Chapter-14

JANE

I ran to the bathroom and grabbed the rim of the toilet bowl before hurling my guts out into it.

After vomiting everything that I had eaten earlier, I flushed the toilet and stumbled towards the sink to wash my face.

My body felt light, like it was drained out of all the energy and I had to lean all my weight on the sink counter to look at myself in the mirror with a feeble smile.

Wiping my face and with wobbling feet I stood at the bathroom door with hands resting on the frame for support.

Rosario sat on the couch with a glass of whisky clutched in his hand, an annoyed expression on his face and his eyes on me.

"What the hell happened?" he asked through gritted teeth.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the uneasiness that lingered in my stomach.

"I don't know. I am not feeling well."

I massaged my chest and pressed my lips shut as the bile started to rise once again. I gestured through my hand as I moved it in circles in front of my mouth.

"The fuck is this. Just go. Go to your room and call me if you need to see a doctor." He looked away with a deep frown and I dashed out of his room, shutting the door behind me.

I quickly shut the door of my room from inside and rushed to the bathroom before throwing myself on the cold tiled floor near the toilet bowl, waiting for my next puking episode.

I'd happily bear this over letting Rosario have his way with me. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that this allergy of mine would prove helpful someday.

I rested my head on the toilet seat and closed my eyes, while my stomach kept churning. My eyes snapped open when I heard some strange noise from outside.

The hair on the back of my neck rose in alert as I tried to hear, but there was silence. I frowned, slowly getting up from the floor, grimacing at how weak I felt.

The world around me kept spinning as I reached the bathroom door and peeked outside but there was no one.

I think I am hallucinating.

I rushed to the toilet when I flelt bile rising to my mouth with full force and stumbled forward, trying my best to reach the seat.

While throwing up clear water into the bowl, I felt someone lifting my hair up and holding it in a bunch.

Rosario? No. He can't be. He'll never care enough to do this.

When nothing was coming out anymore, I stood up, clutching my stomach and the shock hit me like a running train as I looked into the pair of hypnotizing green eyes.

What?

I rubbed my eyes with my fingers before opening them again, but he was still there. My vision spun a little, making me see double, but he was still there.

My hands went up before I could realize, my heart hammered as I touched his cheek, the stubbles rough against my finger tips.

He didn't vanish.

My eyes stung with tears as I looked at his concerned face, messy hair and his slightly overgrown beard than the last time I saw him. He looked tired.

"Baby. Are you sick?"

His smooth voice glided over my spine and something tugged at my heart.

My body acted on its own as I jumped on him and wrapped my hands around his neck. His arms wrapped around me instantly as my feet left the floor and he hugged me tight.

"Dom. You're really here?"

"Yes. I am. Did you think I won't come for you?"

Sobs wracked my body as I broke down in his arms, my eyes clenched shut and my chin rested on his shoulder.

My stomach kept twisting, making sharp pain shoot through my abdomen, but I didn't care. I needed to take in this feeling of his arms around me, that I had been longing for.

I felt him move and then I was being laid on a soft surface. My eyes opened only to find his face hovering above me.

"Baby. What happened?"

"Al…allergy. Huh…" My chest heaved up and down and my breathing became laboured.

He frowned while caressing my head and I leaned into his touch.

"Wait! Did you have milk and seafood together?" he asked, panic clear in his voice.

He remembered.

I gulped before nodding my head. My eyes were fluttering shut but I tried hard to keep them open.

"What the…. Why? Why did you do that?" He ran his fingers through his hair and started pacing the room.

"What do I do?" he whispered to himself while taking his phone out of his pocket and calling someone.

My stomach knotted painfully, like something was stretching and tying my intestines while clawing at my stomach walls. I groaned in pain and raised my knees to my chin, pressing my stomach as hard as I could.

"No doctor…please," I pushed the words out of my mouth while gritting my teeth.

"The fuck are you talking about. You are coming with me right now, and we're going straight to the hospital," he said in an angry whisper, and a ray of hope rose in me.

I can finally get out of here. Rosario can't touch me anymore.

I was about to smile when the realization hit me like a tonne of bricks and the little hope slipped out of my grasp like grains of sand.

I made a blood oath. If I leave, I'd break the oath and nothing would hold Rosario back from destroying James and his family.

