On my way to the library I bump into him accidentally. Ugh! Whyyy?!
"Watch it my angel. Did you drink too much again? Then again your 'too much' is only two glasses."
See? He's become more jackass. I don't want to begin the day arguing with him. I've already got this headache to deal with.
I'm going to ignore this asshole. I walk past him.
"You've become snobbish besides being an actor."
This comment triggers my nerves. But my head feels so heavy. Suddenly that previous incident flashes before my eyes. No! Not again.
"I don't feel... Damien..."
"Hey! You okay?"
The next few minutes pass in a blur. He brings me to the cafeteria and I splash water all over my face and head.
"Do you have a death wish?" He remarks sarcastically.
"Maybe. Atleast that will be better than talking to you." I grope for the pills in my pocket. Painkillers don't disappoint.
"Are you looking for this?" He lifts the blister pack.
"Give me that!" I extend my arms almost reaching him but he slips away.
"Try and take it?" He starts tearing the packs.
"When did you even..?" Then I realise it must've fallen out when I ran here.
He walks up to the basin.
"What are you doing?!" I spring to my feet.
But he already holds the blister pack upside down opening the tap.
"There. All gone." Now he throws the empty pack at me.
"Are you insane?! What did you do!?"
"No. What are you doing with your life Saint Angel?"
What does he mean?
"Can you not beat around the bush?" I ask. "If you want to pester me..."
"Come to my house," he says in a authoritative way. "We have things to talk."
"I don't think so."
He traps me in between his legs leaning into me as I sit in a bench pressing my legs together. "I don't think you have much of a choice today, my angel."
Whenever he whispers like that I get unsettling goosebumps all over my body.
"Or do you want me to pick you right now and drive home straight?" His hand fiddles with the golden butten of my shirt.
There's something I've learnt about him in these past few weeks. He can be pretty unpredictable at times.
I shiver and while trying to get up I realise my legs are kinda numb. "Alright alright. But as you know that I'm busy nowadays I can't give you much time. So be quick."
"You don't have to remind me twice." His smug smile widens.
I wonder how to get on his nerves like he does to me.
"Heyy! Slow down slow down!! When I said be quick I didn't mean to send us both to heaven you idiot!" I yell seeing the speedometer crosses 170.
I'm literally holding onto him for life as he rides his bike like a pro racer.
"We certainly won't go to heaven my angel," he says laughing.
"Right. How can I go to heaven when a demon is with me?" I remark. "I thought you like cars only." The length of his body pressed against mine makes my head woozy.
"I like bikes too."
Hm hm. Rich dad got stupid lad. I laugh out at my own inner joke.
"What's funny?" He asks.
"Nothing."
I've never rode with someone—sitting in the back, holding him... What else will he make me do? That condition of mine—of no touching, is long torn to shreds.
He pulls the brake in front of his house finally. "See? Took only 8 mins."
He unclasps the helmet from my head. He had no extra helmet. He gave his when he should've been the one to wear that. And the reason is as ridiculous as him. "My smooth recently styled hair will become a mess," he said.
I follow him into his room.
"Coffee or soft drink?" He asks opening the fridge.
"You didn't just ask me here to chill out right? Speak what's on your mind."
He pouts. "You can listen to me all while we chill out together."
I grimace but he fully ignores it. "I'm choosing for us then." He throws me a lemon soda. He likes it too much.
I take a mouthful of it. It's refreshing though. I begin stomping my foot while sitting. When is he going to say what he wanted to say huh?
"Can you relax your body? You're fidgeting too much." He complains.
"Relax my body? I'm not in a spa."
"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" He unbuttons his shirt then drops it in a corner of the floor. Now he's only in a thin vest.
"What can you do about it?" I say cockily.
"See? You've become cockier and grumpy."
"If you have nothing to say I'm taking my leave."
He stares me down intimidatingly as he walks up to me.
"W-what are you..?"
He pushes me further in the bed as I fall on my back heavily. "..doing?"
Then he lies beside me spreading his arms. "The temperature is high today. And I'm tired."
"So?"
"Ugh! I'm just getting there. It's just the starting of the conversation."
"How very useful!"
"About Katherine..."
"Damien I already told you. You don't have to explain anything to me."
"Can't you bloody see what I'm trying to say?" His voice loud and clear. "Can you shut your mouth for a minute?"
Is he mad for some reason? His hot n' cold nature confuses me. The fierce demon. I close my lips.
"I want to alright?! I want to explain," he emphasises. "I need you to know that Kate and I were never in a relationship. She lied and you didn't want to listen to me either."
Wait what?
"Then why did she?" I try to find something behind the dark depths of his eyes.
"Because... She wanted to..." He stumbles on his words.
"What is it Damien?"
He shakes his head and looks so calmly at me that it will make anyone instantly mad. It's as if, it doesn't matter whether he tells me or not cause I'm useless in that matter.
