*****
"Hannah, someone's here to see you. Should I tell him to go away? You're obviously busy, I'll tell him to go away." I looked up as Lyle opened the guest room door... My door?
I was on the bed trying not to die. I was surrounded by tissues and Natalie's bowl of soup and other foods she was trying to force into me while repeatedly telling myself that I should learn to stay out of the rain as I coughed.
"No, you won't!" I laughed as Natalie smacked his shoulder. "Someone's here for you." She grinned at me.
Probably Keith, Kristy or Jack. They all seemed pretty concerned. I had called Trey earlier and told him about how the doctor said to 'get rest'. He said it was alright. Basically, Lyle forced me to quit my job at the club. I wasn't too angry about it, at least he let me keep the diner. He insisted on enforcing Dr King's advice.
I got off my bed with a tired sigh and sluggishly walked out of the door, I made my way through the hall and into the open-planned living room but I froze as I spotted Damien standing at the door. He noticed my movement from across the room anyway and smiled.
"Damien... You want your jacket? I -" I was still wearing it, except the hood was pushed back because my face was perfectly covered again, though I still looked like crap because my hair was a mess and my nose was red.
"No. No." He cut me off, "I came to check up on you. You can... You can keep the jacket, it looks good on you." He said.
Oh... I looked down avoiding his eyes as I stuck my sleeve-covered hands into the jacket's pockets.
"How original." I heard Lyle sneer. I turned to see him leaning over the kitchen counter frowning at Damien. Natalie smacked his arm again, "What -? Why?" He whined.
"We'll be in our room." She didn't reply to him as she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hall. Damien gave a chuckle and I smiled at them.
When we were alone, I nervously walked over to the couch and sat down, Damien followed my lead sitting beside me despite there being other couches and I pulled my sock-covered feet onto the couch hugging my knees as I tried, unsuccessfully, not to cough.
"Are you okay?" He looked at me. I nodded wondering why he cared. He gave a chuckle before he put a piece of cardboard on my knees.
I stopped hugging my legs as I took it as I dropped my legs off the couch because my knee was killing me. The final puzzle piece... It was bigger than the others as I thought it would be and it was the middle piece.
"Who gave this to you?" I asked him.
"No one..." I looked at him and our eyes met, usually that would have made me look away but I was curious, "I made it." He added.
"Y-you?" I stuttered shocked, "Why?" I asked.
"Build the puzzle, you'll get your answer." Was his reply.
"Uhm... You... You can't just tell me what it says?" I asked trying not to sound challenging in case that would annoy him.
"Where's the fun in that? Also, you told me to stay away from you." He said before mumbling, "And those pieces were a lot to make so..." I felt like laughing at that but didn't respond.
Instead, I looked at the piece and placed the other pieces around it in my mind. I remembered them vividly because I'd stared at them for so long trying to figure out who was sending them and what they said. My eyes widened slightly when I had finished. I must have built it wrong... I sneezed and he chuckled.
"I'm gonna make you sick," I mumbled covering my nose and mouth with my sleeve.
"I'll be fine." He smiled. "Uh... Do you wanna take a walk?" He asked.
I looked at him. "Why?" I asked suspiciously. He laughed.
"For fresh air, exercise. For the fun of it." He said.
I looked over my shoulder towards the kitchen window. I hadn't been outside since I left the hospital apart from the journey from Lyle's car into the apartment building, a walk sounded nice. But... with Damien? I decided to go convincing myself it was a thank-you for the jacket.
"Uhm... I'll have to tell Ly -" I began.
"Lyle won't mind, I'm not going to kidnap you, Hannah." He said, "It would be a horrible idea considering the witnesses."
I smiled both embarrassed and amused while he chuckled. "Uhm... I'll be right back," I went to my room and slipped on my boots before I glanced into the mirror. I fixed my make-up and nose a little bit until I figured that I didn't look like I was dying anymore. I then grabbed my phone before walked back to the living room. I stopped as I heard Natalie speaking to Damien in the kitchen.
"Where's Lyle?" I asked as I walked up to the counter.
"I locked him in our room," Natalie replied smiling.
"Seriously?" I laughed.
"Yup, can I speak to you?"
Damien chuckled looking at me. "Uh... I'll meet you downstairs." He smiled as he backed out of the apartment.
Once he was gone, I looked at Natalie questioning and she squealed. "He's so nice! You go out with him." She said.
"Go... go out with him?" I laughed awkwardly before it fell as I fidgeted with my hands, "Uhm... I sort of -" I began.
"Need some money?" She asked.
"Y-yeah," Just in case I needed to get a taxi or something, "I promise I'll pay you back when -" she cut me off by lifting her hand.