Dom could protect them, but for how long? Was I even worth all the bloodshed it was going to cause?

I snapped my eyes open and I pushed myself to sit up, ignoring the stinging pain.

"I am…not going…anywhere with you."

He stopped in his tracks and looked at me dumbfounded.

"Are you hearing yourself, Jane? Do you think for a second that I'll leave you here?"

I squeezed my stomach with one hand, climbing down the bed and forcing myself to stand.

He rushed to my side and I took a few steps back.

"Stay back. I'll be alright," I spoke without grimacing while my insides were screaming at me to just fall to the floor and sleep and let Dom do whatever he wanted.

"Jane. You aren't actually doing this in such desperate times. Let me take you out. Your Mom had asked me to save you."

I frowned. Mom? How did she know about Dom? I had never told her who I was dating.

"What lies are you spewing?"

"Your Mom has known about us for a long time now. I had already informed her about us." He took another step towards me and I stepped back again.

"I don't care. I ain't going with the killer of my father. I'd prefer to die." My back hit the wall and I leaned on it, taking away a little pressure from my feet, which were about to give up.

I couldn't afford to give up and show him how weak I was feeling.

"Jane. I ain't arguing about it now. Just come with me. Then you can go home if you want. But come with me."

I can't. I can't leave.

Before I could say anything, he spoke again.

"Baby, listen to me. I confessed to your Mom about the truth of your father's death last night. She knows and she didn't ask me to stay away from you. I am sure if you know the whole truth, you'll understand too."

What? But why? Why is Mom not bothered about it?

Oh, of course. She wanted me to get away from Rosario. Yeah. That must be the reason she asked Dom for help. I was sure she'd never accept him anymore, once I went back.

"I told you, I ain't going anywhere with you. Just go or I'll shout. Rosario's room is just the opposite of mine." I was breathing hard, to keep myself from grimacing.

My stomach hurts.

"Do you think I am scared of him? I can start a war right now, my men are everywhere outside. But I ain't leaving you here."

"Don't force me to do something you can't bear."

"Why ar…."

"Dom, just go. Or do you want me to share a bed with Rosario?" I glared at him and he glared back with pure shock.

"Are you serious?" he spat, gritting his teeth.

"Yes." I pointed a finger at him as he was about to touch me. "Don't come near me. Get out. Just get out." I pointed towards the open window where I knew he came from.

Just go. Please. I need to lie down. It hurts.

"You know you can't take me if I don't want to. I'll shout and alert Rosario. If you still try to take me, I'll do my best to fail your attempts and I promise you, I'll sleep with Rosario."

"Jane. I beg you. Don't…"

"It doesn't suit Dominic D'Amico to beg in front of a mere woman. I am asking you one last time. GET...OUT."

Just go. I don't want to alert Rosario. Please. Don't make me do it.

My eyes stung with unshed tears, and I blinked them back.

"I'll come for you again. I ain't letting you stay here much longer." His lips quivered and I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my soft palm to keep myself rooted to my spot so that I wouldn't run into his arms.

He walked backwards, not taking his eyes off me for a second. It was almost impossible to keep standing but I did somehow.

"Take care of yourself and please…call a doctor." His voice broke as his back hit the window ledge.

"I love you and will always love you. You are mine, remember that always." He swung his leg to the other side.

"Don't let him touch you. And remember, I'll torture myself every day, as long as you are here. Your pain is mine." He was standing outside the window, God knows how, as my room was on the first floor.

His hands were clutching the frame of the window as he looked at me with teary eyes as if waiting for me to change my decision.

But I wouldn't.

"Go, Dominic."

"I love you," he said one last time before letting go of the window and jumping down.

A gasp left my lips as he disappeared from my sight and I let the tears stream down my face. Something shattered inside me and I didn't know if I could ever get back to normal.

I was sure he couldn't too. I broke him.

I moved and my legs gave out, making my knees hit the cold marble floor, jarring pain shot through my legs.

Ouff..

I pushed myself up and crawled to the window, grabbed the frame where his hands were just moments ago and sat up on my knees.

Peeking down, I saw some movements behind the trimmed bushes and trees and sat there with my cheeks resting on the window frame, looking out into the silent and chilly night, hoping to catch a glimpse of him but I couldn't see anything.