Chapter 151: Chapter 151
Music Recommendation: loml by Taylor Swift.
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Celeste smiled again. She softly opened her arms, and beckoned him closer.
Dominic let out a sound caught between a sob and a laugh. It sounded so broken but it was real, and slowly, he rose from his knees.
He leaned forward carefully, and cautiously, as though the simple act of holding her might shatter her again. His arms curved around her shoulders, and his chest pressed in just enough that she could feel him, but never enough to disturb the wires, the IV, or the fragile line of her breath.
Celeste closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. For the first time in days, weeks, or a month, she didn’t know, but she felt warmth — his warmth — not just the sterile hum of machines and the cold bite of antiseptic. Her hand brushed up into his hair, with her fingers combing through the strands tenderly, like she was reminding herself that he was real.
Dominic swallowed hard, and his throat worked painfully. His tears spilled hot and fast, dampening her hospital gown, sliding down to her skin.
His whole body trembled against her as though his relief was too much for his frame to hold.
Dominic’s body shook as he tried to let her go, but Celeste’s fingers lingered in his hair, holding him with all the strength she could gather.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make him break. His shoulders trembled, his chest rattled with half-sobs, and still he tried to muffle them because he didn’t want her to hear how close he had come to losing himself without her.
"You look like shit," Celeste whispered, her lips brushing his ear as her laugh ghosted over him. Her voice was weak, and raspy, but it was her.
Dominic pulled back just enough to see her face. Her eyes were half-lidded but also burning with life. His chest ached with the force of his smile. "Thank you, baby."
Around them, the nurses and doctors quietly evacuated the room.
"Mm. And you should shave." Her hand trailed along his sharp jawline, now covered with a moderate amount of hair. Her thumb brushed the coarse stubble like she had been waiting forever just to touch him again.
That small act unraveled him more than anything else. His eyes burned. He swallowed hard, but his tears betrayed him, and once again, hot and silent they went down his cheeks until they fell onto her shoulder. She didn’t wipe them. She let them be. A brutal proof of what they had survived.
"Dom..." Her voice was faint but laced with so much certainty it cut him open. "I’m here. You can unrecall those bad days."
His throat closed. He pressed his forehead to hers, unable to speak at first, until the words came out jagged, strangled. "Don’t you ever, ever... leave me like that again. I swear, Celeste, I couldn’t breathe without you. Never you plan to give me those bland goodbyes."
Her lips curved, small and tired, but soft. "But I came back."
Dominic let out a sob that shook his whole body, his laugh tangled with it, wild and broken. He kissed her temple, her hairline, and the crown of her head like a man starved. "Yeah. You came back to me."
When Celeste turned her head, her eyes landed on Amara standing in the corner. Her best friend’s face was blotched red, with her tears flowing without restraint.
Celeste’s lips parted into a smile that was so gentle, and so Celeste, that Amara’s knees nearly buckled.
Celeste tapped Dominic’s arm. He knew instantly what she was asking, even though every bone in his body resisted. Still, he loosened his hold and pulled back just enough for Amara to take his place.
Amara stumbled forward, almost dropping her phone, and leaned over the bed. "You scared the hell out of me," she whispered, choking on a sob as she pressed her forehead to Celeste’s.
"I know," Celeste rasped, weakly lifting her hand to wipe Amara’s tears. "But I’m here now."
Amara broke completely, letting out a sob as she hugged Celeste carefully, her shoulders shaking. Dominic watched them, his own heart twisting. He wanted her back in his arms already, but seeing Celeste bring peace to Amara reminded him again why he loved her. She carried storms and calmed them without even trying.
Dominic stood stiff beside the bed, his jaw tight, his hands fisted at his sides. He watched with a storm in his eyes, but he didn’t interrupt. He let Celeste have this moment, even if every second she wasn’t in his arms scraped against his nerves like glass.
