Unfamiliar Comforts

Selena’s POV

I woke up to the strangest smell.

Like clean sheets mixed with something warmer, faintly smoky, faintly like the way the air feels after it rains.

I blinked and the ceiling above me wasn’t mine. It wasn’t my soft cream walls or my glow-in-the-dark stars. It was dark wood and some posters on the far side, a hockey stick leaning against the corner.

I jolted upright too fast and my head throbbed.

“What the hell—”

“Relax.”

His voice.

I froze.

Dominic was sitting on the edge of the desk right by the bed. His arms were folded and his eyes were fixed on me, sharp but soft at the same time. He didn’t even flinch when I caught him staring.

“You fainted. Again. You’re welcome, by the way.”

I swallowed. My throat was dry.

“You… brought me here?” I croaked.

“No,” he said, then smirked. “A magical fairy picked you up, tucked you in, and I’m just here for the vibes. Of course I brought you here.”

I dropped back on the pillow and groaned. “God, you’re so annoying.”

“Yeah? You weren’t saying that when you were about to hit the pavement.”

I winced and closed my eyes, trying to focus on the sheets under my palms. They were soft, warm, but it was the faint heat of his gaze on me that made me shift.

He hadn’t moved. I could feel him watching me.

“You… live here?” I asked after a long moment.

He gave this little snort. “No, I just keep a random bed in a random room for fainting girls. Of course I live here. It’s my room.”

What was wrong with him?

I forced myself to sit up, even though my arms shook a little. “I should go—”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

His voice cut through me, low, final.

I glanced at him. His eyes were a storm I didn’t want to get lost in right now.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“You’re not,” he said.

I hated how steady he looked. Like he wasn’t even rattled. Meanwhile my hands wouldn’t stop trembling in my lap.

He walked closer, just a few steps, and crouched down in front of me so we were eye level.

“You look like hell,” he murmured, almost like he was saying it to himself.

“Thanks,” I shot back, even though my cheeks heated up at the way his gaze lingered on me.

He didn’t smile.

Instead, his fingers brushed my wrist. Light. Careful. Like I might shatter.

“You’re cold.”

“I’m always cold,” I whispered, but my voice cracked.

He tilted his head, studying me like he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

“You’re shaking.”

“Just tired,” I said. “And you’re… staring.”

He grinned faintly at that, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You make it hard not to stare.”

My breath caught.

I couldn’t think of anything to say so I just looked down at my hands. My nails dug into my palms.

“Why?” I finally muttered.

“Why what?”

“Why do you… say stuff like that?”

There was a long silence.

Then his hand slid to my chin and tilted my face back up toward him.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” His voice was so quiet it made my skin prickle.

“I…” I started, but my lips just parted and nothing came out.

He leaned closer. His breath was warm against my cheek.

“Lena,” he murmured, and the way he said my name made my stomach flip.

I should’ve pulled back.

But I didn’t.

“What do you want from me?” I whispered.

His eyes darkened.

“Everything.You own my biggest secret.”

The word knocked the air out of me.

I swallowed hard. My lips felt dry, and I licked them without thinking. His gaze followed the motion and his jaw tightened.

“You’re ridiculous,” I said weakly.

“And you’re beautiful,” he shot back.

My chest tightened and my hands fisted in the blanket.

“You’re just saying that,” I whispered, but it came out shakier than I meant it to.

He leaned in even closer, so close I could feel his hair brush my forehead.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” he murmured.

And then—God help me—he smiled. That crooked, devil-may-care smile that should’ve annoyed the hell out of me but just made my heart slam against my ribs.

“I really wanna kiss you right now,” he admitted, like it was nothing.

I froze.

My lips parted but no sound came out. My chest rose and fell too fast and my fingers clutched the sheets even tighter.

“Don’t,” I whispered. But it didn’t even sound convincing to me.

He tilted his head and smiled faintly.

“Why not?”

“Because…” I swallowed. “Because you shouldn’t want to. I have a cold.”

He laughed under his breath. “Too late.”

I hated how my whole body leaned forward even when my mind was screaming at me to stop.

“Why do you wanna kiss me?” I blurted, because I couldn’t help myself.

He didn’t even hesitate.

“Because every time you look at me like that I want to,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “Because I keep thinking about how soft your lips feel and it’s killing me. Because you already got under my skin and I can’t even be mad about it.”

My breath hitched. I was pretty sure he said the same thing to a lot of girls.

This was Dominic Lakes anyways.

But it didn't help the butterflies in my stomach.

And before I could say anything else, he moved.

His hand slid to the back of my neck and his mouth crashed into mine like he’d been holding back all day.

I made this stupid sound—half gasp, half whimper—and my hands flew up to his chest to shove him away but they just… didn’t.

They stayed there, clutching his hoodie like it was the only thing keeping me upright.

His lips were warm and rough and I hated how good it felt. How right.

I kissed him back before I even realized I was doing it.

My fingers curled into his shirt and his other hand slid into my hair and the heat between us made my knees weak even though I was already sitting down.

When he finally pulled back, just barely, he rested his forehead against mine.

We were both breathing hard.

“That…” he started, then stopped. He smiled faintly. “That shut you up for once.”

I glared at him, but it didn’t even come out convincing.

“You’re such an idiot,” I whispered, and my lips still tingled where he’d kissed me.

“Yeah,” he said, still smiling. “But you like me anyway.”

I didn’t answer.

I just closed my eyes and let myself lean into him, just for a second.

And he didn’t move away.