The Chase (Chase Series #1)

Two.

Karl Kugelmann as Dominic DeMarco
Song: Hurts Like Hell by Wrabel

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Let me tell you about Dominic DeMarco. He was twenty-five when I met him. I was twenty-one, and I had just graduated college. This guy, I swear, he could be Damon Salvatore's doppelgänger. He's absolutely gorgeous.

And he broke my heart.

It was four years ago. I met him at a bar, and he started flirting with me, and me being a young, just graduated woman, wasn't looking for anything. But I talked to him, and we traded numbers. We became friends, but he always made it clear he wanted more. I made it clear I didn't.

All he wanted was the chase. I turned him down repeatedly, but he was insistent. Little did he know, I was falling for him the whole time. When I finally let him in, he got what he wanted, and he left. He broke me. It took two years to repair what he broke.

Now, he's back.

But, I've moved on. He's not in my life anymore. He won't catch me this time. I have Skyler. I don't need him. I never needed him. He never needed me. He wanted to use me, then get rid of me. Not again. Not ever again.

Angela let me have a few minutes to get myself together before the meeting, which was desperately needed and I'm extremely grateful for it. Working for Dom? After all this time? I really don't know if I can do it. I never got closure, so even if I feel like I got over him, did I really? I can't let myself fall for him again.

"Ready?" Lisa asks, poking her head into my office.

"I guess so." I shrug, standing up, and following her out of my office. She takes her seat at her desk, and I head to the conference room the meeting is being held in. I step into the room, and instantly lock eyes with Dominic. Quickly looking away, I take my seat next to Angela.

"Are you okay?" She whispers to me, pushing her blonde hair over her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm good. It would help if Skyler would respond to me though." I sigh, tucking my phone away after checking for any missed messages. None from him.

"Alright, time to get started." Dominic's voice booms throughout the conference room. "My name is Dominic DeMarco, and my company is buying out Hillcroft publishing. It will now be DeMarco Publishing. None of your current jobs will change, although some of you will be receiving promotions."

His eyes sweep over everyone, stopping on me for a few seconds longer, before looking away again. He opens a folder on the table, and moves some papers around, before clearing his throat.

"Now, while there won't be many new changes, there will be a big one. The overtime will be lowering, a lot. I've been looking over the hours for the last couple of months, and there are quite a few of you that have worked a lot of overtime." That time he looks directly at me. I work over pretty much every day.

"Everyone's hours will be the same. 8am until 5pm, with an hour lunch from 12pm until 1pm. You may leave if you choose to. I know sitting around at a desk can make you stir crazy, so if needed, two fifteen minute breaks are optional, but not required. If I see that you are overworked, I will have you take one though. Any questions so far?"

"Will there be any changes with vacation time or salary?" Someone asks, as I write notes down in my notebook.

"No, this will not affect your vacation time. Your salary will remain the same, unless you're one of the few that are getting a promotion. Anyone else?"

"Why did you choose this company?" I ask, before even thinking, not even looking up from my notebook. I already know the answer.

"Ness." Angela hisses quietly. I shrug at her, then look up to see Dom already looking at me.

"I've always had a love for reading and writing, and I started out working for this company. My dad had a share with this company, and when he died a few years ago that share went to me, and I decided when I could, I would buy it."

My hard face immediately softens. His dad died? Fuck. Now I feel like a bitch. I just nod, and look away.

"If there's no more questions, you can all go back to work." Dominic says, dismissing us. "Miss Wescott, please stay." I let out a sigh, earning a sympathetic smile from Angela as she leaves.

Everyone leaves the conference room, and soon it's just me and Dominic left. I sit on the edge of the table, my back facing him, as he stands on the other side of the room.

"What do you want, Dominic?" I ask, my voice so soft, I'm surprised he hears me. But I know he does, since he's walking closer to me.

"I think four years of you hating me is long enough, Vanessa." He says, standing in front of me. I let out a humorless laugh, looking up at him.

"Oh, you think so, do you? Let me tell you what I think, Dominic. I think you're a prick. I think working for you is going to be hell. I think you purposely made me fall in love with you just so you could get in my bed, and then leave me. I think you have no fucking clue what you're thinking by saying that to me or even being near me."

He looks shocked by my words, stepping closer to me. "I... Ness... I didn't know you were in love with me. You never told me."

"You never exactly gave me a chance to. I woke up the next morning, and boom, you were gone." I snap at him, pushing him away from me.

"I admit, I fucked up. Big time. It was meant to just be exactly what you thought, me chasing you until I got what I wanted. But I fell in love with you too, and I flipped the fuck out. I had never been in love before. So I fucking fled. And then I got the call about my dad. And I knew you already hated me, so I couldn't go to you for comfort. I just left."

"You're a fucking idiot." I tell him, his eyes widening. "I would have been there. I was so hung up on you, I wouldn't have cared. I was so stupid for you. It took me two years to repair what you broke. And then you waltz in here like it was nothing, and now you have the perfect excuse and I can only be pissed about part of it. But you know what, I'm done. I don't care about you anymore. I have a great boyfriend, who loves me, and didn't fucking leave me." And with that, I hop down from the table, and storm out of the conference room.