Supernova (23 page)

Kerrigan leaned into his kiss, deepening it. As she focused on the feel of his soft lips moving against hers, her concentration was broken. A loud splash of a wave sounded in the background. The barrier she had been holding suddenly gave way, and the spray of the ocean rained down on them in a chunky mist.

It was like being thrust into a cold shower, and they immediately broke their kiss, laughing at the situation.

“I did it?” Kerrigan’s voice was mixed with excitement and uncertainty.

“Yeah…you did.” Dominic’s pride was evident in his smile.

Their moment was broken when a gurgled, high-pitched cry came from the direction of their friends. “Help! Somebody help me! I’m drowning!”

It was Gabe. He was screaming and thrashing around in the water, and the rest of their friends were down the beach a stretch. Fear gripped Kerrigan’s insides at the thought of her best friend drowning and his lifeless body being washed ashore. Dominic sensed her panic and jumped up, racing down the beach as quickly as he could. But as he ran out into the water, a lifeguard jumped in front of him and went about his business rescuing Gabe.

As the lifeguard gathered Gabe up into his arms and carried him onto the beach, Dominic stood confused. He was standing in the exact same spot where Gabe had been, but the water was only up to Dominic’s waist, which meant that Gabe could’ve just stood up at any time and been perfectly fine.

Kerrigan and the rest of their friends made it to Gabe just as the blond-haired, blue-eyed lifeguard made it ashore carrying his limp body. He laid him down and knelt beside him as he went to work.

“Oh, Gabe,” Sydney cried with her hand to her heart in concern.

Kerrigan placed her hands on her hips and watched. She happened to know that Gabe was on the swim team when he was in high school – because he liked to watch all the boys in their Speedos – so, she knew he was perfectly fine and only trying to get the attention of the buffed up lifeguard. That wasn’t the first time he had ever run the scam. When the others looked at her, aghast by her lack of concern, she raised a hand to signal them to wait a moment.

The bronzed object of affection made his preparations to give her best friend mouth-to-mouth. Just as he was about to start the first round, Gabe opened his eyes, and his head shot up. A very capable hand reached into the pocket of the fanny pack he was wearing.

“Hold on, Mr. Baywatch.” He sprayed a breath freshener in his mouth, replaced it in the pocket and lay back down in the same position. When the lifeguard didn’t start the resuscitation, Gabe peeked one eye open. “Um, hello? Drowning victim here? Where are my smooches?”

The lifeguard shook his head in astonishment and disgust at Gabe’s manipulation. He stood, grabbed his preserver and made his way back to the lifeguard station.

“Fine!” Gabe yelled after him. “There are plenty of bigger fish in the sea. Don’t think I didn’t feel your little minnow when you grabbed me from behind. It ain’t all that, sweetie! Shit, I needs me a Moby Dick.”

Kerrigan looked down at him. “Desperate much?”

Gabe laughed sarcastically and gave her a SuFi, Dane Cook’s super finger.

Dominic’s movement from her peripheral vision caught her attention. She turned to look at him, her snickering coming to a halt. He strolled out of the water, clad only in his wet jeans, the sun casting a rainbow-like reflection off his wet hair. Everything around her crawled to a standstill as he made his way toward her in slow motion. The way he had to lift his legs to step through the water made his hips rock back and forth, the little “V” of muscle flexing and relaxing with the swagger of a man who knew his worth. She wished she had even an ounce of the confidence he exuded.

“Uh-uh. Where are the cameras?” Gabe started rummaging through his fanny pack again. “I don’t want to be on TV with sand all up in my hair.”

“There aren’t any cameras, Gabe,” Olivia laughed. “What are you talking about?”

“That boy looks like a walking Calvin Klein commercial, girl,” Gabe answered. Kerrigan didn’t have to look at him to know he was referring to Dominic.

His vibrant green eyes never left hers as he stepped forward and asked if Gabe was okay.

Having lost all control over her own voice, she nodded her head.

Dominic dropped his head and looked back up at her with that sexy smirk. “Are
you
okay?”

Kerrigan sighed. “I am now.”

Crisis averted, everyone went back to their previous activities. Only this time, Gabe actually took his boogie board and joined the others for some lessons.

Dominic was worried about Kerrigan. In addition to the energy she had used to push the surf back, she had also expelled quite a bit of energy trying to get to her friend when she thought his life was in danger. As much as she wanted to try to use her gift again, he convinced her to take it easy and soak up the sun for the rest of the day.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, but then Kerrigan started thinking about how much she didn’t know about Dominic. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. She really wanted to know where he came from, if he had any family, how he came to meet her grandmother. What led him to her?

Kerrigan cocked her head to the side and looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, I’m putting a lot of trust in you, and I just realized that I don’t really know you at all,” she started, catching him off guard. “What’s your story, Dominic Grayson?”

Dominic looked out toward the ocean, the sun in his eyes causing him to squint. “It’s a boring story, not really worth telling.” He leaned back on his forearms and crossed his ankles.

“I’d still like to know.”

“You might regret saying that.” The weight of his words hung thickly in the air around them.

Kerrigan leaned in toward him and lightly ran her fingers through the jet black hair at his temple. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, she looked into his eyes. “My life hasn’t exactly been perfect, but I wouldn’t change anything about it because it led me to this moment…here with you. I’m asking you to trust me.”

“What do you want to know?” he relented.

She launched into a series of questions like she was conducting an interview of sorts. Not once did she flinch when he told her about how his mother was an alcoholic and had died by the bottle, or about how he had never known his father, but he noted the sadness in her eyes. He didn’t want her to feel sorry for him.

