"Finally! I've been waiting for ages." She heard Damien as he leaned on the bonnet of his car with his arms crossed and had a smirk on his face.
How did this guy run on the sand with so much ease?
Damien had literally reached the car in ten long strides while Danny panted and tried to catch up behind him.
"Shut up," Danny muttered defeated and reached for the passenger door.
Once they were in the car with Damien in the driver's seat, Danny huffed and looked out of the window.
"Now, now. Just accept your defeat." He taunted her.
"You cheated!" She accused and looked back at him.
He side glanced at her, "Really? How so?"
"You're much taller than I am." She whined and pouted.
"You should have thought of that before you decided to race me." He smirked at her and she scoffed but stayed mute.
"Anyways, I wasn't going to let you drive."
She snapped her head back at him and glared, "Why not? I drive just fine."
He snorted, "Yeah, sure. I've seen your driving okay? First of all, you hit me with your car," He reminded her and she closed her eyes in frustration.
He's never going to let that go, is he?
"Second of all, you yell at other people and flip them off for your bad driving," he pointed out and she raised an eyebrow at him. "I've noticed. When I followed you back then. God, you're such a terrible driver." He finished.
She scoffed in disbelief, "You are unbelievable."
The rest of the drive was silent and Danny took this opportunity to take a nap. She was woken up with a slap on her forehead as they reached their hotel and quietly walked back to their own rooms. Before they entered their rooms, they stared at each other for a second before Danny decided to ruin the moment by flipping him off and went inside.
Damien shook his head at her antics but nevertheless smiled. He fell on the bed with a thud and fished out his phone from his pocket to call Paul.
"What in hell?" He muttered when he saw the phone screen. He was greeted with a wallpaper that wasn't his as he stared back at Chris Evans.
Soon, he realised it was Danny's and went to knock on their connecting door.
Typical Danica and her Chris Evans obsession. He shook his head.
When he didn't receive an answer, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside to check if she was asleep. His body stiffened when he saw her as she struggled to unzip her dress fully, her bare back facing him.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably and was about to turn around when something caught his eye and he stilled in his place.
Damien couldn't help but stare at her backside. He couldn't blink or tear away from his eyes, his mind became blank. He was too stunned to even utter a word as he gaped at her back which was covered with red, bluish-black scars. He could see the ones fading away as well.
"Damien! What the hell?" Danny yelled when she noticed his presence and turned away from him immediately.
Damien's blood boiled in anger and he clenched his fists. His frown deepened as he continued to look at her.
"What are you doing? Turn around." She instructed him but he didn't. Instead, he walked closer towards her and took her hand to turn her around. She tried to pull her hand away but it only tightened his grip on her arm.
"No," She tried to protest when his hand reached for the fabric of her dress and started to pull down the zip that exposed her back. "Damien, don't–" she started but he had already pulled down the zip of her dress until her bruises showed.
Damien couldn't understand a thing. He didn't know why there were scars so deep and bad on her body. They looked almost imprinted on her skin. It angered him to peaks and he wanted to know how she got them.
Danny quickly tried to get away from his grip, "Danica," She halted when Damien's stern voice stopped her. His hand tightened around her arm.
"What the hell are these?" He demanded in a dangerously low voice and Danny gulped. She totally did not expect he would find out about her scars. She mentally cursed herself for not locking the door.
"Danica, I'm asking you a question." Damien turned to face her and she moved away from him this time.
"Wh- what are you talking about?" She spoke nervously as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He walked towards her slowly and Danny's breath hitched when she felt him near her, "What are these?" He uttered in a cold voice once he was behind her again and looked at them more clearly.
"Oh, those patches? They are tattoos." She let out as if it wasn't a big deal and faked out a small nervous laugh and turned to face him.
"Don't bullshit me, Danica," Damien growled, irritated at her lie. "Do I look like a fool to you?" He warned, "Who did this to you?" He reached his hand forward and traced on one of the scars and Danny shivered.
The scars didn't hurt anymore for Danny. They used to. But over time, as new scars replaced the old ones, they started to hurt less and less each time. It was like she had become tolerant to the pain they had caused. Damien's touch ignited something in her. His touch made her feel alive and the way he traced the scars made her feel something which scared Danny. A small tear escaped her eyes as he examined her back further.
