Guarded Hearts ✓

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

      I awoke. My eyes strained against the light in the room, before focusing on a male figure's legs sat on a chair beside the bed. I bit my cheek hard; trying not move or react. His feet moved every so often which told me he was definitely awake. After several minutes, I felt an ache on my hip due to my stiff body position. I swallowed when the ache increased and stretched my leg before I could stop myself. Maybe he didn't notice?

      "Good. You're awake," Damien said, instantly ruling out my previous thoughts.

      I slowly raised my head to see him staring down at me. He wore a crisp white, button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up, along with some dark grey smart trousers and a black tie. I was surprised to see him dressed like this. It was a big change from his usual collection of a hoodies and converses.

      "Violet? Are you checking me out?" He joked. His words brought back memories to when I first met him. How could I have been so stupid as to speak to him? A stranger. I didn't blush as I would have. I was disgusted at his thoughts that I was 'checking him out' and still somehow found him appealing and bearable.

     His hand made its way to my face and stroked my cheek. I held my breath - I didn't dare move. "You're so beautiful." He murmured. "You know that right?" I stayed silent.

     He sighed and removed his hand from my cheek. "They don't realise how beautiful you really are." It didn't take a genius to know he was talking about Jayden and Alex. "They've hurt you." I've hurt them. "I don't understand why you keep going back to them. You deserve better." No. They deserve better.

     Damien leaned in closer and grabbed hold of my head in both his hands. "Violet, please say something," he pleaded, looking me in the eyes. I stared back. What would I say? He wasn't the guy I thought he was. I'd pegged him as the 'nice, friendly guy'. The odd flirty remarks now and then didn't give me a single indication to what he was really capable of. To who he really was.

     "Oh, I-I'm sorry," a voice said from the doorway. I turned my head to see a middle aged, red haired woman wearing a black and white conservative maid's outfit. I turned my head back to look at Damien and saw him glaring coldly at her.

     "I-I didn't realise I was interrupting something," she continued weakly.

     "Leave." His voice was not raised; simply a neutral tone. The maid however, quickly scampered off as if he had lowered a gun from her head and suddenly told her to leave.

     He stood up and started making his way to the door. "Where am I?" I asked suddenly, my voice cracking.

     He turned around and shot me a pearly white smile, before replying after a short hesitation. "Home."

     The door clicked shut behind him. I raced out of the bed and tried for the door, not caring if anyone was waiting outside or not. I just need to get out of here. I turned the door knob and yanked at the door. It was locked.

     "Please open," I whispered. I wanted to cry. I felt like I needed to cry. But I couldn't.

     The door suddenly opened and a tall, dark haired girl, roughly the same age as me walked in. I quickly scampered away from the door. Unlike the other woman that had walked into the room, she instead was wearing a burgundy knee-length dress with open-toe black high heels. Her confident stride and sharp facial expression however was what really caught my attention; it held power and authority.

     "Follow me," she ordered, after scanning over what I was wearing. I blushed slightly at the judgement in her eyes in comparison to her own clothes.