Kerrigan could sense his reluctance to open up to her, and at times, he almost sounded like he hated himself.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

His face lit up. She knew she had finally touched on something that had been good in his life.

“One brother, Colton. He’s younger than me and I had to take care of him, which is probably the only good thing I’ve ever done in my life.” He paused and looked out over the ocean, lost in thought. “I’m so damn proud of that boy. He’s going to be a doctor, you know?”

“Is that where he is now? In med school?” she asked, wanting to keep him talking about his younger sibling since it brought him so much happiness.

“Yeah.”

“When was the last time you talked to him?”

“It’s been a while,” he said with regret.

“You should call him.”

“Yeah, I should.”

“And, what about you? Did you go to school?” It was an innocent question, but given his circumstances, Dominic’s hackles stood up defensively on the back of his neck.

His tone was harsh when he answered her. “I just told you that I had to take care of my alcoholic mother and my baby brother. How in the hell do you think I would’ve managed to make time to go to school as well?”

“I’m…I’m sorry.” Kerrigan felt stupid for being so thoughtless.

Dominic cursed under his breath when he saw her hurtful expression. He hadn’t meant to make her feel bad. She was asking normal questions; questions any normal person would be able to answer without going off on a wild tangent.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. It’s just that I had to do some pretty bad things to support my family and make ends meet when I would’ve preferred to have been in school doing something with my life. I guess you could say I’m a little bitter about that, but I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

She ran her fingertips along his arm in a soothing manner. “You’re a good person to have sacrificed what you wanted to take care of them.”

Dominic sat up and jerked his arm away. He didn’t deserve her attentions. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I’ve done,” he said, disgusted by himself. Without warning, he stood up and walked toward the water.

Kerrigan followed after him, watching him pick up shells and throwing them back into the ocean with force. Dominic could sense her there, he always sensed her, always knew her proximity. It was like a sixth sense to him.

She stood just off to the side behind him, giving him space. “Tell me,” she said.

He was about to launch another shell when her words stopped him. He dropped his arm and hung his head low. There was a silent moment between them before he spoke, his voice somber and filled with self-loathing.

“My demons are my own, and not a day goes by that I’m not haunted by them.”

“Maybe talking about it will help exorcise them. You’re a good person, and there’s nothing you can say that will make me think otherwise.”

Dominic scoffed and turned his full gaze on her. “You really want to know?”

The intensity of the regret and hatred in his eyes seemed to take on a life of its own and attempted to push her away. But, she knew it wasn’t meant for her, so she stood her ground, determined to prove her commitment to him. She decided then and there that no matter what he had done in his past, it didn’t matter because she had seen who he had become.

She nodded again. “Tell me.”

“Fine. I worked for a Cuban street gang,” he started. “I’ve sold drugs, I’ve beaten people within an inch of their lives; whatever I had to do to take care of my family and make sure my brother got to live up to his potential, that he got to be somebody.”

“That’s not so bad,” she said, attempting to downplay the horrible things he had done.

“I’ve murdered people,” he growled with a frightening edge to his voice, causing her to flinch. He held his hands up to make a point, but the way he looked at them, it was like he was seeing something there for the first time himself. “People have died by these hands. My hands, Kerrigan. Don’t you get it?”

“I get it,” Kerrigan said with purpose as she took a step toward him and took his hands. “You did what you had to do, but that’s not who you are now.”

Dominic took a step away from her and pulled his hands out of her grasp, ashamed to be touched by someone so pure when he was so evil.

“Don’t do that,” Kerrigan said, a lonely tear sliding down her face. For the first time since he had come into her life, he looked broken, uncertain.

“Don’t do what?” he asked, looking away. He couldn’t stand to see the understanding and sincerity in her eyes.

“Don’t pull away from me,” she pleaded. Her voice was agonized as tears pricked at her eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and she moved toward him again, but he held his place. When Kerrigan tried to look into his eyes, he pulled his head away.

“Look at me, Dominic,” she ordered him, cupping his face in her hands.

He lifted his celadon eyes to meet hers, all resolve melting at the sight of her tears. “Don’t cry for me, Querida. I don’t deserve your tears, and I don’t want your pity.”

“I owe you so much,” she said and put her finger over his lips when he started to protest. “You took care of my grandmother when I wasn’t here to do it. You took care of me when I was attacked by that spirit. I could’ve died, and I likely would have if it hadn’t been for you…”

“Never,” he growled, cutting her off. “I will
never
let any harm come to you.”

Her thumb swept over his scruffy cheek. “I know. That’s my point. And, you’re still taking care of me now. You’re helping me, not hurting me, and maybe even countless others. We don’t know how many people my gift might help. It might be one, or it could be millions. But, it will all be thanks to you…for simply being here and helping me to develop it.”

He shook his head, not wanting to believe what she was saying. If anything, the good he had done should be considered atonement for his evil deeds.

“You have a beautiful soul, Dominic.”

He wished he could see himself the way that she did. If she thought his soul was so beautiful, then maybe it would be better if he left it in her hands before he lost it completely.

“Take it. Mi alma es tuya. I told you that before, and you asked me what it meant. Do you remember?”

“Yes.”

“My soul belongs to you. That’s what it means.” He uncrossed his arms and put them around her waist. “It’s been beaten and battered, but if it’s in your hands, maybe you can bring it back to life and use it for good. Will you take it?”

And because she knew the symbolism of relinquishing his soul to her would somehow make him feel better, less loathsome maybe, she accepted his gift with a simple nod of her head.