When I was a little girl, I believed in fairy tales. I believed in princes and princesses and knights in shining armor. I believed in forever and happily ever afters.
I was ten when reality hit me. My mom brought the evil home with her and there wa...
Frustrated, I looked up to the sky. Dark clouds were beginning to form the in the sky above me. It looked like it was going to rain and I was going to have to walk home in it.
I clutched my tender side while I struggled to catch my breath. I felt so annoyed that I'd been held up in class. When the pain in my side eased, I began to walk. I kicked a loose stone while I walked down the sidewalk and hitched my school bag higher over my shoulder. The sound of rumbling clouds didn't ease the anxiousness that had settled inside me. I was lost in my thoughts, so I didn't notice a sleek, dark-gray SUV slow down beside me. I only noticed it when it stopped beside me.
The window of the SUV opened.
"Can I give you a lift home?" Damien asked from inside the car.
I glanced from him to the path in front of me. It would make my life a lot easier if I got a lift home with him, but letting Damien get involved in my life wouldn't be a good idea.
"Come on, it's not safe for you to walk home," he argued. He was right, but to be in a confined space with him for any amount of time wouldn't be safe for me, either. "And it looks like it's going to rain."
With another few moments of deliberation I finally relented and gave in. If I got home too late I wouldn't have dinner ready by the time Grant got home, and he wouldn't be happy. I reached for the handle on the passenger side and opened the door. Once I climbed into the car and closed the door I was overwhelmed by a smell that was distinctly Damien. It was a blend of spice and musk, and I had to admit I liked it. It was kind of comforting.
"Where do you live?" he asked me when he pulled the car away from the sidewalk.
I was ashamed to give him my address. If his car was anything to go by, he probably lived in a nice neighborhood. I, on the other hand, lived in an unsavory part of town, in a crappy apartment. I mumbled my address under my breath, embarrassed about him finding out where I lived. He didn't say anything as he started the drive to my home.
"So you talk," he said, shooting a quick look in my direction. Water droplets spattered against the windscreen as it began to rain lightly.
All I wanted to do was get home-I didn't want to be dragged into a conversation with Damien. The less he knew about me the better.
"Is there a reason you don't talk a lot?" he prodded further. He glanced in my direction, and then brought his attention back to the road as the wipers swept the water from the windscreen.
I shrugged and stared out of the window through the light rain spattering against the glass, trying to ignore his attempts to start a conversation with me.
"Has Angela given you any more trouble?" he asked. I looked at him and shook my head. So far so good.
Then I did something that surprised me.
"Why did you break up with Angela?" I asked quietly.
He gave me a surprised look and then he turned his attention back to the road.
"Whatever was going on between us had run its course," he answered. His answer was short and to the point. "It was never going to be a permanent arrangement and she knew that up front. But she kept pushing me for more than I was prepared to give."
I wasn't surprised by his answer. I'd pretty much guessed that already.
I didn't like the way I felt when I was around Damien, and being in a confined space with him was just amplifying it. I kept sneaking glances at him. He was really good looking. He also had that confident air about him that made the girls flock to him. As hard I could, I tried to ignore him. By the time he pulled up in front of my house, I was relieved. It had started to rain more heavily.
"Thank you," I said when I climbed out of his car. I didn't wait for him to say anything. By the time I walked to my apartment and opened the door I was wet from the rain. When I glanced back, Damien was still sitting in his SUV, watching me.
I closed the door and leaned against it. Only then did I hear the sound of his car pulling away.
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