"Were you spying on us?" I couldn't recognize my voice as I looked at him, his cheek twitching.
"I came to find you, because you were taking too long." He said defensively. "Then I saw you then I saw him... what the fuck Aelia?"
"Are you dating him or something?" He asked, looking at me angrily.
He looked angry... but I should be the angry one, he stood and listened to our private conversation and now he was yelling at me for something that had nothing to do with him.
He was making me fool as though what I did was wrong, when he didn't even know anything about him.
"This has nothing to do with you Auster." I moved past him and walked onto the beach, but he followed and walked beside me.
"Like hell it does, what is he, like, in his 30s?" He yelled out, making heads of people sunbathing on the beach turn to look at us.
I ignored him and walked over to my lifeguard chair, but Auster grabbed my roughly by the arm and pulled me to a stop, making me turn and glare at him.
"Don't touch me!" I pulled my arm back from his hold, and took a deep breathe as I tried to calm my nerves and anxiety from swirling out of control with how people were actively listened in on us.
"Go away Auster, I'm not talking to you about this." I told him, but he didn't back down.
"It's disgusting!" He snapped out. "He's clearly taking advantage of you, and you're too blind to see it because what- he's good looking? He's obviously just playing with you because he's bored!"
I didn't want to hear this, this wasn't who Damien was, and it wasn't what I thought about him, if anything he was interesting, beautiful and caring, I didn't like him for his face or how he looked, he made me feel happy.
What was so wrong about me being happy? Age didn't bother me, so what if he was older then me? I was eighteen, and not some child for him to yell at as he pleased.
Auster was out of line, and I was tired of him trying to justify my actions.
"Jealousy doesn't suit you Auster, and yelling at me isn't going to make you feel better!" I snap out, before I could think about what I just said.
He looked taken back as his face twisted before looking away from me, he sighed out heavily and rubbed his face with both hands as I start to feel like crap for what I just said.
"You're right." He said quietly. "I waited too long and I should've asked you out."
He turned to face me and I could tell where this was going from the look in his eye, and that's when I see for myself that Damien was right about Auster.
"You know me Aelia, do you even know anything about that guy?" He asks, more calmly as he sighs out again.
"He showed up out of nowhere and now he's sniffing around you, don't you think that's weird?"
This was ridiculous, he was now trying to make it seem like Damien was some kind of weird stalker, just because he was jealous of him, it as unfair and cruel.
"You were once that guy a month ago Auster, only Damien asked me out, and you didn't."
His face fell as the words hit him hard, and I felt crappy for saying it, but I didn't like the way he talked about someone he didn't even know, someone I was... falling for.
"You're not being fair Auster, what you're doing is hurting me."
"Right..." He scoffed out, before walking away from me, without saying another word to me.
I think, in that moment, I just lost the only friend I ever had.
Auster was out of line, even if he liked me, I had not once said anything hurtful to the line of girls he went out with and then he told me about the next day, I was happy for him, because I wanted him to be happy.
I could never be with someone like Auster, who only slept with girls for fun, even if he told me he was serious, I could never take him seriously, Damien would never hurt me the way Auster just did, even if I didn't know enough about him.
This was the worst, and this morning I had woken up in such a good mood.
I did my shift, and tried to not think about Auster too much, but it was hard as I saw him flirting with girls on the job a few feet away from me, despite him telling me he had liked me not only a few hours ago.
It was ridiculous, he was behaving like a brat, who didn't get what they wanted, I have spent my entire life around girls like him in high school, they were nice like Auster until they turned nasty when I turned them down.
I just wanted to see Damien, I counted down the hours and the minutes until I could get off this damn beach and be away from the eyes of other men ogling me like I was just a piece of meat for them to stare at.
Auster humiliated me in front of everyone at the beach, it was heartbreaking because he I actually liked Auster before all this happened, he was a good friend, and he never made me feel weird, or like I was different.
My shift came to an end and the next girl took over from me, Auster had left sometime ago with a girl he met so I knew he wasn't going to confront me again today, which I was thankful for, because I didn't want to talk to him, at all.
I slipped on some shorts over my swimsuit and then slid my sandals on before I walked any further.
