."

"Thank God for small mercies." Maxwell deposited the bags on the kitchen counter and began unpacking containers. "I got pancakes, eggs, bacon, and enough coffee to fuel a small army. Eri, you're eating all of it."

"All of it?"

"Fine, half of it. But you're eating." He pointed a plastic fork at her accusingly. "And drinking. I grabbed orange juice too. Vitamin C."

Dominic stood, helping Ericka to her feet. "Your brother's going to be insufferable about this, isn't he?"

"For at least a month," she confirmed. "Possibly longer."

"I can hear you," Maxwell said, arranging food on plates. "And yes, I absolutely am. Consider it payback for making me drive four hours in the middle of the night because you two idiots couldn't figure out your feelings like normal people."

They gathered around the small kitchen table, a configuration they'd done hundreds of times when Maxwell visited. But today felt different. Today, when Dominic's hand found Ericka's under the table, she didn't pull away. When their eyes met over coffee cups, they didn't have to look away and pretend.

Maxwell watched them with a mixture of resignation and something that might have been approval.

"You know," he said, stabbing a piece of pancake with his fork, "Mom's going to lose her mind when she finds out about this."

Ericka groaned. "Can we not tell her yet? I'd like at least a week of peace before she starts planning the wedding."

"Wedding?" Dominic's eyebrows shot up.

"She's been convinced you two would end up together since the day Ericka moved in," Maxwell explained, smirking. "Something about 'the way that boy looks at you.'"

Dominic felt heat creep up his neck. "I thought I was being subtle."

"Honey," Ericka patted his hand sympathetically, "you were about as subtle as a brick through a window."

"Everyone knew except you two," Maxwell added. "It was honestly painful to watch."

Ericka rolled her eyes at her brother, “Most brothers don’t like the idea that their sister is likely to end up with their best friend.”

Maxwell eyed the pair sceptically. "That's because most brothers don't have best friends who write ridiculous 'no romance' clauses into their lease agreements."

Dominic winced at the reminder. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Not a chance," Maxwell and Ericka replied in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

The sound of their shared laughter warmed something in Dominic's chest. This was good. This felt right. The three of them together, no more secrets, no more pretending. For the first time in years, he felt like he could breathe freely.

Ericka took a sip of her orange juice, still holding Dominic's hand under the table. Her thoughts drifted to the property listing still in her bag, the apartment she'd been so determined to rent just yesterday. It seemed ridiculous now, the idea of leaving all this behind. Of leaving him behind.

"What are you thinking about?" Dominic asked, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

"The apartment I was going to rent," she admitted. "It was a terrible place, actually. Tiny kitchen, no natural light, and the bathroom had this weird green tile that looked like it belonged in the seventies."

Maxwell snorted. "And you were going to move there because...?"

"Because I thought I had to." She glanced at Dominic. "Because of a stupid contract."

Dominic's expression clouded with guilt. Across the table, Maxwell watched the exchange, understanding more than either of them realized. He'd seen his best friend struggle with his feelings for Ericka for years, had watched his sister pine just as long. Part of him wanted to shake them both for wasting so much time, but another part, the part that had driven through the night at the mere suggestion that his sister was in trouble, understood fear all too well.

"Well," Maxwell said, breaking the moment, "at least something good came out of your dramatic hospital visit. Even if it did cost me a tank of gas and a night's sleep."

Ericka threw a napkin at him. "No one asked you to come, you know."

"Like I had a choice. Mom would have killed me if I hadn't checked on you."

At the mention of their mother, Ericka groaned again. "She's going to be unbearable about this."

"About what?" Dominic asked.

"About us," Ericka gestured between them. "She's been dropping hints for years. Every phone call: 'How's Dominic?' 'Is Dominic seeing anyone?' 'You know, you and Dominic would make such cute babies.'"

Dominic choked on his coffee. "She said that?"

"Last Christmas," Maxwell confirmed, clearly enjoying Dominic's discomfort. "Right after you left the room. She has names picked out and everything."