"Danica," He whispered and she closed her eyes at his closeness as she held her breath.
"They're nothing, Damien," she countered, "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave." She looked back at him, her forest-green eyes held so much power as they instructed him not to push any further. His jaw tightened as he stared back at her.
She grabbed his hand and walked him to the door and closed it behind him but locked it this time. She leaned back on the door and sighed in relief as she fell to the ground. She couldn't just show him that she was weak. She knew he would read her emotions if he had seen her face. She was like an open book.
As Damien sat on his bed, he couldn't get her picture out of his head. He never realised or even thought that Danny would've been through something traumatic. He was always so busy accusing her and making assumptions about her that it never occurred to him to know more about her.
He didn't know from where all the anger was coming from, but the thought that someone did this to her made his blood boil and he wanted to shoot them to pieces.
"Fuck!" He slammed his fist into the pillow in frustration. All night, he paced around in his room with a fuzzy mind as sleep was something that wouldn't come to him now.
* * * * * *
It was quite early in the morning, Danny stared at the ceiling above as she lay on her bed. She couldn't sleep the whole night. How could she, when Damien had seen her raw and vulnerable side that she tried to hide till now? She didn't want him to change his behaviour towards her. She didn't want pity or concern or anything from him. It's the last thing she wanted from him.
People's pity was something Danny always hated. She never knew if people actually cared or just pretended to care. It always bugged her and that was the reason why she never showed pity or let someone show it to her.
A knock on the door broke Danny free from her thoughts and she walked to the door and opened it to be greeted by Damien.
He looked at her with no emotion on his face, "Your phone." He handed her the phone and she looked at him and realised that their phones were exchanged. She wanted to give it back to him last night but decided against it as she didn't want to see his face.
She went to her bedside, grabbed his phone and handed it to him, "When do we leave?" She asked when he was about to leave.
"Whenever we're ready." He informed her and closed the door behind him.
Danny didn't notice anything different in Damien which she was thankful for.
She got to her work and started to get ready and pack her things back in the suitcase. She didn't want to leave New Jersey yet but at the same time, she didn't want to be alone with Damien anymore. He would figure her out easily if he had one more drunk night and a beach day with her which she was sure of.
The drive back home was eerily silent. None of them spoke nor did they listen to any music. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts about the other. Danny stole glances at him from time to time but Damien's eyes were fixed to the road the whole ride. Danny felt he was acting distant and worried if it was because of last night.
They wanted to talk about what had happened but none of them did. Something from inside stopped them from doing so. Mostly they didn't know how to start that conversation and what to ask or talk.
Once they reached home, Damien helped Danny carry her suitcase inside and she followed him. The door opened and was instantly greeted by their mom and Sam followed by Timmy. As soon as he saw Danny, Timmy ran up to her excitedly and hugged her leg, "I missed you, Danny!" He dragged her name and looked up at her.
"I missed you more, Lil' Timmy!" Danny crouched to his height and pinched his cheeks.
Damien cleared his throat and looked at his brother with a raised brow and he ran up to Damien with a laugh. Meanwhile, Sam greeted Danny with a huge smile on her face, followed by Nina. Once the greetings were done, Damien looked at Danny and she stared back.
"I'll leave this near your room, then." He muttered awkwardly and walked away from them with Tim behind him.
"What was that? Did something happen?" Both Sam and her mother questioned at the same time.
"Uh, no. Nothing." Danny lied and offered a small smile to look convincing but both the ladies saw through her lie and raised their eyebrows, "I'm tired. I'll just go to my room." She informed them and walked away.
Sam and her mother looked at each other with a knowing look, "What do you think happened, mom?" Sam asked cheekily as they walked into the living room.
"Something definitely happened. They both look almost guilty, but of what?" She spoke more to herself and Sam nodded in agreement.
"Do you think they.. they've done it?"
Her mother shook her head, "No, they definitely haven't slept together." She claimed confidently.
"Really? How do you know that?" Sam raised an eyebrow at her.
