My walk to Citywest Shopping Centre was a quick one and before I knew it, I was in Dunnes Stores walking around pushing a trolley. I took out the list Branna made and began picking up the items she wrote down. I added some cookies and other treats into the trolley, because it was that time of the month, and I needed them.
I was bending down to get the triple chocolate cookies - best cookies ever - on the bottom shelf. I had to go down on my knees, because there were only two packets left, and they were at the very back. I got them though, and when I stood up and turned to toss them in my trolley I froze mid-step.
"What the fuck are you doin' here?" I growled.
Dominic Slater's smirking face morphed into a smiling one. "What do you think I'm doing in a grocery store? Taking a shower?"
I pulled a face at him. "It's called a supermarket, you bloody eejit," I said coolly before moving towards my trolley.
Dominic stepped in front of me, blocking my way.
I blew out a big breath. "Move. Now!"
"Why weren't you in school today?" he asked, ignoring my demand.
He noticed I wasn't in today?
Probably because he had no one else to bully since I wasn't there.
"I'm sick," I said and tried to get around him once more.
He blocked my way again by stepping to the same side as me at the same time.
"You don't look sick," he commented.
I glared at him.
"Shows how much you know, doesn't it?" I growled.
I hunched forward a little when pressure erupted across my lower abdomen and caused me immense pain.
"Dominic, move out of me way!"
"Are you going to puke?" he asked, still blocking my way.
"Yeah, I'm goin' to puke, and I'm aimin' for you so move!" I warned.
Dominic snorted. "Nah, you don't look like you will be sick. You're obviously having stomach pain though."
"Thank you for that observation doctor Fuckface, now move!" I spat.
Dominic laughed at me then glanced to my hands. "I'll happily move… when you give me those cookies."
I cuddled the cookies to my chest as I would with a newly born infant.
"No fuckin' way, I got them first!"
Dominic rolled his eyes. "They are mostly likely the last triple chocolate cookies in the entire store since you had to get them from the very back of the shelf. If you want me to move, then you will give them to me."
"They were the last two packets in the shop, but I'm not givin' you either of them, and if you don't move I'll scream rape and have you arrested!" I warned.
He tipped his head back and laughed, so I took the opportunity and manoeuvred around him. I used one hand to hold the cookies to my chest and the other to grab my trolley.
"Oh, no you don't!"
When I felt hands come around my stomach from behind, I almost died.
He was touching me!
Dominic Slater had his hands on my stomach and had his body pressed into my back.
Oh, my Jesus.
Did this motherfucker have a death wish?
"I'll give you three seconds to get your hands and body away from me, otherwise I will knock you the fuck out!"
Dominic's chuckle in my ear made my body tense up even more than it already was.
"You think you can take me, pretty girl?"
Pretty girl?
Was he trying to be funny or something?
"I do!" I snapped then said, "Don't call me that again!"
"I can call you what I like and say what I like to you, freedom of speech and all that."
"You're so fuckin' stupid and a knob head… get off me!" I snapped then gasped when one of his arms came up and made a blatant grab for my cookies.
No. Fucking. Way!
I lifted my leg and kicked back against Dominic's shin; he grunted as he jumped back away from me. I whirled around and glared at him while he shook out his leg probably trying to shake the pain away.
"You fucking bitch!" he hissed.
I smiled at him. "That will be your balls if you ever touch me again. Have you not learned your lesson that touchin' me results in me hittin' you?"
He rolled his eyes and rubbed his cheek as if still feeling the pain of the slap I delivered to him on Wednesday for touching my arse.
He dropped his hands and grinned at me. "You have a phat ass, I couldn't help myself from having a feel."
I gaped at him.
He just called me fat.
He actually just called me fat.
I didn't care if I looked the size of a whale; you just didn't call a girl fat, especially to her fucking face.
The insult hurt me, and I hated that. I wanted to hurt Dominic back so I threw the insult back at him even though he was nothing but trimmed muscle.
"You are fat!" I snapped then turned and grabbed my trolley with one hand to push it away.
Fuckface stopped me though.
He wedged himself between me and my trolley. I didn't like it, not one bit.
"I didn't call you fat."
The dirty liar!
I growled at him. "You did too, you lying sack of shite!"
"I said you have a phat ass, there is a difference," he stated.
What?
