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Chap 16 definitely got skipped, right?
And this is seriously hard because the sub definitely was betraying the dom's trust and trying to make the Dom upset on purpose. The sub clearly never wanted to go so far as to cheat, he clearly doesn't want to actually betray him or damage their bond. He only pushes on the things he knows he'll be forgiven for. But in his attempt to tease and goad with the express desire of hurting his bf like he felt hurt, something awful happened to him. Like, I can't even imagine how awful the sub feels right now. My heart breaks for him. But, at the same time, if the Dom gets upset due to his trust being broken, it would make sense. Even though the assault was absolutely NOT the sub's fault at all in any way, the dom's trust was still being broken before the sub blacked out. It would make sense if he doesn't trust anything the sub says after that and then reacts the way he usually does when the sub pushes him.
I mean, that's the dynamic that the sub kept building between them. That's the pattern. Sub pushes Dom by lying/ threatening to cheat/ going out without communicating/ ignoring him/ preying on his insecurities, the Dom catches him in some situation of the sub skating the line or crossing a boundary, the sub is cocky/ doesn't express remorse, the Dom "takes the bait" and punishes the sub just like the sub wanted him to, and then rinse and repeat.
And they've both fallen into a pattern where they don't really communicate healthily or vulnerably so if they don't actually talk or don't hear each other, it makes sense. It sucks but it actually makes sense compared to other similar series. It's a complicated and difficult situation. But I know this author. They don't write lighthearted comedy stuff. They write real, complicated, raw, contradictory emotions and situations that hurt in very human ways because they take their characters seriously. They write stories where people hurt each other and make the wrong choices on purpose because of fear and trauma and hubris. I have no doubt that this is gonna be a tough read moving forward but, if it's anything like their other work, it's gonna lead to a lot of growth and healing for these characters.