Amara’s sobs quieted into hiccups, but she didn’t move from Celeste’s embrace. Her hands clutched the hospital gown desperately, like if she let go, Celeste might disappear again.
"I prayed every day," Amara whispered, her voice muffled against her. "Every single day. I thought I lost you."
"You’ll never lose me," Celeste said softly. Her own voice broke, but she forced strength into it. "Not like that. Not ever."
Amara pulled back just enough to see her face, her tears blurring her vision. "You scared me."
Celeste’s weak smile spread wider. "I scared myself too."
Amara brushed away her tears, her shoulders shaking with silent relief. She looked at Dominic, her lips parting, but no words came.
"You need rest," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her skin. His voice was stern, but underneath it was pure desperation. "Don’t push yourself."
Celeste leaned her head back against the pillow, exhaustion weighing her down. Her lashes fluttered, but her smile lingered faintly.
Amara kissed Celeste’s temple one last time before pulling away. Her hands lingered on her shoulders as though she was reluctant to let her go.
She brushed her thumb across her friend’s cheek, whispering a prayer only Celeste could hear. Then, with trembling steps, she moved aside, her eyes darting to Dominic as though asking permission to leave them alone.
Dominic gave her a single nod. He couldn’t muster words, not when every part of him screamed to return to Celeste’s side.
Amara pressed her lips together, wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, and quietly slipped toward the door. Her shoulders were still shaking when she left, but she didn’t look back.
The moment the door clicked shut, Dominic exhaled like he had been holding his breath for hours. His restraint shattered.
He sat on the edge of the bed, careful of the wires. He was careful of everything, yet desperate. His large hand reached for hers, swallowing it whole, as he brought it to his lips.
His kiss was trembling, damp. He pressed his mouth to her knuckles like they were the only tether keeping him on this earth.
Celeste’s smile, soft and faint, returned. She shifted her fingers weakly, threading them between his. "I thought I won’t see you again." she whispered.
Dominic bowed his head, his forehead pressed against their joined hands. "I never left," he said, voice breaking. "Not for a second."
Her lashes lowered, her breath shallow but steady. "I know... I felt you here. Even when it was dark."
A sound tore from him, half relief, and half devastation. His free hand covered his mouth, and his shoulders hunched as though the weight of her words crushed him.
"Don’t say that," he rasped. "Don’t tell me you were in the dark. You don’t belong there. You belong here. With me."
Celeste tilted her head slightly, her smile dim but sure. "I came back, didn’t I?" she asked again, as if to have the words imprinted into his skull.
He lifted his face, eyes red-rimmed, and wet. He kissed her hand again and again, frantic, reverent. "Yeah," he whispered against her skin. "You came back to me."
Her fingers brushed his cheek, weak but deliberate. "You should sleep," she murmured. "You look worse than me."
Dominic let out a hoarse laugh, shaking his head. "Not happening. I’ve been watching you breathe for days. I’m not closing my eyes now."
Celeste chuckled softly, but the sound broke into a cough. Dominic immediately shifted, adjusting the pillow behind her, as his hand steadied her shoulder, with panic etched into his face.
"I’m okay," she whispered when she caught his expression. "Really. I’m just tired."
He leaned in. His lips grazed her temple. "Then rest, baby. I’ll be right here. I’ll always be right here."
Her eyes closed, with her lashes trembling against her cheeks. She exhaled slowly, with her body easing into the mattress. "Don’t let go," she whispered.
Dominic squeezed her hand, his lips pressed to it firmly. "Never."
Her breathing steadied, drifting toward sleep. But just before she surrendered to it fully, her lips curved into the faintest smile, and she whispered one last time. Her words were barely audible when they left her lips.
"I love you, Dominic."
The words sliced through him. They were sweet and brutal all at once. He shut his eyes, more tears spilling freely, and he bent over her hand, kissing it as though to seal the promise into his soul.
"I love you too, Celeste. More than life. More than anything."
And with that, he sat there, unblinking, guarding her as though the world itself might try to take her again.