Dominated

Chapter 36

When Amelia woke up alone in bed the following morning to the sound of running water, she assumed that Damien had gotten up before her to shower. She stretched her arms over her head as she looked at the bathroom door. It had been left ajar, and a smile appeared on her lips at the idea of sneaking in to join him.

She rolled out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, but she didn't make it very far when she tripped over the open bag on the floor. She peered inside to find Damien's clothes neatly folded and his phone ringing on top of the pile. Evelyn's name was present on the screen, and Amelia stared at it until the call ended. When the phone returned to the lock screen, she noticed multiple missed notifications from Evelyn. Many of them were text messages.

She was going to grab the phone when Damien emerged from the adjoining bathroom. He had a towel hanging low on his hips and another one wrapped around his neck. He was drying his chest when he saw the look of displeasure on Amelia's face and followed her gaze to his phone. It was ringing again.

"Good morning," he greeted her. He picked up his phone and pressed the icon to end the call.

Amelia was still staring at his bag when she asked, "Why is your bag packed?"

Damien shedded the damp towel around his neck and tossed it onto the bed. "I was going to tell you when you woke up."

"Tell me what?"

"I have to leave," he answered. He stepped toward her, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Please don't be upset, Amelia. Something happened to Evelyn, and she's really shaken up about it."

"So, you're running to her?"

"She's my friend, and she needs me right now." He filled the gap between them and took her hand inside his, dropping it to her side. "I want you to come home with me. I'll explain as much as I can."

"You want me to cut my vacation short because your ex-girlfriend, who is still obviously in love with you, needs you to console her?"

She laughed upon hearing the words out loud and shook her head in disbelief.

"Amelia—"

"If you want to leave, you'll have to go alone," she interjected.

She walked over to the closet where she pulled a white ribbed tee and a pair of jean shorts from inside. She was pulling on her shorts when Damien grabbed her by the waist and pressed her to his front.

"You're not staying here alone," he said. His voice was deep and demanding, but she wasn't deterred by his tone and continued to dress herself.

"I won't be alone," she told him. "I have Calvin and Freddie."

Damien was going to respond when his phone rang inside his hand. Evelyn was calling for the third time, and he almost considered ignoring the call when he heard Amelia sigh disappointedly. But he couldn't.

"I have to take this," he whispered before releasing her. He accepted the call and pressed the phone to his ear. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Amelia couldn't understand a word that Evelyn said on the other side, but she could hear the sobs through the phone as she returned to her bedside and retrieved her phone and wallet off the nightstand.

"It's gonna be alright," he assured Evelyn. "I'm getting on the first flight out of here."

Amelia felt her heart sink in her chest. Not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation, she dejectedly shuffled toward the door. She opened it to leave, but it quickly closed again. She glared at Damien's hand as he held the door shut.

"I'll be home as soon as I can," he said before ending the call. He gathered Amelia in his arms, holding her tightly. "Where do you think you're going?"