This was wrong. Abnormal even. Then why did it feel so right?
→ Vivienne returns back to where her life had first begun nearly twenty-four years ago, ready for a new journey ahead of her. This includes moving in with her older brother while trying t...
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VIVIENNE
"Dominic." She hoped none of the others managed to hear the breathlessness in her voice, subtly clearing her throat. However, her shock was not something she managed to cover up quickly enough.
Vivienne could feel Finley's eyes on the interaction carefully, but probably not for the reasons she feared. Or maybe I was just telling myself that.
"Hey Viv, you're looking good." Dominic smiled at her gently, the same handsome face - the crinkles on the outer corner of his eyes when he smiled, the slightly narrow nose, the sharp but slightly wide jawline, and one dimple on his left cheek.
He had a healthy golden tan to his skin that probably came with being outside a lot with his love for photography. And the dirty blonde strands, a shade or two darker than her brother's were long enough for him to tie into a small but neat half updo with a couple of strands falling into his eyes.
She could only imagine how it would look completely loose and him pushing it back every now and then. Those eyes were looking at her so intensely she wasn't sure where to put her own focus - like he was searching her face and then further down her body, to memorize every single detail in a span of five seconds.
In comparison to her reunion with Sebastian, this one was more subdued as they both met each other with a swift hug, and he pressed a soft kiss against her cheek in greeting, suddenly cracking open all the memories and emotions that came with his presence back in her life.
It had been a phase in her mind. A quick little teenage summer fling, or winter fling in their case, never getting the time to evolve to something more.
Then why did it feel like his palm was burning through the clothes on her back? Why was the tension between them so thick and palpable, they both felt it - luckily seemingly unnoticed by both Finley and Seb. Hopefully.
"How are you?" She stepped back into the safety bubble that was next to her brother, foolishly hoping that his presence would somehow subdue the intensity of Dominic Byrnes.
"Same as ever I suppose." He went to the fridge to pull out a water bottle and settled next to Sebastian, his Adam's apple bopping as he swallowed and she found herself focusing on that a little too much before ripping her gaze away.
Although his tilted smirk didn't go unnoticed.
"It's good to have you back in Chicago though, Finley hasn't stopped talking about it since you called."
She forced on a weak twitch of her lips. "You've all known for that long that I would move in?" He had known. Far longer than Vivienne did herself, yet still acted as if her presence was some sort of unexpected event to him, and stared at her as if he would burn down the entire world and lay its ashes at her feet.
Dominic Byrnes had always been good at this. Making people feel like they were the centre of his universe with a few chosen words, fleeting yet burning touches, and eyes that promised one the world.
