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His only response was a devious grin and a look in his eyes that made my heart race faster.
8
Damien held the door to his car open for me as I lowered myself into the passenger’s seat, the leather interior smooth under my hands. He slid into the driver’s seat, and I buckled up as he pulled out onto the road. My lips curved into a smile as I gazed out the window.
“I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about meeting your parents.”
I looked back at him incredulously. “You? Nervous? I thought you had nerves of steel.”
He gave me a sideways glance before looking back to the road.
I continued. “They’re not that bad. Besides, I think my mom took a real liking to you.”
“I’m glad about that. I wasn’t looking forward to having to sneak you out without them knowing.”
My cheeks heated and my heart thrummed as I imagined it. Curiosity sent ideas flying into my head that made me blush farther. “What? Would you have come tossing rocks at my window? Shared romantic conversations in the moonlight, like Romeo and Juliet in the late-night hours?”
His head turned just enough to glance at me out of the corner of his eye, and a mischievous grin tugged at the corner of his lips. “Amongst other things.”
* * *
The dense expanse of trees stretched out before us, and the sun’s rays warmed me through my coat. I’d forgotten how much I loved going for walks in the woods. Being surrounded by nature was where I felt the most at home, and it had been too long since I’d come here.
Damien closed the car door after helping me out. I tossed my small bag over my shoulder, which contained my sketchbook, along with some charcoal and graphite. It would likely remain untouched, but I couldn’t shake the urge to have it handy in the off chance I found something out here that sparked the need to draw.
The warmth of sunlight faded above the trees, becoming small shafts of light that fell on us as we walked into the forest. There was so much I wanted to know about him, but there was something in the back of my mind that kept nagging at me, a question I’d been wanting to ask Damien but had never found the right time to ask.
“Umm, I don’t mean to pry. If you don’t want to answer, it’s totally fine.” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts. “I’ve just been wondering, ever since I had that run in with Marcus…”
Damien was fidgeting with his pocketknife, flipping it open and shut before going through the motion again. At the mention of Marcus’ name, he stopped.
“Do you guys get into fights with Marcus often?”
He frowned, and I knew the answer was probably yes. “I guess you could say that we don’t get along well.”
Didn’t get along well. The looks Marcus had given Damien told me it was more than justnot getting along. “I was just curious. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying, I feel terrible that you got caught in the middle of it all.”
He sighed, folding his knife closed before sliding it into his pocket. His brows narrowed, as if he were frustrated, but relaxed them quickly, as if to hide his emotions. “Marcus tends to push buttons and cross boundaries, and never learns when to back off.”
“Why does he have such a problem with you?”
His eye shifted to me, and there was such a turbulent whirlpool of emotions, I feared I may have pried too far. “Forget I asked. I’m so sorry.”
He blinked and swallowed. “No, you’re fine. It’s just… complicated.”
“I don’t want you to think that I feel any differently about you or anything.” The words spilled out of my mouth, fearful that he might have misunderstood. “I was just curious. I know you’re not a bad person, Damien. You helped me when he attacked me. I really appreciate what you did for me.”
“I would do it again in a heartbeat, if necessary.” His voice was soothing, and yet somehow at the same time, I could feel his words were a threat against Marcus. I changed the subject, and our conversation continued as Damien led me off the trail and into the woods on his own path.
I glanced at his arm, the one that had been hurt in my dream the night before. He was wearing a heavy canvas jacket, so I couldn’t see if he had any wounds on his forearm. It wasn’t like it was strange for him to be wearing a jacket in this weather, nothing to fret over.
It was just a dream? Why are you still hung up about it?
We came upon a clearing in the middle of the forest, and my eyes lit up as I took it all in. Streaks of light leaked down on us through the branches that stretched out from all around, forming a sparse canopy. A deep creek bed ran through the middle, filled with river rock and boulders. The water flowed just high enough to cover most of the smaller pebbles on the creek bed. Dilapidated remnants of old houses were nestled in the trees nearby, having been reclaimed by nature over the centuries. The ambient sound of birds, other wildlife, and the trees swaying in the breeze filled the air.
It was so peaceful.