"Here you go, have fun." She handed me some money. "Yes, go out. He likes you, Hannah." She added.
"No, he doesn't." I shook my head but hugged her before she could object to that. "Thank you, I'll see you later," I said as I headed towards the door.
I walked downstairs without much pain as my knee seemed to only hurt when I bent and steed out of the building to find Damien leaning against the wall as he stared down at his phone. I suddenly considered heading back upstairs as I realised the last time I had been alone with him was in the hallway when I had barely been able to breathe just because he was right beside me, I could already feel my heart beating way too fast. I wanted to go with him, but at the same time, I wanted to hide or just look at him from far away, like the other side of our English class. He looked up having heard me step outside though and smiled.
"Come on, 'Jessica'" he smirked. I gave an awkward laugh remembering that.
"S-sorry about that," I mumbled as we began walking. He chuckled. I looked up and noticed the heavy grey clouds above us. "Has it been raining all weekend?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah." He said looking up. "It's great, it's not as hot. The best part though, is that every single one of my games and practices are cancelled for the week if the weather continues like this, apparently it will." He smiled widely. I laughed. "I'm glad you actually wear it, I was afraid you'd toss it out." His eyes told me he was referring to the bracelet as he glance down at my wrist.
"How did you know where I live?" I asked rubbing my arm cast from on top of the jacket sleeve.
He gave an embarrassed smile as he lifted his hand to his hair. "Funny story... I uh... it's kinda weird..." He drifted, I looked at him and he sighed when he realised I was waiting for him to continue, "Okay, I pretended to need some help with work and got assigned some tutors, so I got Nikki and Hung and asked them to hack into the school's computers..." My eyes widened. He wasn't serious. "Oh, I'm serious, it cost me half my game collection for the next two months. I blame you for telling me to leave you alone and making it so hard to speak to you." He mumbled frowning at the ground. I laughed before covering my mouth as I began coughing, but also to muffle my laughter.
"I-I'm sorry," I said.
"It's fine, really. People usually laugh at my pain." He replied making me laugh more. He chuckled. My eyes flickered across the road to see where we were and they widened. I began walking towards the music store across the street but Damien grabbed my arms and pulled me back just in time for a car to drive by us, the horn blaring really loudly. "What are you doing? Why would you do that?!" Damien exclaimed.
"I-I'm going there," I mumbled pointing to the store. He chuckled.
"I know you're excited, but geez, at least look before you cross the street, Hannah." He said taking my right hand. I instinctively tried to pull my hand back but he held onto it. "I'm helping you cross the street." He said.
"I... I don't need help." I said.
He rolled his eyes. "Tell that to the car that almost ran over you. Do you want more time in hospital?" I blushed at his reply.
"It was a mistake," I mumbled. He chuckled pulling me across the road and towards the music store. I hadn't used the gift card Lyle had given me yet but I had a feeling it wasn't going to last very long now that I'd found this store.
We walked into the store and he pulled me over to the classical section.
"Uhm... Why are we here?" I asked slowly.
"I'm looking for something - found it." He smiled as he grabbed a sample CD and pulled me over to the stereos.
"You listen to Antonio Salieri?" I asked.
"I listen to a lot of things, Hannah. Don't look so surprised." He chuckled, "Listen, I love this song." He said pulling the headphones over my ears.
I glanced at him to see him run off into the isles looking excited and laughed listening to the song. I didn't love classical music, but I wasn't a stranger to it, my grandad had absolutely loved it, he had always been surprised that I never liked it like he had, given that he had played it around me since before I was born... until we left. I smiled remembering him. Maybe I could find him... But I didn't know what our old neighbourhood was called. I was cut out off from my thoughts when the song was suddenly stopped and the CD was replaced by another.
I listened. "I like this," I mumbled. He chuckled as he listed one headphones from my ear.
"They're called Swingcity." He said. I nodded in response as he let the speaker go and figured he was heading to find another disc so I nodded my head slightly to the beat waiting for him to come back, but I could feel eyes on me, so I glanced at him and saw him staring at me smiling before I looked down. I tried to ignore his stare although feeling nervous under his gaze but eventually I gave up and pulled one speaker from my ear to give him a confused look.
"Why - why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, my fingers now subconsciously gripping the bracelet.
"No reason." He replied smiling as he shrugged before he walked off.
I stared at his back confused. Was there something wrong with me? Was my makeup off? My hair still covered my face, right? I ran my hand through my fringe and found it in the right place. I pulled the speaker back over my ear feeling uncertain but the music quickly drowned out my concerns and I ended up smiling to myself as I listened. That was until it suddenly stopped and the CD was changed again.