"Will you say it?! Damn it!"
Damn! Did I just swear out loud for the first time in front of someone?
He's now placed himself atop me. His motions are too swift and smooth for me to take hold of the situation. He drifts lower—his eyes hold a certain longing as they drift lower to my lips. What's he up to again?
"Uh... Damien..."
"Shhh." He places a finger on my lips. "I've wanted to do this ever since that day in the library."
His hoarse voice sends chills throughput my whole nervous system as he crushes my lips between his teeth and tongue—an inevitable war of nipping and biting. His body straddles mine, pinning my hands as I struggle, he curls his fist on my hair pulling them slightly while guiding his tongue far into my mouth sucking every breath away.
Damien's kissing me again! From where did he learn to kiss like that? Darn it! What am I thinking?
When he releases me I feel my lungs getting free access to air again. I... I won't hear the end of it. Why did he do it again?
I move him from me then try to get up but he pushes me back in the bed.
"Let me go Damien."
"I want you to sleep." He orders.
"Huh?" The hell..?
"Don't act surprised. Last I knew you were taking too much sleeping pills and painkillers." He traces a line down my collarbone then pulls the piece of shirt below. "Don't even think that I know nothing. You really love pushing yourself too far my angel."
"What's it with you? Not everyone gets a carefree life like you!"
"There, you've said it. You've been holding yourself for too long." He chuckles manically. "Are you jealous Saint Angel?"
"No! I'm not." I verbalize. "I am better than you. I never needed anyone. I'm enough for me."
"Is that so?" He caresses my jawline with the back of his hand. "One thing I've learnt about you is, you're an expert at maintaining a flawless facade." Then he clicks his tongue in fake regret. "Sadly it won't be able to delude me."
That's the thing scares me the most. I detest it when someone tries to barge into my head.
"What do you want from me?! Just don't tell my mother that I'm working as an actor."
"Then spend the night here, with me."
••••
The next day I sneak out of his house at 6 of the morning. I can't believe he made me sleep in his bedroom right next to him again! I'm starting to feel weird about this whole thing. What does he want from someone like me?
But I did sleep well last night. Is it possible that I sleep comfortably next to him? No matter annoying he is... Somehow he's growing on me. Oh no... Is this bad? If yes then how bad?
••••
When the second class ends Mika trots to me. "Hi Saint."
"Hi Mika."
"How's it going with the production team?"
"It's going smoothly. Speaking of which, I might not be able to attend classes from today onwards. And I'll have to go now."
"Right now?" He asks giving Zeb a contemplative look.
My phone beeps as if justifying my words. That's Charles Dean for sure.
"Hello, Mr. Charles... Yes... well I'm about to..."
"Saint the thing is, Miss Charlotte is a bit under the weather today so I decided to give you the day off too—considering you've been working pretty hard."
Mika tries to whisper. "What's the matter Saint?"
"Thank you Mr. Charles."
He cuts the call and I turn to Mika. "Nothing anymore. I got the day off."
"Good." Damien enters. "Cause if you hadn't, I'd have asked your director to give you a break."
Is he Flash or something? He came out of nowhere.
"What do you think of yourself huh?" I purse my lips. "You can do whatever you want?"
"Ah ha... The question is wrong. It should be—What do you think of me? Can you stop me from doing whatever I want?"
"Listen, if you have a lot of time why don't you waste it on someone else?" I say slinging the bag over my shoulder. "I'm going to have the day all to myself, finally. Bye Mika."
As I walk past them Damien grabs the back of my collar pulling me behind. "Did I tell you you can leave?"
"Since when are you my Boss? I don't work for or under you."
He moves his head from left to right and then again from right to left. "I guess you wouldn't mind then if I tell him and others that..."
"Wait-wait-wait." I raise my hands defiantly. "What is it now?"
"Infinite Serenade is in a month. Damien closes his fist then hits his left palm repeatedly. "Need me to remind you every week? And we haven't picked the songs yet."
I think about the song I drafted the other day. Three songs are to be played by each band in the competition. While I was invested in that Damien also worked on another song in the meantime. Guess I'll have to give him the draft.
I look at the four of them. "I have something. If you'd care to look at it."
Todd who was typing something on his phone now gives his attention to my words. "Bring it already. We're short on time."
In the auditorium we all take our seats. There's another group besides us, here today. That's Chris's team. He gives me a sidelong glance as the continue to practice.
"I thought they didn't want to participate?"
Zeb's question reaches Chris as he says, "That was the case before, Zeb. But we don't plan on going big."
"And that means?" Zeb reacts confused.
"We just want to participate in a renowned competition like that. It's not like we have to win. We sing for fun after all."
"Yeah... Singing is our escape from this too realistic life," Ana, his team member replies.