Summary: Before the battle with Azura, Dom confronts Kenna about her relationship with Raydan.
Author’s note: This was written for Round 16 of #ChoicesCreates: “Don’t Ask Me to Say I Don’t Love You” and is a follow-up to Late Night Reflections.
Dom stood before Kenna’s bedroom door. This was it, the opportunity he needed. He couldn’t pretend that he hadn’t heard anything, that nothing was wrong. He took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door.
The door opened, and Kenna stood before him. “Come in. What are you doing up so early?”
“Annelyse woke me up. We have something for you.” He dragged in a trunk and opened it up, revealing a suit of armor. “All of us want to be sure you stay safe today, so we got this for you.”
Kenna smiled. “Thank you, Dom.”
He looked at her nervously, and took another deep breath. “Kenna…I heard something last night. Aurynn and Tevan were talking. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were near me, and she was upset. She said that she really likes Raydan, but that he is with you. She said you told her that the two of you are in love.” He paused and looked her in the eye. “It’s true, isn’t it? I didn’t want to believe it, but then I remembered how Raydan acted when I hugged him. He seemed uncomfortable. I guess I know why.”
Kenna looked away and nodded. “I’m sorry, Dom.”
“How? When? How could I not know this?” He felt the fire burning inside him. No, stay calm.
“When he came back, Raydan told me that he loved me. And when I thought he was dying, I realized that I felt the same way.” Kenna’s eyes met Dom’s. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. It just did.”
“So you haven’t been fooling around with him behind my back?” He felt the fire rising again as she looked away. “How could you?”
“We never promised each other that it would just be you and me. And I didn’t do anything that you haven’t done. I heard about you and all those women from the tavern. And are you going to tell me that nothing happened between you and Rose? You told me that you loved me, but that didn’t stop you.”
“Kenna, we weren’t together when I was with those women. And we were apart for a long time. Rose and I got…close, but you were always the one I loved.”
“And we were apart when I met Raydan!” Kenna clenched her fists. “It’s no different!”
A small fireball formed in Dom’s palm. “Have you been sleeping with him the whole time?” He breathed deeply, and the fireball went out. No. I can’t lose control.
Kenna shook her head. “We just kissed at first. Nothing like that happened until you were captured by Hex. And it didn’t happen again…until after Raydan came back and I realized how I felt.”
Dom’s face reddened as he was overtaken by jealousy. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
“Of course I was. But with the battle coming up, it didn’t seem like the right time. I was going to wait until after it was over. Everyone was having such a good time last night, and I didn’t want to spoil that.”
Dom wondered how she would feel if she knew what had happened. Although he had not intended to say anything, the words just slipped out. “I had a great time last night. Sei is amazing in bed. She really set me on fire.”
Kenna stared at him for a moment, then relaxed. “You two are perfect for each other.”
Dom’s eyes widened. “You’re not upset?”
Kenna shook her head. “No. I want you to be happy. I’m glad that you found someone else.”
“But I want to be with you, Kenna. I only went off with her because I heard about you and Raydan. Please, don’t ask me to say I don’t love you. Because I do. I always will.”
Kenna touched his arm gently. “I love you too, Dom. Just not the way you want me to. You will always be special to me. And I’ll always be here for you. Your friendship means the world to me.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Finally they broke apart, and Kenna turned to him. “We should head out. We have a big day ahead of us.” She hesitated for a moment, then continued. “Please, try to go easy on Raydan. He never meant to hurt you.”
Dom smiled weakly. “Don’t worry, I’ll save the fireballs for Azura. I’m angry, but I can’t hate him. Not after what he did for me.”
Kenna looked at him with curiosity. “What did he do?”
“He brought a book back from Ennan for me. I saw a picture of my parents. Now I know who they were, and how they died. And I know that they didn’t abandon me. I can’t thank him enough for that.”
“Oh Dom, that’s wonderful!” Kenna smiled at him. “Try to focus on the good things. This will get easier in time.” She patted him on the back. “But first we need to get through this battle. Let’s go.”