All Chapters of To Love & To Hold: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

It wasn’t just any kiss, it was warm, tender and passionate. Well, so Ericka thought as she opened her eyes to look softly at the man that she had spent almost all of her waking hours with, except for their college classes, as Ericka was an English Major and what the other students called ‘her pseudo husband’ was completing a Doctorate in fitness Dominic, who owned the apartment and her landlord he was a year older then her.As this was her last year at the college, and at that point, Ericka never thought that they would ever kiss, but as she tried to kiss Dominic back, but as their lips nearly met together once more when Dominic said, “Don’t even think about it.” As he pulled away and stood up.“But I thought you wanted me to,” Ericka said in shock, sitting up straighter and fixing her clothes, her face red from embarrassment and her mind full of confusion. After all, it was Dominic who pulled her in for the kiss in the first place. “I guess I should just go back to my room; classes

He moved through the living room, past the kitchen with its yellow sticky note still on the fridge, and down the hallway to her bedroom. The door was closed. He knocked, then knocked again harder when there was no response."Ericka, are you in there? We need to talk."But there was no answer.“Ericka, I’m coming in OK, I just want to talk.” He opened the door to find it just as it usually was, neat and tidy, only the stuff she needed for her classes was missing.A message came up on his phone, a friend of his from his fitness classes: Man, everything all right? I just saw Ericka, she’s not looking so good. Apparently, someone found her passed out by a tree near the library. They're sending her to the hospital, dude. I managed to get her stuff, but in it, there was a listing for a place of her own. Did you know she was looking into buying her own place?Dominic's heart hammered against his ribs as he read the message. The words blurred together, forcing him to read it twice. Ericka. Ho

He wanted to kiss her again, properly this time, but the hospital setting and her current state held him back. Instead, he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "Rest now. I'll be right here when you wake up."Ericka's eyes fluttered closed. "Promise?""Promise." He settled back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, still holding her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."As her breathing evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep, Dominic watched her face. The harsh overhead lights cast shadows beneath her eyes, highlighting the exhaustion etched into her features. Had he done this to her? His chest tightened at the thought.His phone vibrated in his pocket. A text from his advisor: Where are you? The meeting started 15 minutes ago.Dominic typed a quick reply without taking his eyes off Ericka: Family emergency. Need to reschedule.It wasn't exactly a lie. Over the past three years, Ericka had become his family in all the ways that mattered. The thought of los

Ericka's expression softened. "Yours," she whispered.His bedroom was messier than he would have liked, clothes draped over the desk chair, textbooks stacked haphazardly on the nightstand, the bed only half-made from his restless night. But Ericka didn't seem to notice or care as he lay her gently on the mattress."Wait here," he said, disappearing into the hallway. He returned a moment later with her favourite pillow from her room, the lumpy one she'd had since freshman year that she refused to replace, and the worn copy of Wuthering Heights from her nightstand."In case you can't sleep," he explained, setting the book beside her.Ericka's eyes glistened. "You know me so well.""Three years of paying attention." He sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing the blanket over her. "I noticed everything, Ericka. Even when I was pretending not to."She caught his hand before he could pull away. "Stay with me?"Dominic kicked off his shoes and stretched out beside her, careful to maintain a re

"I didn't exactly plan it," she mumbled, leaning into his touch despite her protest. Her gaze drifted to Dominic, who stood awkwardly by the couch, hands shoved in his pockets. "Did you two...?""Have a chat?" Maxwell finished. "Yeah, we did."Dominic watched the siblings, noting the familiar way they communicated, half-sentences, meaningful glances, the shorthand of people who'd grown up together. He'd always envied that, being an only child himself."And?" Ericka pressed, folding her arms across her chest. The sleeves of Dominic's hoodie fell past her fingertips, making her look smaller, more vulnerable.Maxwell glanced back at Dominic, one eyebrow raised. "And we've reached an understanding.""What kind of understanding?" Suspicion laced her tone."The kind where I don't murder your roommate for being an idiot," Maxwell said, his voice lighter than his words. "Though the jury's still out on that one."Dominic cleared his throat. "I was just explaining to your brother about... us."