"No there isn't, you said me arse is fat-"
"Phat as in sexy," he purred.
I stared at him, suppressing the urge to beat him to death with my cookies.
"Fat is not sexy," I stated.
"When you have a phat ass it is," Dominic said, still standing in front of me. "I don't mean fat as in fat, I just meant it as in good type of big, not an obese type of big. You have a big butt, and that is sexy."
Why the fuck were we having this conversation about my fat but not fat arse?
"I don't give a fuck. Me and me fat arse want to move on with our trolley so get outta the way."
Dominic smirked and held out his hand and said, "Cookies first."
I gripped the cookies tighter. "You will have to pry them from me cold, dead fingers, you lanky bastard."
Dominic smirked and took a step towards me; I panicked and swung my arm catching him across the face with my hand. He actually stumbled to the side and out of my way as he gripped his face. I shot forward, grabbed my trolley, and all but sprinted up the aisle.
"Bronagh!" he shouted.
I turned and headed straight for a checkout till, more than ready to pay for the items and get home. People obviously heard Dominic shouting and were looking down the aisle where I just shot out from. I pretended to be confused as well; I didn't want anyone thinking I was the Bronagh that Dominic was shouting after.
I jumped into a queue and began to unload my trolley items onto the conveyor belt, while mentally shouting at the woman in front of me to hurry up and pack her things.
"I could have you arrested for assault, you know that right? That's twice you hit me back there."
I sighed, knowing he purposely chose to come to this till just to piss me off.
"It was self-defence, you put your hands on me first without permission," I spat as I nudged my trolley forward without looking around at him.
"That's bullshit," Dominic snarled.
I rolled my eyes. "Get over it, you big baby."
I surged forward when the lady in front of me was finished, and thankfully, the woman serving me had my stuff scanned and helped me bag them in record time.
"Those cookies are the nicest ones in the entire shop, they are always sold out." The woman smiled when she tucked them into a bag.
I looked up at Dominic, who was glaring at me. It made me smile before I looked at the woman.
"I agree, they are delicious."
"Evil bitch," Dominic muttered, making the woman snap her head to him, and it caused me to snort a little.
I paid the woman, grabbed the three carrier bags, and heaved them down. They were heavy, and I hated that Branna wasn't here with her car to help me bring them home.
I sucked in a large breath and headed for the exit of the shop only to pause at the doors, almost whimpering right there and then. It was absolutely lashing rain outside. I didn't know why I was so surprised, it always happened. It could be mild and cool here in Dublin one minute then belting rain the next.
I sighed and looked up at the sky after a full minute of just staring out at the rain. "You just can't cut me a break, can you, Jesus?"
"I don't think he replies to people who assault innocents."
I jumped at his voice, which he laughed at.
I shook my head without looking at Dominic when he came to stand next to me. "How the hell did you pack your things and pay for them so quickly?" I questioned.
"Magic," he replied.
I rolled my eyes. "Well, use some magic and disappear from me presence."
Dominic snorted. "You would love that, wouldn't you?"
I looked at him, narrowed my eyes, and smiled. "I would love nothin' more than for you to disappear from the face of the earth, Fuckface."
Dominic looked like he suddenly wanted to murder me so I stepped away from him.
"No wonder you bought tampons, it must be that time of the month." He shook his head.
He saw my tampons?
Oh, God!
I felt my face flush. "Shut the hell up!"
He grinned at me. "You're seriously mean on your period."
Oh, my God!
Get me the hell out of here.
"Well, this was horrible, I hope we don't run into each other here - or anywhere - ever again. Bad day to you, sir." I bowed my head and stepped out into the rain.
I felt a chill run up my spine, so I straightened myself up, ignored the pain of the plastic bags digging into my fingers, and pushed on walking.
"Do you want a ride?" I heard Dominic's voice shout from my far left.
I gasped and spun in his direction, noticing that he was moving towards a large black Jeep.
"You dirty bastard! How dare you ask me that!” I shouted.
Dominic paused his stride and looked at me with his eyebrows raised before he laughed.
"Crap, I meant a lift as in a lift home in my car. I didn't mean a ride as in the meaning of what a ride is over here… I'm not asking you to ride me, Bronagh."
I felt myself flush.
"Whatever, I don't need a lift!"
Just Between Us by Hayley Oakes
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