Cynthia's POV
I slowly inched closer to him and wrapped my arms around his torso while resting my head on his chest.
And just like that...with such step that may have seemed quite causal and small to many, I felt safe.
We just stood there in the middle of the woods, in the same position with me hugging him as if my life depended on it and him not hugging me back as if I had some dangerous, contagious disease.
I snapped back to reality and realized how awkward this has suddenly turned.
Holy crap!
Why the hell did I hug him?
Why do I always have to be so stupid to not think with my brain, but act impulsively on my emotions?
He just took pity upon me and saved me from that prick, which, if I may add, he would have done for any other random girl in my place and on the other hand, I just couldn't help myself but be stupid enough to think that this was something special and embrace him like this.
Ugh! God! What must he be thinking of me right now? Most probably that how I'm such an emotional fool.
Jesus!
I made a fool of myself, in front of him yet again.
It's better if I end this torture for him and embarrassment for myself by pulling apart this instance, thinking so I decided to pull away right at this moment and save myself from any further embarrassment of him not hugging me back.
Just as I was about to pull apart and step behind, I felt his strong arms wrapping around me, stopping me dead in my actions. Stroking my hair gently, he comforted me. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement.
I was taken aback by his one mere action.
He hugged me back! I couldn't help but feel a sudden warmth in my heart just at the thought alone.
Chilling shivers ran down my spine as I felt him so close to myself for the first time ever...I don't know if those shivers were because of the cold weather or because of our sudden closeness.
But who was I kidding? Of course, it was because of our sudden closeness.
Gosh! I have never been this close to any guy, ever before...we were so close that I could even feel his rapidly beating heart against his chest, which was surprising and also questionable, as to why was his heart suddenly beating as if he has just ran a marathon?
I could very easily explain my racing heart whenever I saw him or was close to him, it was quite obviously because I liked him...yes, I admit it today that somehow he has grown on me...that I have undeniable, unexplainable feelings for him, ever since the day I first saw him.
Initially I found it too difficult to admit it to myself or even explain the stupid things that would happen in my heart and body whenever I saw him or was near him, but today I admit it to myself and I'm not ashamed or sorry for it.
But today it's his racing heart that's unexplainable.
Did he feel the same way for me?
Or was I just getting my hopes raised way too far up?
Deciding to brush all the questions and thoughts aside for now, I gently and slightly rubbed my cheek against his chest in the process of moving myself closer to him, which seemed to be an impossible task as we were already way too close for even a sliver of wind to pass by from between us and the realization suddenly made me blush.
And even though I was enjoying and cherishing our closeness way too much, but the sudden heat on my cheeks managed to somehow snap me out of the trance and I reluctantly had to pull away.
And as if me pulling apart, woke him up from his trance too, he pulled away as well.
I couldn't help but chuckle as I noticed him scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"What?" He mumbled, questioning my sudden giggling.
"What's so damn funny?" He asked, with his usual cold face back on as he realized that I was chuckling at his awkwardness.
"Nothing" I replied, shaking my head, with a smile on my face as he just stared at me with a blank face and his intense gaze suddenly made me feel nervous and tear my eyes off him.
Clearing my throat, I spoke, a moment later.
"Damien..." I mumbled, snapping him out of whatever trance he seemed to be in again.
"I..." I trailed off with a heavy sigh.
"Whatever happened tonight, please don't tell that to anybody...because word will go around and eventually reach my parents and I don't wanna worry them for no reason" I requested.
"Have you ever seen me talking to anybody?" He questioned and I instantly understood what he was trying to say.
"Don't worry about it, even I was gonna say the same to you" He added firmly as I just nodded my head.
Looking here and there, I didn't know what to say any further.
"Let's get back to the party then?" I suggested, pointing my thumb towards the area behind me, gesturing towards Steve's farmhouse, breaking the awkward silence between us.
"I have a better idea" He replied.
"If you would come with me?" He asked before holding his hand out for me to place mine in it.
I blinked at him, surprised.
Was this the same Damien that I knew? Who didn't want anything to do with me?
Glancing down at his awaiting hand for a fleeting moment, I placed my hand in his without any hesitation, without any thought process or any questions and this action of mine didn't surprise me at all...because for some odd and unknown reason, I trusted him, completely.
As he held my hand, for a moment there I felt as if he just caressed the back of my hand with his thumb. But it's Damien, he wouldn't do that...right? Maybe I just imagined it.
