Losing Love

44

Dominic's POV:

I sit on the table in the grand venue, chatting with my childhood best friend, Elijah. I can't believe Kyle made me come to this bullshit. We're talking about the Ace's before I feel a pair of eyes hover on me. I don't bother looking up as I'm used to people's staring.

Elijah turns around mid sentence as two women approach him, "lIia-" he stops himself and I hear him call the name I least expected. Hope.

As I hear her name, I instantly jolt up to take a look at her gorgeous face. She hasn't changed much, though I can tell by the slight drowsiness in her eyes that she's had a couple drinks. Kyle had told me previously that Hope tends to drink much more often now, he thinks it's a side effect to our breakup.

Right.

Our breakup.

My mind flashes through the past two months, the most miserable months of my life. I remember how I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't do anything apart from loathe myself and miss he. It was all my fault. I could have prevented the entire breakup, and still have had the girl of my dreams in my life now. But no, I had to act like an asshole and let my anger take over my mind and my body.

I remember that I even tried going back to my old ways, I attempted to sleep around with a couple women but it was never the same. My body craves for Hope's touch and I will get my love back, even if it's the last thing I do.

"Hey Cugino, how are you..." Elijah begins to speak to Hope but I block out the encounter as I take in every detail.

The way her eyes sparkle as she stares at me with those deadly grey orbs. How her long, dark hair falls and sits gently over her shoulder. She's still the most perfect woman I have ever laid my eyes on. And fuck, how I wish I could go back in time and treat her the way she deserves to be treated.

I'm broken out of my thoughts by Elijah, "hey Dom, you okay?" He asks me as he takes a seat back down on his chair, next to me. I look over at him, my mind still processing what he had just asked me. "Oh, yeah, I'm good" I reply. I notice everyone's eyes still laying on me and decide to change the topic before they begin to push it.

"Hope is your cousin?" I ask Elijah as my eyes revert back to Hope's face. Everyone turns their heads to look at her and she lifts her right arm in front of her chest and holds onto her necklace as she sits back down on the chair, slightly uncomfortably.

I instantly feel guilty, I know how much she hates to be put on the spot.

"Yeah, why?" Elijah retorts.

"She's kind of my..." I hesitate before I say the next part, if I say it out loud then that means it's true. And I'm certainly still not ready for it to be true. "ex-girlfriend" I blurt out. My entire body feels numb as the words falls off my tongue. Hope's eyes hold a moment of pain, before quickly flashing back to the bored expression she had before.

The girl next to Elijah turns to Hope and begins whispering to her. This is the first time I've noticed her, she must be the girl that's staying with Elijah. I think he mentioned her name is Iliana. I'll admit, I felt slightly envious of Elijah as he spoke about her. I remember there was a time when my friends and family would all tease me over the 'spark in my eyes' as I spoke about Hope. I now notice what they meant, Elijah holds the same spark in his blue eyes.

Hope looks deep in thought as Iliana continues to whisper at her. She whispers something back, slowly, with a pained expression on her face. Her eyes fills up with tears but she blinks them back quickly before looking back at me. Elijah taps Iliana's shoulder and whispers something in her ear. She nods and they both stand up and walk towards the dance floor, I'm left on the table alone with Hope who's eyes are glued to Elijah and Iliana.

This is my only chance to fix things with her, I need to do it now and I need to think through my words wisely. I shift to the seat Elijah was once sitting in, I don't sit on the seat next to her where Iliana was because I don't want to get too close, in case it makes her uncomfortable.

I can tell Hope is now struggling to avoid looking at me, I clear my throat. Here goes nothing.

"Hope" I announce quietly. She looks over at me, she seems guarded. Stronger. She doesn't reply so I continue to speak, "can we go talk? Some place more quiet?" I beg. She nods and curtly stands up. I lead her out to the balcony.

She leans her stomach against the railing, with her hands gripping onto them tightly. I stand next to her like an idiot, and just stare at her. She notices me staring and turns to face me. Now her hip leans against the rails, "What did you want to talk about?" She asks me gingerly.

I quickly think through what I'm going to say to her, making sure I don't end up sounding like an ass, and begin to speak out loud.

"Words will never be able to express how sorry I am, Hope. These last two months without you have been hell for me but it made me realise, even more, how much I need you." The familiar pressure behind my eyes make itself present as I swallow back tears. "I have never regretted anything more, it was wrong and stupid and immature and you didn't deserve anything even remotely close to that. I was hurting but I was far too selfish to realise that you were too." I feel them come back up at my honesty, I've never spilled my guts out like this before. I never would have imagined how relieving, yet exhausting, it feels. Hope stares up at me with big eyes, they begin to water just as mine do. "And you were right, I was so wrapped up in my grief and thought of revenge that I didn't even notice all the damage I was doing. Nothing I can say will reverse the damage I've done, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and give us another chance." She listens closely but doesn't reply, "I will try everything in my power to fix this and ensure that I never act this way again. I promised myself when we met that I would do whatever it takes to make you happy. I failed. I failed both of us" I feel a single warm tear fall down my cheek slowly.

Hope runs up to me, basically attacking me as I fall back a bit at the impact. She wraps her arms around me and begins to cry softly against my chest. "I missed you so much" she whimpers in my arms.

"I missed you" I reply in a whisper as I bend my neck down and kiss her head.

"You need to let me in" she cries after a moment, "it's always been hard for me, but I promise you that I will" I reply honestly. I intend to keep that promise.

A minute later, I break the hug and wipe the tears from her delicate face with the pad of my thumb. "May I have this dance?" I ask her with a small smirk across my face. She wipes her under eyes with the tips of fingers once more, before nodding and placing her tiny, cold hand in mine.

I escort her back to the dance floor and lay my hands on her waist. She leans against my chest as we sway to the music.

- - - - -
Once again, Elijah and Iliana are characters from 'FOUND BY THE MAFIA' by hennyyy_23 .