Damien's showing us how you can self destruct, self sabotage your life in the matter of moments. I want to give him such a slap.
Virgil (PoV)
Settled in the car The PA gave his offsider an address, which he pressed into the GPS and we were off. I looked over at Paul as he took off his sunglasses and put them carefully in his inside jacket pocket and smoothed down the suit. A smile managed to find my face. I found his precise mannerism comforting. It's weird what can make you feel safe. He turned and stared. "I'm a little surprised to see you looking OK. My people told me you've barely left the motel and when you did you looked miserable."
"They reported correctly." but I continued to smile.
"You seem to be coping well." He said scanning my face.
"No, not really. I still feel like crap, my life has gone down the toilet but I AM VERY happy to see you." The smile stretched a little more and I could see Paul's confusion. He's probably not used to someone being pleased to see him. Little muscles on his face twitched as he tried to keep his face expressionless. I turned away and looked straight ahead, I was making him uncomfortable. I noticed the driver's eyes on us, going from one to the other. Paul obviously did as well because his deep growling voice suddenly filled the car.
"Keep your eyes on the road, Taylor." I saw the frightened driver straighten and glare straight ahead, he was probably one of those people who couldn't imagine there was anything more to the PA then this intimidating persona.
"I haven't mentioned you arriving to the Alpha. I assume you are planning a surprise visit." I nodded. "Did you hear that Taylor?" Paul barked at the driver, who almost jumped out of his skin. "We weren't here. Understand?" The driver nodded several times, poor bastard looked like he was going to wet himself. I held back a smirk.
When we arrived at my apartment block Paul got out and took some shopping bags from the boot and handed them to me. "Some supplies to keep you going for a while." His glasses were back on and he was looking smooth.
"You take good care of me." I said looking at myself in his glasses. I hope he saw the sincerity in my eyes. One eyebrow appeared over the top of the glasses for a moment. "I'll see you at the compound tomorrow. I want to thank Damien personally for everything he did for me." I turned away and headed towards the entrance.
"How about we go for a run tomorrow?" I called out before he disappeared into the car. I got no reply but I'm hopeful.
Like every other time I've been in the apartment, it seems like time has stood still in here. Nothing seems to change. I put away the food Paul had bought, opened a bottle of red wine that had been left on the counter. I went into the bedroom and unpacked. All the clothes from the last visit were in the wardrobe as if they've been waiting for me. Then it struck me that this flat was the only place I could call home at the moment. I know I can never return to the home I'd had with James. My life seems to have gone full circle.
.....
Damien (PoV)
"I beg your pardon. Say that again." Damien for a moment thought he was hearing things.
"I'll come down to the gate now." He slammed the phone down, grabbed his jacket and started to leave the room, stopping for a moment at the door to mumble something incoherent at The PA and Lewis. They were sitting on the couch looking at each other as if they had missed something.
The PA put a hand on Lewis's arm as he got up to follow Damien. They had been going over some financial reports with the Alpha when the phone rang. After answering the call he'd bolted.
"We can go through the rest of this in my office." The PA said patiently, patting the confused looking Lewis on the shoulder and smiling to himself...hmmm...Virgil must have arrived. "I'm sure there's a very good reason why he was in such a rush."
Damien walked to the gate as calmly a she could. He had to admit he felt nervous seeing Virgil again. He really didn't want to think of the last time they were together. And considering everything that had happened he couldn't imagine why he would come to the Pure Blood compound. It was the last thing he expected.
He was just about at the gate when Virgil walked into view. Damien thought he shouldn't be surprised to see his hair falling around his shoulders but he was. In his minds eye he always pictured him with his long plait draped over his shoulder. He looked paler than when he last saw him. He had dark circles under his beautiful green eyes. Still...as he moved closer and Virgil gave him a huge smile he thought he'd never looked more beautiful. He looked more fragile than before, he'd lost weight, who wouldn't considering he'd lost his friend and been terrorised by a murderer. But the sight of him still made every nerve ending spark into life. He had hoped the feelings had dissipated. He recalled the moment the door closed the last time they were together....here membered that awful, soul destroying sadness he'd felt, that terrible emptiness. He never wanted to feel like that again, he couldn't survive it again. The more he remembered, the longer he looked at Virgil, the colder his face became. He felt his heart shutdown and turn to icy. He couldn't handle those feelings again.
The guard let Virgil through the gate and he made his way towards Damien. He had sweet smile on his face and when he stood in front of him there was no resentment or bitterness in his eyes like there had been in the past. And while Virgil was hoping they could meet again with a clean slate...Damien was building a new and better wall between them.
"I never thought I would come here of my own accord." Virgil looked up at Damien's stern face waiting for a smile, waiting for some response. "I had to come and thankyou for everything you did to help me." He moved to give him a hug but Damien moved back awkwardly. He put his hand out to shake instead. Virgil's face stiffened for a moment but he took Damien's hand and shook it briefly before pulling away. Virgil thought...this is like watching a train wreck.