Cynthia's POV
"Go on...don't stop yourself...just tell me, whatever it is that you are thinking" I said as Steve and I walked towards my home.
"Nah. It's nothing" Steve replied with a careless shrug while shaking his head slightly.
"Steve. We have known each other since we were little kids...I can tell that you really want to say something but you are trying really very hard not to" I said as he just sighed glancing at me.
"Miller. It's just that..." He trailed off.
"This guy and your equation with him..." He paused.
"Miller, don't get me wrong...I'm just concerned for you" He continued.
"Why? What part of my equation with Damien seems concerning to you?" I asked and I know that I might have sounded quite rude and blunt but honestly I have had enough of people judging Damien...as if they know him very well.
And what fucking equation do I even have with him? That everybody else seems to know but only I don't know about it. I mean seriously what is it that makes everybody think that we have something going on between us.
It's actually quite funny though because this guy, that everyone keeps connecting my name with these days...that everyone also keeps asking me to stay away from, doesn't even spare me a glance in reality.
"Miller. Come on, let's be real...he just pushed you away and you fell on the pavement and don't you deny it because I saw it happening with my own eyes" He replied snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Steve. It wasn't how..." I said only to be interrupted by him.
"I mean thank heavens that you are okay and not too hurt" He said shaking his head slightly.
"Firstly, Steve, it wasn't how it looked like. I know looking at us from a distance it might have seemed as if Damien pushed me...but that's not what had happened..." I paused.
"He dropped his keys and I was walking after him to hand him those keys but he stopped and turned around just exactly when I reached him and we bumped into each other and I lost my balance...that's it" I continued.
"And secondly, I just don't get it...why does everybody keeps acting like Damien is some kinda bad omen...that would destroy my life if I let him into it..." I trailed off with a sigh.
"All of this just seems pure and utter nonsense to me" I added, frustrated.
"And suppose if I really want him in my life or if I really like him, then nobody and I mean nobody can stop me from liking him or keeping him in my life..." I paused as we reached my place.
"Because honestly I really don't give a crap what anybody says or thinks about him or us" I continued as Steve just looked at me without saying anything.
Us?
Where the hell did that came from?
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked a moment later with a slight frown on my face.
"Well...do you?" He asked with a small smile.
"Do I what? Steve" I asked feeling annoyed with his vague questions.
"Do you like him?" He asked.
"Um...thank you for walking me home, Steve" I replied while taking a hold of the bicycle handle from him, kinda indicating that it was time to part.
"Anytime, Miller..." He paused with a slight nod to himself.
"Just be careful who you fall for" He continued with a playful wink and a teasing smile as I just shot a quick glare at him.
"Ah. Ah. I meant just be careful while walking around on difficult paths..." He paused while raising his hands up in surrender.
"As who knows? Someday you might actually end up hurting yourself" He continued and even though he tried quite hard to sound playful but I just knew it that he wasn't joking. I could just tell that he wasn't and I also didn't miss the hidden meaning behind his words.
And even though I could have given him a smart reply but at the same time I couldn't, because we have known each other since we were little kids and I can tell that he's simply just concerned for me and doesn't wants to see me getting hurt.
I sighed before giving him a slight nod.
"Alright then, see you tomorrow at the Winter Fest" Steve said snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah" I mumbled a reply before we said our goodbyes and as I walked inside my home, I bumped into someone but it seemed more like I just ran into a wall.
"Ah!" I squealed unknowingly, even before looking up at the person whom I just ran into, as the contact I just made with the person ended up hurting my right elbow again.
"Hey! Princess..." Hearing my father's concerned voice, I looked up at him.
"Dad..." I mumbled.
"What are you doing home at this time?" I couldn't help but ask.
"That's not important right now..." He paused shaking his head.
"Why did you scream? Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?" He boomeranged me with his concerns.
"Dad. Dad. Please calm down, I'm completely fine and no you didn't hurt me, my elbow was already hurt" I replied as he quickly examined both my elbows and the right one, obviously grabbed his attention as it did have a few scratches with a little dried out blood stains.
