Hayden-After changing our clothes, we returned to the auditorium to complete the graduation ceremony. Instead of sitting with Dominic and Tristan, I sat with the rest of the graduating class next to Lily. As they called out names to get on the stage and get recognition for graduating, I kept glancing toward Dominic.He was standing next to Tristan at the end of the row of chairs where I sat. It had only been two weeks since he had once again entered my life, but it was starting to feel as if he had never left. When I thought about it, he really hasn’t. In a way, he has always been there, silently protecting me like he is now. The only difference was that now I knew he was there.“Hayden Delaney.” My name was called.Standing up, I realized I missed Lily getting on the stage to collect her diploma. Walking toward the end of the row of chairs, I passed by Dominic. Tristan gave me a thumbs up, smiling at me, while Dominic retained his expressionless composure.Walking onto the stage, I

Hayden-“No!” I screamed as three of the four men started attacking Dominic.One after another, they hit Dominic. He didn’t resist or fight back. His eyes remained on me. The man with the knife stepped to the side of me, no longer holding the blade to my neck. I would rather him threaten my life than have his men attack Dominic.With each blow Dominic endured, it felt like my heart was breaking. The men found objects to hit Dominic with after a few beatings. One of the men used a steel bar. When the bar swung across Dominic’s back, he fell forward, catching himself with his hands.“Stop!” I cried as I tried to wiggle free of my restraints.“This is too much fun!” The man with the knife laughed like a lunatic.“Close. Your. Eyes.” Dominic spoke each word between each hit he received.Although I didn’t want to see him getting beat like this, I wasn’t going to look away. I was the reason he was getting hit like this. I needed to try to get free so I could save him.Struggling against the

Hayden-“Do you know how scared I was?” I asked.“I know, and I am sorry. I shouldn’t have pretended to lose my memory.” Dominic’s hand reached out toward me but didn’t fully extend as if he were hesitant to touch me.“I don’t know.” I whispered.Turning around, I planned to leave the room. It wasn’t because I was upset with him. It was because I was now embarrassed. I poured my heart out to him when I thought he couldn’t hear me. I cried miserably at his bedside, worried he wouldn’t wake up.“Hayden, please.” Dominic grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward him.Losing my balance, I fell back while turning toward him, landing on him and causing him to release a grunt. Thinking I hurt him and was pressing on his wound, I tried to get up. He wrapped his arms around mine, preventing me from being able to push myself off him.“I don’t want to hurt you.” I informed him as I tried again to get up.“The only thing that hurts is my heart.”“What is wrong?” I asked in a panic and tried to get up,

Hayden-The following morning, I considered trying a different tactic because after acting cute last night, I couldn’t get a reaction from him. I cuddled him on the couch until it was time to eat, but instead of paying any attention to me, he resumed reading the novel I was writing.When he entered the kitchen to get the casserole out of the oven, I waited until it was safe and hugged him from behind while he was preparing our plates. He hadn’t said a word about anything I did other than tense occasionally. I had even sat on his lap while we ate, but he never said a word.Granted, he never shoved me away or anything, but he didn’t react much, either. There were a few times I thought I saw him smile, but when I focused on him, I figured I was imagining things. After we ate, he closed himself in the office again.I had returned to writing and then fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, I was still asleep on the couch. Dominic had placed a blanket over me but stayed in his office for

Dominic-Leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, I sat quietly for a moment. “My mother was an FBI agent.”“Okay? Why is that a big secret?” Hayden asked as she moved to sit on the step beside me.“It wouldn't be an issue if I weren’t in the Mafia.” I looked at Hayden and saw the confusion on her face. “The best way for you to understand is if I start at the beginning.”Taking my eyes off Hayden, I looked straight ahead, not focusing on anything. “My mother had been an undercover agent when she met my father. It wasn’t until after my father died that I learned the truth about how my parents met.”“Why did it take so long?”“After my father died, an FBI agent approached me and asked me to join the FBI. The man had worked with my mother and had kept an eye on us. When my mother went undercover it was to investigate my father, but she hadn’t found anything. They ended up falling in love, and my mother gave up her career to stay with my father.”Hayden rested her hand on my arm, and I