"I know the glow that comes after it, darling. They definitely didn't do it. But I think maybe a kiss." She replied thoughtfully.
"Really?" Sam exclaimed excitedly as she rubbed her hands together.
"But knowing Damien, he must have done something to make it awkward." She predicted and Sam nodded, "We have to do something now."
"Yes, mom. I know both of them like each other but would never ever tell that to each other even if the whole world knows it." Sam huffed and slouched back in the couch.
"We have to bring them together and make them realise it. It's not going to be easy with Damien." Sam agreed and both of them shook their hands and giggled at their matchmaking plans.
* * * * * *
Danny sat at the pool with her legs dangling in the water when she felt a presence behind her. She didn't turn or look back because she knew it was Damien. She could sense him and his aura but she didn't say anything. She just straightened herself and stared ahead. A few seconds later, Damien walked up to her and sat down beside her as he placed two glasses of wine between them.
Danny looked at him in surprise and he looked back at her with no emotion whatsoever in his face, "What are these for?" She questioned him.
"What? Can't I have a drink with you?" He questioned back as he quirked his eyebrows and she shook her head.
"Of course you can. I meant, why now?"
"A glass of wine never needs an occasion, Danica." He stared ahead and put his legs inside the water beside her and she looked at him surprised, yet again, "You're staring again." He told her and she turned her head away and took the wine glass.
Both of them sat in silence and drank their wine before Damien spoke up, "We're going to have to talk about it, you know." He turned to look at her. Her hair rustled with the light wind and she dropped her head down.
"Talk about what?" She tried to play innocent.
Not this again, please.
"You know what."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She lied as she stared at the water unable to meet his eyes.
Damien stretched his hand out and pushed back a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. Danny had her eyes down but she eventually looked up to see him. She didn't know what it was but she loved Damien's eyes. The steel colour somehow shined more brightly under the moonlight and accentuated his face that made Danny just admire his handsome face.
"You do know what I am talking about." He whispered out as he stared into her eyes. Danny felt naked under his stare even though she was fully clothed. She felt as if he was staring into her soul.
"Let's not talk about it, Damien. They're just scars." She told him and looked away.
"This isn't fair, you know." He stated.
"What?"
"You brought me wine and I told you my fears and my whole life story here and you don't seem to even care to tell me anything. I thought we were friends, Danica."
It stung her a bit at the word friends but she didn't differ from her expression.
"So the wine was a bribe to know me, huh? Good one." She smiled slightly at him but eventually gave in, "What do you want to know?"
She knew he was adamant and wouldn't let it slide unless he learns the truth about her. She just hoped he wouldn't see her differently after he knows the truth.
"How did you get those scars?" He asked directly and Danny chuckled.
"Directly into the deep end, huh?" Danny shook her head and then turned to look at him, "Promise me one thing, Damien."
He looked at her confused, "You won't look at me differently. You won't pity me or treat me differently after I tell what I tell." She told him seriously.
"Wasn't planning on it. Anyway, what is it?" He nodded firmly and asked her to continue.
"You know how I told you about my stepfather Michael and how we don't get along?" She looked at him and he nodded, "It isn't the entire truth. We don't get along but there's more."
"I know." He said to her.
"Michael, he is an addict and a chronic drunk." She told him and he looked at her with wide eyes, "He was fine at first. He would mind his own business but then he changed, suddenly. Then, he started to abuse me and used to throw smash things to scare me." She felt her voice break at the end.
Damien clenched his fist at this, "Where was your mother?" He gritted out.
Danny let out a humourless chuckle, "Dead." She said and Damien gave her an 'are you serious' look, "She died, before that she didn't believe me. She thought I was depressed."
"What the fuck?" He stared at her in disbelief.
"Exactly. I know. But yeah, after my mom died, he became worse. He used to hit me and beat me with anything and everything in the house. He blamed me for my mother's death because I was in the car as well and I lived and she died, so apparently, that was my fault. Maybe it was. Maybe she wasn't supposed to die. Maybe I should have died and this world would have been a better place." Danny confessed her thoughts in a faint whisper.