Anyways, holding my hand in his securely and with at most gentleness and care as if him hold it even a little bit tighter would break me, he led me out of the woods.
Within minutes we reached back at at Steve's place, which made me frown in confusion as he said that he has a better plan than returning back to the party, but here we were, back at the party once again.
"Just stay here for a moment" He said in a haste as he stood outside Steve's marvelous farmhouse.
Without giving me any chance to question him, he started walking away and just then I felt a tug on my hand and he stopped, realizing that he was still holding my hand, which made me smile unknowingly.
"Damien...my hand" I reminded him softly as he just mumbled a 'yeah' in a low voice as if he was embarrassed.
"Don't go anywhere" He said before walking off and even though he tried to hide it but yet I could sense that he was kinda excited for whatever his 'better idea' was, and it was such a rare sight to see such emotion or as a matter of fact, any emotion on his face.
"Don't worry...I won't" I mumbled to myself, smiling.
A few minutes later, I turned around hearing the roar of an engine, only to see Damien sitting on his bike. I gulped nervously as I could already guess what was about to happen next.
Stopping just beside me, he said.
"Hop on!"
For a moment or so I just blankly stared at the black coloured beast. No! There was no way I was getting onto that dangerous thing.
I shook my head unknowingly, without uttering a single word.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Just hop on behind me" He added as I just gave him a nervous smile so he doesn't see it right through me that I was scared of bike rides. Folding my hands over my chest, trying to look as casual as I could, I spoke.
"Actually, Damien..." I paused while scratching the nape of my neck.
"What!?" He snapped. I could sense that he was getting impatient.
"I'm sleepy" I blurted without thinking much as he frowned.
"You're sleepy?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. Yeah. Which is why I cannot go anywhere with you...on that" I replied, before looking down at my feet and mumbling the last two words to myself, but given my luck, he heard it of course.
"You're lying!" He said bluntly as I stared at him like a deer caught under headlights. How could he so easily tell that I was lying? Am I that transparent? Or can he read my mind?
"Now stop staring at me like a deer caught under headlights and get on the damn bike" He added, voicing the thoughts in my head. See, I told you he could read my mind!
He couldn't possibly be a vampire? Could he? Is that why he acts so weird all the time? Is that why he stays away from everybody? Is that why he prefers nobody's company, but his own?
Cynthia Miller! Snap out of your goddamm fictional world! There's no such thing as a vampire in real life, the little voice of my subconscious said in my head, snapping me back to reality.
"Cynthia..." He paused exhaling a sharp breath, as if trying to control his...anger? Was he...was he mad at me for not getting on his bike?
If so, then...well, it's just so strange and sad that even the slightest things, manage to enrage him.
"Yes?" I asked softly, urging for him to continue, looking up at him from my feet, only to find him already staring at me.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked in disbelief.
"Not even minutes ago you were ready to go anywhere with me and now you won't even sit on my bike..." He stopped, probably thinking that he just said something wrong or inappropriate.
"I mean, when I said that I have a better idea, you didn't even ask me where we were headed" He added, correcting his earlier statement. But I didn't see anything wrong in his previous statement, I was actually ready to go anywhere with...
I stopped myself in my thoughts. What am I even thinking? Am I really ready to go anywhere with him?
If yes, then why?
How is it that I trust him so much?
"Stop wasting my time, Cynthia" He said firmly and I could tell that he was mad but he was just trying not to show it.
"Can we walk instead?" I suggested as he seemed quite excited about whatever his 'better idea' was and I just didn't wanna be a spoil sport and more importantly...I didn't want him to get upset with me.
"You are afraid of bike rides..." Damien said or rather should I say stated, a moment later and I sighed looking at him, his eyes held amusement.
Ah. So he finds it amusing that I'm afraid of stupid bike rides.
"You find it amusing that I'm scared of bike rides?" I voiced my thoughts before I could stop myself. But I said that in a playful manner though.
All of this felt so surreal. Damien and I were having a proper conversation...
"Yeah kinda" He replied, breaking the chain of my thoughts.
"But then what about the time when I dropped you home, on this very bike..." He paused, while caressing his bike and by that one single move, I could tell that he really loved his bike.
"The next morning when you got yourself stuck in the library" He continued and I couldn't help but feel a bit offended.
"You make it sound as if I deliberately got myself stuck in the library" I said with a frown.
"You didn't answer my question" He said.
