Free A Little Broken by Juli Valenti Page B

now. Jessie had been thinking on their whole ride back, about how she didn’t want the night to end, about how sorry she was for ruining Halloween for him. She tried again to say something, anything. She opened her mouth, closed it, and sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt and untangled her skirt to step outside.
    “I’ll watch you walk up from here,” he said, no inflection on his voice. She knew he was upset, with her or himself, she couldn’t tell – but it was unlike him to not walk her up.
    Jessie started to apologize again but changed her mind. He’d told her he didn’t want apologies, so she wouldn’t give him one. Nodding, she turned for her building clutching her shawl to her chest tightly, as if it would keep her from falling apart or breaking open. The soft splat of a tear hitting pavement stopped her, and she realized that it had come from her. She didn’t want to go home, not by herself, again. She was tired of being alone. Without thinking she picked up the layers of dress, turned abruptly, and ran for him.
    Dominick’s door opened quickly as he rushed to meet her. She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and pressing her face to his chest. He held her, face buried in her hair as his hand moved circles down her back.
    “I…I don’t want to leave you tonight, Dominick. I’m so sorry for everything, but the thought of walking those steps, and leaving you like this? I’m pretty sure that would be straw that would break me. You don’t owe me anything, but if I could just go with you –”
    “Jessie,” he crooned softly, kissing her forehead, “my fragile girl. You don’t have to ask. Come home with me?”
    Jessie tried to school her face as a slight pulse of fear mixed with desire churned inside of her. She wanted to go with him, she’d already decided it; something about the way he’d said it both scared and thrilled her. Despite her efforts, he saw the look, and interpreted it correctly.
    “We don’t have to do anything. We can talk, or watch a movie, or I’ll just hold you.”
     “Okay,” Jessie answered, and allowed him to usher her back into his car, and take her home with him.

 
    Chapter Fourteen
     
     
    Jessie sat on the black suede couch in Dominick’s living room, clutching the Yuengling he’d handed her when they’d walked in. He’d gone in the back of the house to change, leaving her to explore if she’d wanted. She chose to sit, allowing her eyes to roam what she could see of his place.
    It was big,way bigger than her measly studio condo. His living room was painted in a soft sand color, with pictures of antique looking far-away places: France, Italy, Spain, all in lacquered frames of modern black. A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall, taking up one entire wall space, directly in front of the couch. He had all sorts of matching knickknacks spread throughout the room, but what really caught her gaze was a small reading nook.
    The nook was offset, in the wall between the living room and the dining area, about the size of a walk-in closet. From where she was sitting she could see a large, teal cushioned bench with pillows strewn on it, and the floor, all in matching colors. Those walls, though, weren’t painted. They were covered in floor to ceiling book cases, every shelf completely full.
    Jessie found herself touching the bindings on the shelf closest to her, before she was even aware she had moved into the room. It was like he’d magically plucked the image out of her head; the dream she’d once had, in what seemed like a lifetime ago. There was even a tiny step stool in the corner, to help reach the books on the highest shelf.
    “There you are, I was worried,” Dominick said, coming up behind her. He had changed, now wearing a pair of sport-like shorts with a plain white T-shirt, no socks or shoes. He’d also either showered or washed his hair; the gel was gone, and it was slightly wet, making his curls tighter against