Chapter 103 One Hundred& Three
Izzy walked out of the office, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her chest felt tight, and every step toward the elevator made her heart ache more. By the time she got home, tears were streaming down her face.
She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking, and finally opened the door. She dropped her bag on the couch and collapsed into it, sobbing quietly.
Her phone lay on the coffee table. She picked it up, dialing Maya.
No answer.
She tried again. Nothing.
And again.
Six times in total.
Her hands trembled as she finally typed a message, her fingers struggling to press the keys through her tears…
“You were right… Dominic was a wrong idea. I really need you right now. I'm sorry Maya. I miss you.”
She stared at the screen, her chest heaving, hoping, praying Maya would see it and call back. But the screen stayed blank, the little “delivered” tick mocking her heartache.
Izzy curled up on the couch, hugging her knees, feeling the emptiness settle around her. For the first time in weeks, she felt completely alone.
Hours passed, and Izzy stayed curled on the couch, her phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. Every little sound outside her apartment made her jump… was it Maya coming to check on her? Was it Dominic? But no one came.
Her thoughts raced, twisting her heart with every memory of Dominic… the way he kissed her, held her, made her feel alive. And now… the engagement, the lies, the promises he couldn’t keep.
Finally, she threw the phone onto the couch beside her. Tears blurred her vision as she whispered to herself, her voice trembling:
“Why does love have to hurt this much?”
She buried her face in her hands, shaking, wishing she had someone… anyone to hold her, to tell her everything would be okay. But the apartment was quiet, empty, cold. And Izzy felt smaller than she had ever felt in her life.
Then her phone buzzed. Her heart leapt, hope flaring for a brief, desperate moment. She snatched it up, but it wasn’t Maya. It was a message from an unknown number:
Dominic: “Izzy… we need to talk. Don’t ignore me. ”
Her hands froze over the screen, tears still dripping down her cheeks. Her heart was pounding, a mix of fear, anger, and longing.
She swallowed hard, unsure if she wanted to reply it… or if she was ready for whatever storm was coming next.
A few minutes later, there was a sharp, deliberate knock at the door. Izzy flinched, her chest tightening.
“Izzy… please, open the door. I’m sorry,” Dominic’s voice called through, low and strained. “I’ll talk to my mom again, I swear. Please…”
She didn’t move. Her back was pressed against the couch, knees pulled up, arms wrapped around herself. Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling.
“I… I can’t,” she whispered, almost to herself. “I can’t do this…”
Another knock. His voice was gentler this time, but it still carried that raw need that made her heart ache. “Izzy… just let me in. Please. I… I don’t want to lose you.”
She shook her head, muffling a sob. “I… I need… I need time…”
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft sound of her crying and the occasional echo of Dominic’s frustrated, pleading voice through the door.
He didn’t push, didn’t yell. He just stayed there, his presence felt even through the closed barrier, leaving Izzy torn between anger, heartbreak, and the love she still couldn’t let go of.
He kept knocking again, each rap heavier than the last, and his voice calling her name, rough and desperate, cut through the silence of her apartment.
“Izzy… please. I can’t stand this. Just open the door. Let me fix this,” he pleaded.
Her hands shook as she wiped her tears, heart pounding. Part of her wanted to slam the door and hide forever, but another part… the part that still loved him.. couldn’t ignore him. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she moved toward the door, unlocking it and swinging it open.
Dominic didn’t wait. The moment the door opened, he pulled her close, crushing her against him. His lips found hers, hard and demanding, devouring her mouth like he’d been starving for her. She melted against him, tears spilling down her cheeks as his hands wrapped around her, holding her as if letting go would break them both.
“Izzy… I’m so sorry,” he groaned into her ear, voice thick with need and guilt. “I should’ve never put you through this…”
She clung to him, her body trembling, unable to speak. His kiss softened just a fraction, lingering on hers, searching, claiming, and promising all at once.
For a moment, the world outside didn’t exist.. only them, the raw ache of longing, and the fire of a love that refused to let go.
Dominic pressed closer, his hands sliding along her back, guiding her gently but firmly into her apartment. The door clicked shut behind them, and for a heartbeat, they just stood there, chest to chest, breathing each other in.
Then he kissed her again… slow, deep, hungry. His lips moved over hers with an intensity that made her knees weak, and she responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
His hands roamed over her body, tracing the curves of her waist and hips, while hers tangled in his hair, tugging him closer as their mouths met in a fiery, urgent rhythm. Each kiss was hotter than the last, a mix of longing, guilt, and desire that left them both trembling.
Dominic’s forehead pressed against hers as he whispered against her lips, “I can’t… I don't think I can leave with out you.”
Izzy gasped, her heart hammering. “Don’t… don’t,” she murmured, and before either of them knew it, their lips were moving together again, tongues brushing, bodies pressing, the world outside the apartment completely forgotten.
Every touch, every kiss, was charged with need… the kind that made it impossible to think, impossible to resist. They were lost in each other, teetering on the edge, ready to give in completely.