"Sweetheart, how on earth did that happen? And did you even go see some doctor?" He asked while still looking up at my hurt elbow and also caressing it gently with his thumb.
"Dad, I definately don't need to see a doctor...these are barely just a few scratches, they'll wear off in a couple of days" I replied.
"Just a few scratches?" He questioned, repeating my own words.
"Your elbow clearly looks like it has been bleeding...wait...hold on..." He paused before cupping both my cheeks and making me look up at the sky once and then down at our feets once and then at him once again.
"Are you feeling dizzy?" He asked as my lips broke into a small smile at his concern for me. Just a few scratches on me gets him so worked up.
"I love you, Dad" I mumbled before hugging him as he gladly welcomed me into his warm, bear embrace.
"More than anyone else in this entire world" I added.
"And no Dad, I didn't loose enough blood to feel dizzy yet" I said, pulling apart a moment later.
"Now I'm gonna get inside and munch on my favorite muffins" I added and quickly started walking past him in order to avoid any further questions from him.
"Princess, wait, at least tell me how did you get hurt?" He asked.
"Um...I stumbled over a tiny rock and lost my balance, Dad" I yelled back from the front porch of our home, without turning around so he wouldn't catch me straight out lying to him.
For some unknown and most probably bizarre reasons, he already dislikes Damien and letting him know that I ended up getting hurt because of Damien himself, the guy who he clearly asked me to stay the heck away from, would just fuel his dislike towards him even more.
And even though whatever happened was purely and completely an accident and surely was unintentional, but knowing my father, I know he would have completely overlooked this fact and would have accused Damien for the tiny scratches on my elbows.
I sighed.
Yeah I know he's way too overprotective for me.
The rest of my day went by in a blur as I took a quick power nap and then later prepared for the exam that I have on this coming Monday, which is right after the Winter Fest, until it was time for dinner. And then finally as soon as my head hit my comfortable pillow, I fell into a deep slumber.
The next day, being the first day of the Winter Fest, was also quite hectic but in a fun way though. Steve, Sean, Bethany and I spent the entire day together while watching our school mates perform and present whatever stuff they have been preparing since weeks and side by side we also eat a lot of junk food from the stalls setup by our own school mates.
Madison was also there at the Fest today, but all this time while we were having a 'fun friends' day, she was too enchanted by her boyfriend, as she claims, Luke's presence to even notice us.
Don't get me wrong, I do feel happy for her, but lately she tends to completely forget us whenever Luke's around...well anyways, I'm happy knowing that she's at least happy.
All in all it was quite a fun day.
But there was this one specific person that my eyes kept looking for throughout the day...but he was nowhere to he found, which makes me wonder if he would be there tomorrow or not?
Even though I don't want to admit it out loud but yeah I do want him to be there tomorrow at the Winter Fest while I perform.
And I did kinda invite him when we met at the cafe yesterday but...given his reaction, I'm one hundred and one percent sure that he wasn't very keen on attending the fest.
But yet somehow I was hoping that...
Enough! Enough Cynthia Miller! Stop right there...even after what happened yesterday you are still going on and on about Damien...he clearly has zero interest in being friends with you...and not just you, he has absolutely no interest in being friends with anybody, a little voice in my head kinda yelled at me, breaking the chain of my thoughts.
There are such people in the world who just want to be left alone...they just like being alone and Damien is one of them...so just let him be...leave him alone, if not for god's sake...then please, leave him alone for your own sake...stop wanting and trying to save him from himself, the little voice further added.
I sighed, suddenly feeling speechless as whatever my subconscious just said was, in a way, correct.
I do need to make up my mind and stay away from him for good...he clearly needs no friends...so there's no point trying to be one to him.
I sighed yet again while lying down on my bed, on my stomach.
"Goodbye...Damien..." I whispered to myself before shutting my eyes close and soon enough falling in the embrace of deep, dreamless slumber.
•••
Hey guys,
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Until next time.
Love,
Crystal ❤️