Dominic/Adelaide
His last statement made the anger rise up in her again. “Me? What about you? How did I not stop to consider your feelings? Was it because I didn’t ask you to the ball? Oh wait, I’m sorry, you asked Alecto!” It was the closest thing she had said to admit her feelings for him or for the fact that she had been upset he hadn’t asked her. Would he even recognize it in his alcohol induced state? Maybe that would be for the best. To have it out and then forgotten the next day.
Adelaide’s laughter was quickly matched by Dominic’s own, the sound harsh and cold. His eyes were rolled, tongue clicking against his teeth in a show of impatience. He wanted to pull back, to break the contact, it was difficult however...
Without realizing it, he had began to anticipate her touch, want it even.
“You!” The word was hissed out, a clear display of the emotions he had long ego began to bottle up, and which were now spilling over freely, alcohol and the moment only pushing it further. Perhaps he would regret his behavior later, when he was fully sober, now however it felt right to belittle her. To force everything off onto her shoulders.
At her last words--words that stung him--Dominic finally pulled back, forcing himself away from her. He gave a shake of his head, however his gaze became centered on her. “I asked Alecto only after you had begun to work that pounce over! I asked her, because I couldn’t ask you! Isn’t that obvious?!”
It was rather like an admission of guilt; thrown out without thought, without restraint or even full realization as to the implications that hung heavily on his very words.
“Doesn’t that make sense to you!?”
She hated to admit it, but it did. She never thought she would find herself in a situation like this. She had always distanced herself from boys, not wanting any kind of romantic link. Well, maybe not wanting it but being afraid of it. To show love was a weakness, a kind of blackmail others could use against you. She was at a place in her life where she just needed to be free, to do what she wanted without anything holding her back. Looking at Dominic now, she knew she would do anything for him and that could pose a serious problem.
Still, she felt her heart go out to him. She hadn’t meant to hurt in that way. “Dominic...” The anger had ebbed and the look on her face was softer. “I didn’t mean it like that. I hadn’t thought...hoped that you would ask me. I’ve always looked after myself and it’s hard to get away from that. Besides, why would you even want to ask me? We had a few friendlier conversations then in our past but not enough to make me hope...” She didn’t finish the sentence, not wanting to make a complete fool out of herself.
She sighed, looking back as the music swelled from the ballroom. She definitely had not been thinking this was how the evening would go. She wished he hadn’t been drinking so much, maybe he would make better sense of everything.
“And it wasn’t that obvious.” She said it as a kind of afterthought, something to not make the moment entirely too sappy.
It was difficult to take her words as more than just sound, and Dominic found himself blowing air between his lips, hands raising to press over his eyes. He turned in place, shoes scuffing against the finely trimmed grass.