Page 79 of Play Room Actor

“Don’t call me insane,” I growled back, shoving the anger back down. “And it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve done what I said. So, what do you say? Want to grab a drink later?”

Dominic stared at me with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in disbelief as if I’d transformed into the devil himself.

Okay, maybe I’d overstepped a bit too far, but my thoughts were racing now, faster than I could control.

“Why are you such an asshole?” Dominic sneered.

“Huh? Excuse me? You’re the one being secretive about some guy who’s obviously got you completely thrown off balance.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to badmouth him.”

“Why shouldn’t I say something when I know the guy’s trouble?”

“You know? You don’t know anything, do you?”

“You need proof? I can get proof. Trust me.”

“You know what? Just forget it.”

Dominic tried again to walk past me, but I continued to step in his way.

“Forget what?”

“This.” He waved a finger back and forth between us. “I’m done taking orders from you. Last week, I didn’t recognize you at all. At Sebastian’s wedding, you acted like nothing had happened. Then, I wake up alone in your apartment, don’t see you for days, and get no answers to my questions. And today, you’re losing your damn mind.”

“Huh? What are we even talking about here?” I asked, genuinely confused. “Are you upset because I insulted some guy who didn’t even have your number anymore?”

“You know what? Yes,” Dominic snapped. “Maybe I’m better off with Livio.”

“What did you just say?”

“At least with him, I know where I stand! You’re insane. Totally nuts. You’ve lost your mind.”

A black haze clouded my vision, and as if I were watching myself from a distance, I saw my fist clench, my arm swing back, and my knuckles collide with Dominic’s jaw.

Our fight hadn’t gone unnoticed. Sebastian and Theo must have seen this coming because they were on us in seconds, hauling me back before I could do anything else.

I hadn’t planned to hit him or follow up with anything worse. Goddammit—I wasn’t a violent person. But punching him had been necessary. If Theo hadn’t dragged me back, I might have shoved Dominic against the wall and told him exactly what I thought—with my forearm at his throat.

No one had the right to call me crazy.

Fuming, I wrenched myself free of Theo’s grip. “Get off me!” I snarled, turning back to Dominic.

He cursed under his breath, bracing himself on his knees as if waiting for the dizziness to subside.

“You okay?” Sebastian asked, crouching beside him and placing a hand on his back.

Dominic nodded and stood up.

“We’re done,” he said in a flat, emotionless voice. “Just leave me alone.”

As he turned and climbed back onstage, it felt like my entire reality crumbled around me, and my heart tried desperately to make up for whatever beat it had missed earlier.

“Fuck,” I muttered and stormed off in the opposite direction.

He wants me to leave him alone?

What the hell?