"Weren't you scared of bike rides back then?" He asked, curiously.
"Or is it a newly developed fear?" He added.
"No, I have always been afraid of bike rides..." I paused.
"But that day I was just so tired and sleepy and I also knew that it would be a short ride so I decided to endure it and accepted your offer to drop me home" I continued.
"But this is different..." I trailed off.
"This is a hilly area with dangerous roads and sharp turns and also by that one bike ride that we shared, I have come to the conclusion that you ride like a maniac" I said.
"What nonsense!" He mumbled under his breath but I heard it anyways.
"So you carry on with your plan, I'll just go back inside" I said.
"Alright, I promise, I'll be careful" He assured. Why does his voice has this foreign softness in it, that it never had before or maybe he just never used that voice with me before...so why now? What has changed suddenly?
"Now, hop on!" He added authoritatively as I just mumbled an 'okay', because of course if it was him insisting, I just couldn't bring myself to say no.
"Here..." He mumbled handing me the helmet that he was supposed to wear.
"No, you are the one riding, you should wear it" I said.
"I know, but I'm not carrying a spare helmet with me right now so just put this on, I'll be fine" He replied before, to my absolute surprise, gently putting the helmet on my head himself and straping it securely.
"No, Damien, it's not safe for you" I said and just as I was about to take the helmet off, he held my hands in the air.
"Cynthia, either you keep that on or we are not going anywhere" He snapped. God! He was so demanding!
Without saying another word, I got behind him on the bike and held the bike seat from behind for support.
"Hold onto me...that is if you don't wanna die" He said over the loud noise that his bike was making as he started it again.
I hesitantly wrapped my arms around him as we rode off.
And as we rode on the risky roads, cut in between these huge mountains, with a dangerous ditch on one side and a rocky mountain on the other, I couldn't help but tighten my grip around Damien, scared.
Just one wrong move or just one accident and we would find ourselves in heaven.
Soon enough, thankfully, we reached our destination safely, which was the edge of a high cliff. My heart raced and I felt a rush of adrenaline in my body as I got off his bike and took a look down the cliff, from where the entire city could be seen and as dangerous as it seemed, it was also extremely beautiful.
And the cherry on the cake was the star filled sky above us. It was a beautiful starry night!
"Come..." Damien mumbled before holding my hand and leading me towards the edge of the cliff.
"Are you planning to push me from there?" I asked jokingly even though I actually felt scared of this height.
"Not yet" He replied with a soft chuckle, which was even more mesmerizing and captivating than this starry night and the breathing view before us.
He made us sit on the edge of the cliff and I gulped nervously, feeling scared of the height.
"Just relax..." He mumbled sensing how scared I was, before holding his hand out for me to hold.
"I know sitting here might seem scary initially..." He paused as I held his hand tightly.
"But just take some deep breaths and it'll be fine soon" He continued and closing my eyes, I did as he suggested and it actually worked as a moment later I felt the tension in my body slowly releasing.
Opening my eyes, I found him staring at me but the moment he realized that I had just caught him red handed, he averted his eyes quickly.
For the next few minutes, we just sat there in absolutely comfortable silence as our eyes took in the breath taking view before us while still holding each other's hands.
"Damien..." I called out softly.
"Why did you kiss me that day?" I asked bluntly, without beating around the bush anymore. I just couldn't help but voice the question that has been bugging me ever since that day.
He looked a little taken aback by my bluntness but recovered in a fleeting moment.
"Do you want to hear the lie or the truth?" He asked back instead, looking at me.
"Both" I replied.
"Tell me the lie first" I added.
"I kissed you to humiliate you" He replied as I just blinked at him confused. If that was the lie...then what was the truth?
If not to humiliate me, then why did he kiss me?
"Now tell me the truth" I said.
"Why did you kiss me? Damien" I asked in a low voice as he slowly leaned down, closer to my face, so close that I could feel his warm breath fanning my face and if one of us moved even slightly, I'm sure that our lips would brush against each other's.
He gazed into my eyes as I looked back into his and found myself drowning in his captivating, baby blue eyes, which held something different in them tonight...something foreign...something that I have never seen before.
Breaking the intense eye contact, his eyes traveled down to my slightly parted lips as my breathing quickened and my heart started pounding against my ribcage.
"Because I wanted to..."
And with that being said, he claimed my lips once again.
•••
Hey,
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Until next time.
Love,
Crystal ❤️