Beautifully Damned

twenty: broken record

                                borderz by zayn

Maxime.

I woke up to a certain warmth that I had grown fond of. Imogens head on my chest with a scarf on her hair that I'd put on her after she slept last night. I asked her to take a space in my huge closet, she denied many times so I convinced her to have a drawer in my dresser. She keeps her toiletries, hair stuff and overnight clothes. I liked her being here all the time, though I knew she would never move in.

As I stared down at her, watching her chest rise and fall, I couldn't help but feel complete. She was like my anchor, in a world full of pain. I could never tell her because I knew it wouldn't last for much longer anyways. She was leaving and it tore me to pieces. I smiled once I heard her snort, she does that in her sleep, which I find cute.

It still baffled me how she managed to come into my life and tear my walls down. I was...how they say...invigilent around her. Was I really becoming soft? Over a woman? That didn't sound like me at all, then again it wasn't like me to be this into a relationship.

She woke with one more snort, shaking softly. Her body tensed but quickly relaxed as I brought my hand to the small of her back. She looked up and smiled at me, furrowing her brows once she noticed me already staring.

"Are you watching me sleep?" She asked

"Not at all" I rebutted

"Right, sure" she said resting her arms on my chest with her chin on the back of her palms

She looked at me with those big brown eyes, I lifted her chin and kissed her, "Good morning" I said

"Good morning" She smiled, "I have the day off, what do you want to do today" she asked

"Let me call Camille and tell her I won't be in today" I answered

"Wait you don't have to, if you have work that's oka—" She started

"No no chérie you're doing me a favor, plus I own the place. What I say goes" I reassured her

"Okay I'm gonna make us breakfast, I've been perfecting my French toast recipe and I think I hit the bullseye" She said

"Chérie, you know French toast isn't really French right?" I raised my brow

A look of disbelief covered her face, I didn't know whether to laugh or comfort her so I did both, "...But I will enjoy it" I chuckled

She kissed my chest before getting up and losing her balance. I sprung out of bed to catch her, she stumbled back into the bed with a big laugh.

"Fuck, my legs feel like jelly and my hip hurts like a bitch" she held my forearms

"Shit, chérie, sorry I was so rough" I knelt down to caress her leg

"No, I loved every minute of it. Now...let's try this again" She stood, grabbing my hand and walking towards the dresser with a very noticeable limp.

She pulled out one of my plain T-Shirts and threw it on. Going into the bathroom, I heard her brush her teeth and cater to herself. She walked out with a clear, fresh looking face and with her hair in a ponytail.

I picked up the phone dialing Camilles office number. Imogen walked to my dresser and got a pair of my long socks. She looked back at me with a smile before heading out towards the stairs. Camille picked up and I proceeded to tell her I wasn't coming in.
————

Half of the day had gone and it was just her and I in my penthouse. It felt right, I was happy, happier than I'd been in years.

We sat in the bath, Imogen in between my legs, leaning her back against my chest. I delivered kisses to her neck and ear. There were bubbles everywhere, mainly because I accidentally dropped the bottle as I was running the bath.

She squeezed my hand before she spoke, "You never talk about your family. What happened between you and them?" She asked

My silence lingered for longer than I'd intended, "I'm sorry. It's not my business, I shouldn't have asked" She whispered

"No it's okay. I am the oldest so that meant I was always looking after my sisters, taking care of them. I spent so much of my life protecting them that I never got to take care of myself. And when my father died, it was like everything I had ever done for them didn't matter. I picked up where he left off and ran the company" I took a sharp breath in

"I didn't know how to handle a monumental loss like that, so I focused on work. My siblings thought I didn't care and practically disowned me from the family. I saw their true colors that day. Their words and cut me very deep, I didn't expect that at all" I concluded

She turned around so she was at the other end of the tub, she was so beautiful even with her floral shower cap "And your mom?" She asked with nothing but care and worry in her eyes

"She turned a blind eye. It wasn't like her because I was such a mama's boy and she's the sweetest woman in the world. She was like a corpse after Papa died. My sisters threw my belongings outside the house and lit half of my pictures with my father on fire, she didn't even blink as it happened. Melanie and Louise at least tried to stop them eventually, they were tossed to the side. So I don't speak to them, not since the funeral" I finished

Imogen scooted towards me, she placed her hand on my cheek, "I'm so sorry. Do you ever miss them?"

"Sometimes, but I don't know how to even go back to the way it was before. My mom has made attempts to call and the twins and Louise have tried to come see me but I tell my guards not to let them" I spoke

"Max....and all this time I parade around telling stupid stories about my family" She said

"No, I love your stories, they even inspire me to want to call my mom" I looked in her eyes

"Well, why don't you?" She said, "I don't want to talk out of turn, but it has been 2 years. They were grieving and took it out on you which wasn't fair. They should have let you process your own grief and it's not your fault that they didn't. But you owe it to yourself to at least try. Try to pick up the phone and call, even go visit your mom. Hear what they have to say" She pleaded

"Do this for yourself, don't let this go on long enough for you to have regrets. You and your siblings are bonded by blood. I couldn't imagine losing my sister, no matter how much time we've spent apart. " She concluded

I looked at the beautiful woman before me as she spoke nothing but the truth, before my brain could catch up my mouth started speaking, "I lo—" I was cut off when she mashed her lips into my own

I was confused but relieved nonetheless. The question lingered, why wouldn't she let me say it? Did she not feel the same? She pulled away and leaned her forehead head on my own.

"Okay" I whispered

"Okay?" She smiled softly

"Will you go with me?" I asked

"You want me to?" She asked, her voice laced with surprise

"Yes" I answered

"Then yes I will go. When?" She asked

"How's Monday?" I thought aloud

"I have an interview with Vogue Paris that afternoon but after that I am all yours" She answered

She turned around to lay back on my chest. I felt a weight lifter off my chest. This was the first time I'd felt so transparent, she was the first to break down my walls so effortlessly. I didn't know a simple conversation could feel more intimate than anything we'd ever done before.
I was falling for this woman and it scared me.
******

let it out Max

now let me stir up some trouble next chapter 😈

fuck the sisters fr (besides 3 of them which you'll see next chapter)