"What the fuck, Danica?" Danny jerked away at Damien's anger. He had his fists clenched in anger and his jaw tightened as he stared at her.
"Damien, it's fine. I'm fine." She assured him.
"How could you let this happen? How could you let him do this to you?" He shouted angrily as he got up.
Danny stood up from her place as well, now worried about his reaction, "Damien, calm down. It's okay. It's over."
"No. How could you say that? I'll put that bastard in jail." He uttered, clear danger evident in his voice.
She reached out and placed an arm over his, "Hey, I ended things with him. I've got nothing to do with him anymore."
"What the fuck? Why are you trying to protect that bastard?" he snapped.
"I'm not. I'm just done with him. He will get his consequences for his actions soon." But Damien wasn't in a state to listen to her. He was too caught up in his anger.
"No. How dare he do that to you? What right does he have? He had no right to lay a finger on you. He should've been behind the bars long ago. Why didn't you ever–"
He never finished his sentence as Danny cut off his ramble as she grabbed him by his collar, pulled him down to her height and placed her lips on his. Damien stood shell shocked for a few seconds and pulled away when he realised what was happening. Anger flared in his eyes as he glared at her.
"That seemed to have worked," Danny muttered slowly and looked up into his eyes which were already staring back at her intensely.
"You really think you can shut me up with a kiss?" He asked her as his frown deepened by the second.
She looked at him innocently and shrugged, "Why not? When you can do it, why can't I?"
He shook his head in disapproval, "I'm trying to talk to you about something but you're just–"
Once again, he couldn't finish his sentence as Danny stood on her toes to peck on his lips again.
He leaned back and frowned at her, "What are you doing? Are you trying to provoke me, Danica?" He spoke up slowly with a hardness to his voice.
Her eyes widened, "Provoke you–" He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him, leaving no space between them, "How?" She finished her sentence, breathless.
She sucked in a deep breath at their close proximity and tried to calm her fast-beating heart, "Damien," her voice was just above a whisper, "What are you doing.. let me go." She said but did not make a move to get out of his hold as she was quite busy staring at his lips.
She tore her gaze to look in his eyes only to find the same fire and desire that she felt.
"I can't seem to handle myself around you." He whispered each word slowly and in a deep voice which made Danny's mind go fuzzy. She held her breath in, "I can't control myself around you." She felt his arm tighten around her as his face dipped down to kiss her lips. Damien teased her lips to get her to open her mouth but she pushed away slightly.
No, I shouldn't fall for this. I can't catch feelings. They're too dangerous.
For him.
And me.
Danny pushed him and panted as she looked at him, "Will you ever stop pushing me?" He asked her while he breathed heavily too.
"Damien," She whispered and he came closer to her, "Danica," Her name came out of his mouth like silk as he took her face in his hands and she shivered at his touch. She couldn't help but give in. Her heart was not in her control.
Her eyes instantly closed at his touch, eager and ready to relish on the igniting feeling that she had been waiting for a long time. She wanted to feel the warmth and tenderness that brought about by his kiss.
He gently caressed her cheek for a few seconds and she enjoyed it completely. She became so lost in his touch that nothing else mattered at that moment.
They locked their bodies in an embrace and their breaths became ragged and Danny could feel his heart hammering against her chest. Danny found herself lost in the familiar excitement that she thought she would never experience again. She felt the same electric feeling rush through her again.
Damien leaned in further and pressed his forehead against her and pulled her against him even closer, if that's even possible. She ran her hands through his messy hair as she felt all the butterflies in her stomach.
"I don't think I can hold back anymore, Danny," Damien whispered in a raspy voice and without any more hesitation, his mouth claimed hers and had his eyes closed at the feel of her full lips against his. He was a little surprised that she answered the kiss with the same equal measure.
She did not pull back this time.
Yet the way her tongue hesitated to dance with his told him that she was innocent as fuck. He was stunned at how soft and warm she felt and found himself craving more of her. He kissed her like he had never kissed her before.
But deep down, both of them knew that this was bound to happen and couldn't seem to help themselves.
In other words, they were absolutely, completely bewitched by each other.
__/\__