The closer I got to the path leading to the car park, the happier I became, because I knew Damien was there waiting for me as the further I got, I saw his truck and Damien, leaning against it waiting for me, just as he said he would.
He looked so good, it was hard to not be attracted to him, I felt lucky that he was interested in me when so many other women were looking at him, probably wishing they had a guy like him in their lives.
Suddenly everything that happened on the beach washed away as Damien noticed me and I watched him lean off his truck and smile once I waved at him, walking over to where he was.
"Sorry, did you wait long?" I asked shyly, coming to stand in front of him, my heartbeat rising.
"I'd wait forever if that's what it took to see you." He said, a handsome smile on his face, making my heart skip a beat.
"Are you ready to go?"
How can he just say something like that so casually and then ask me if I'm ready to go?
I really just wanted to kiss him, but I was too shy with so many people around, and being outside my workplace.
"Sure, I can get dressed at home if you don't mind waiting?" I asked as he opened the passenger door to his truck for me.
"We got plenty of time so, no rush." He said, helping me up his truck, his hand touching my thighs slightly before he shut the door.
The inside of his truck smelled just like him, it was so overwhelmingly nice that I tried not to breath too much, afraid I'd get too turned on and embarrass myself.
His truck was clean, it almost looked brand new, which kind of made sense as he did mention last night that he had just moved back, so it must be a new truck?
Damien got inside effortlessly, and closing the driver side of the door, I could do nothing but stare at him, so damn sexy and all he's doing is just sitting there, putting his seatbelt on and starting the truck.
"Seatbelt." He said, startling me, as I look at him, his eyes filled with amusement as he backs the truck out.
He saw me checking him out- super embarrassing!
"Sorry." I blushed out, as Damien lowered the car windows to allow breeze to come in.
"How was work?" I asked, looking out the window. "I know what you kind of do but, it's still a bit confusing."
"Right now I'm a instructor." He said, look not taking his eyes off the road. "It's only for two weeks until my friend comes back, then I'm retired."
Retired? The more I looked at him the more I didn't actually know how old he was, he was older then me, sure, but he didn't look old enough to be retired.
"That must be nice, I'd love to retire young." I sighed out, dreaming of the day I don't have to work.
"How old are you?" I casually asked, despite freaking out inside. "You don't look that old." I joke, causing him to smile slightly.
"I'm 33." He said, his dark eyes looking at me before he turned back to the road, the the street I lived on.
"I worked a lot because I liked my job, now I just want to take it slower, live the quiet life, so I retired last year."
I couldn't help but snort out, making him grin at me as he parked the car outside my apartment building. "I'm sorry, you just don't seem like the type."
"And what type do I seem like?" He turned the truck off and faced me.
What type... god did I really have to say it? "Exciting, short lived fun... or something like that."
I feel like I hit the nail on the head as he chuckled and shook his head, meaning I was actually right, but who knows, maybe this guy really did want a quiet life?
Isn't that why I agreed to this date, to know more about him?
We both opened the truck doors at the same time and I climbed down and shut the door then I met him by the path as he followed behind me walking up the steps to my apartment as I got the front door keys from my bag.
"I won't be long, I just need a quick shower." And I need to find something to wear, did I even have any clean clothes?
Dammit...
Damien shut the door behind him as I went into my bedroom, I could feel him following me as I walked into my bathroom and started the shower, when I turned around to grab a towel, I saw him sitting on my bed, looking around.
He looked so cute, despite being 33 and looking like a sex god, he was looking around and trying to take everything in, or maybe he was just curious, he didn't know anything about me either.
"Make yourself at home, I'll be quick." I said with a smile, before closing the door, the last thing I see if his dark eyes, drinking me in as he nodded his head.
"Take your time."
I'm crazy... I must be crazy.
Damien is in my room again, and I'm going on a date with him and I'll be meeting his friends and family... yeah, I'm totally crazy.
I strip from my shorts and swimsuit and step into the shower, and that's when I realize that Damien is in my room, where all my clothes were... and I didn't bring anything in with me...
I could bang my head against the wall but I didn't want to embarrass myself further, so I quickly showered and then turned the shower off, then wrapped a towel around my waist, then took a deep breathe.
Here goes nothing.