I gave Damien a frown and he laughed before my eyes fell on the Bob Marley CD in his hands and I laughed.
"Seriously?" He just shrugged in response.
"Remember the blue puzzle? What I wrote on the back?" He asked as he started a song.
Everything's gonna be alright.
I looked at him confused as the song Three Little Birds began. He hadn't known anything when he sent me the puzzle piece, in fact, he didn't even know now because I hadn't spoken to anyone about it. I lifted the headphones off wanting to ask him about the puzzle but he spoke.
"It was actually for your hood. I wanted you to know it was fine to take it off... and to speak... to me." I smiled at him before I looked down. My eyes shot back up when he began singing. Loudly. "Singing don't worry! About a thing!"
"Wha- wha- what are you doing?" I stuttered wide-eyed, too stunned to care that he actually sounded amazing. He just began walking backwards singing as people turned to look at him and because he was staring at me, they looked at me too, "Damien! Shhh! You- you're making people look at us!" I hissed feeling my palms sweat as my nerves rose.
He ignored me and did a twirl before grabbing a random store clerk's hands and began twirling him around. I had the stronger urge to cover my eyes so I wouldn't feel so embarrassed looking at Damien. The guy stared at him weirdly as Damien proceeded to dance around him.
"Cause every little thing, is gonna be alright!" I began to slowly bend down until I was hidden from sight, kneeling behind the stereo. What was he doing?! "I see you!" I nearly screamed as he jumped out right beside me. I looked up at him beginning to feel a little afraid and light-headed. He grabbed my hands with a laugh tat somehow calmed my embarrassment a little, "Wanna get some ice cream with me?" He asked.
"N-no," I said wide-eyed.
His face fell before he smirked. "Fine. I'll just sing it -" I covered his mouth with both my hands quickly and his chuckle was muffled by my hands.
"Fine," I glanced around us, "I can't eat ice-cream," I said. "Lyle says I can't while I'm sick..." I added in a mumble. He laughed taking my hands to pull them from his face.
"Hannah," he leaned close to me making me lean back instinctively but the smile on his face didn't waver, "What Lyle doesn't know won't hurt him." He whispered.
I opened my mouth but then pictured some ice-cream in my mind. Ice-cream actually sounded great... I decided against protesting and nodded. He smiled sliding his hand into mine and pulling me towards the store's exit. I looked up as lightning cracked above us.
"This is your fault." Damien gave me a frown.
"What?" I looked at him.
"You make it rain because you like rain." He said. "It's all for you." I laughed.
"You're... weird," I mumbled, he didn't seem offended and instead just smiled at me. I didn't mind it, his weird and embarrassing behaviours had made me completely forget about being nervous beside him.
As we walked while talking about his games and music, I found it weird how easily I trusted him, I tried not to because I knew I couldn't trust him. I couldn't trust anyone. But no matter how much I warned myself, I couldn't help but trust him and I found myself unwillingly liking him more and more. He was cute and funny, and ridiculously confident.
"I didn't think Rick was serious when he said you sing," I said.
He smiled at me. "I didn't think you had a face." I gave a laugh, "But now I know you have one... And it's really pretty." My laughing stopped and I looked down feeling my cheeks heat up.
I felt his squeeze mine and looked up to see him pull me into a coffee shop.
"Weren't we getting ice-cream?" I asked.
"I've decided against that. I don't want you getting sicker so... Hot chocolate?" He smiled. I frowned. He chuckled. "We'll get ice-cream on some other stormy day, I promise."
I looked away from him realising that that alluded to another one of these walks. A few minutes later we were seated in the store, on a couch beside the window watching it rain heavily outside. The fact that we couldn't hear each other speak because of the rain had caused both our silence as we stared outside. It was comfortable silence though, like neither of us needed to say anything.
Despite the shop being quite warm, I felt myself shiver as I watched the rain and let out a cough. I heard a chuckle and froze as Damien's arm circled my shoulders.
"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered slightly.
"Warming you up." He said casually.
I didn't know how to respond. I liked how his arm felt around me, and it did make me warmer but I sat wondering why he was even there. With me. Why did he care if I was doing better or not? He didn't even know me.
I bit my lip looking at the marshmallows in my hot chocolate, my mind wandering to my mother and Gerald. I knew they didn't care how I was or where I was, they would just be very angry that I wasn't coming back because my mom got money for me and I gave them money. I wondered how angry she was when Lyle went back only to leave with my things and if they would come looking for me.
"Hannah... You alright?" A whisper sounded in my ear. I turned and moved away from Damien as I realised how close he was to me.
"Fine." He frowned at my answer but I turned and looked out of the window again before he could say anything more.
*****
Thank you for reading! Please vote, comment and share :D