Two pairs of worrying eyes bore into me. Lily arrived home after an hour or so and Jason didn't move an inch. All that time he kept his eyes on me as I was this butterfly who'd instantly fly away. Lily was sitting right in front of me and her mouth moves saying something but all I heard was faint noises. She tried to medicate my wounded hand but I wouldn't dare let any of them touch me. I remember the time that I locked myself for weeks after the night my body was used without my consent. I hid in my room, sitting on the floor in the same position I am in right now - hugging my knees tight against my chest. I couldn't even collect myself to get back on my feet and place myself on a bed so I went days sleeping on the floor. I feel the same vulnerability I felt then, even though I wasn't sexually abused.

I have taken beatings in my life, many from my father. He beat me until I was bruised and bleeding but then I was able to collect myself to get back on my feet, maybe it's because that he had his fair reasons. But, last night I was weak to my knees, my heart was shattered - only if there was a possibility to shatter an already broken heart. I suppose it wasn't the physical pain but who's hands and feet that is ruining me - my own mother. The woman I once used to call my best friend, the person I used to look up to. I remember the days when she came to my room and rubbed my hands and legs after taking my father's beatings. And now, those same hands that used to be my safe haven have pushed me to pain, hurt, fear and a never-ending thread of misery.

I look up from my knees when I felt chills run down my body. The only person who can do that to me. Damien.

"Why didn't you come home?" Lily asked and stood up. "I was at a friend's place". I assume, that he didn't know I was here as he was behind the couch.

"Lia?". Oh, God. He walked up to me and I didn't dare to look at him. I'm already hurt and the jealousy and anger he's giving me are not helping.

"What happened Rhe?" he asked as he bent down to sit on the coffee table in front of me, taking Lily's place. He looked at his mother and Jason when I didn't answer.

"You think we know? It has been hours since she's here and she didn't say a word until-"

"Until what? Jason". Until I found out that you spent the night with another girl after placing hickeys on my neck and fingering me.

"That doesn't matter but try and get her to say a word or take the glass pieces out of her arm."

"She doesn't let anyone touch her. Not even me" Lily said backing up Jason.

"Look at me, Lia". My stomach twists and turns. I fight the urge to look into his eyes or better yet look at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You know that Rhea". Jokes on him he already has. Just, like the cherry on top of a cake. It was getting warm and his strong gaze on me wasn't helping. I wanted to breathe. I need air, I have realized that I might need an extra can of oxygen when Damien is around me.

"I need to use the washroom," I say and walk away without giving out a single look or emotion.

I close the door behind me and leaned on the counter, my hands gripping the edge. I refuse to look at my own reflection in the mirror, afraid of what I will see. I was afraid and just as that I was refusing to believe that my own mother made the mess I am. I heard a knock on the door and I didn't respond. It knocked for the second time and the door opens. Just as then I looked at Damien's reflection on the mirror standing near the open door.

"Privacy please?" I say even though it was hard to speak and my voice was raspy.

"There's no way I'm going to leave you alone in a room with a box of shaving blades in the cupboard," he said and walked in closing the door behind him. He brought an Ice pack up to my hand and I refused to take it.

He came closer and spun me to face him and I was looking right at his chest. I felt his stare above my head.

"Ice your cheek, Rhea. It's swollen". I turned my head around so that he couldn't see that side of my face. Damien kept the ice pack and lift me to the counter so no I was right up to his height. I had no choice but to look at him as he was staring right at me. His, eyes filled with concern, anger and pain I could say as if he was feeling painful for me. He brings the Ice pack to the side of my face and I flinch as the cold hit my skin. I felt a tear escape my eye. Damien brought the ice back to my face but I turned my head away. It's not that I don't want to reduce the swollenness it's that it hurt so much. A single touch on my cheek felt like getting slapped all over again.

"Who did this to you Lia?" he asked placing the ice pack on the counter as if he's given up on attempting. I stay quiet. What am I going to say that my own mother did this? I could never admit it out loud hell! I don't even want to admit it to myself.

"You know you will have to answer me at some point," he says and opens the ice bag taking a block of ice to his hand.

"I know this hurts, love but you have to ice it. I promise I will be gentle" he brings the ice to my face and dab it softly and yet again I move my face but then he keeps the back of his hand softly as I was some delicate flower, warming down the cold. I closed my eyes when I felt his skin against mine. Just that simple touch, driving me insane. I keep my eyes closed and I grip his shoulder as his next move take me by surprise. Damien pressed his lips against my swollen cheek, the ice in between his teeth. I don't flinch nor move as the ice cools me but his lips warm down my whole body. It felt good and managed to calm me down but the weight in my chest, still heavy. He spits out the ice out to the sink and takes another in between his teeth. Damien placed his hand on the other side of my face and I leaned into his touch as his thumb brushed against my jaw and at this exact moment my mind is blank, my heart has stopped and the only feeling I have is his lips on my skin, the touch from his hand and his presence in front of me. Damien trails his lips to my jaw down my neck and stops right at my collar bone which happens to be dark red from the hickey he had given, last night. He looks up at me and sucks the remaining ice into his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he says looking right into my eyes. I could say I was shocked because out of all the things Damien could say, the word 'sorry' is something you barely hear coming from his mouth and I could tell that throughout the time I have known him he had only apologised to me twice and this time being the second.

"For?"

"For last night. I shouldn't have done that without asking" he said and looked at the side of my arm as if my next words would hit him if he looked right at me. "Did I tell you to stop?" I say trying to take a look at his face.

"No"

"So, there's nothing to worry about". He looks at me and gives a smile of relief but then it hit me as to where he was and who he was with last night after I left.

"Never have I ever and why?" I ask which caught him off guard and he nods in return.

"Never have I ever spent the last night with someone and why?" I tell and I got to say I wasn't even embarrassed about my pure jealousy here and it's not that he would never know. Damien always knows and he can read me like an open book.

"I did drop Jennifer home. And, No. I did not have sex with someone. Why? How can I ever even think or even lay a hand on anyone after I felt your skin against mine and your lips on my neck." he says and I found myself in a speechless position. I didn't know what to say or do other than to kiss the crap out of him.

"I don't trust you," I say even though I trust every single word coming out of his mouth like a blind woman. I got off the counter and walked towards the door, "Liar" he says and I stop in my tracks.

"This time you got it wrong," I say because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Another lie"

"Fuck you"

"you will, pretty soon" he whispered to my ear and opened the door for me to walk out. I gave him one last look and walked out. Then, I realized what he was doing. He managed to touch me, talk to me, somehow get me to listen and get my mind off of what's bothering me. Not only that he gave me something to think about, he said he'll fuck me. I stopped walking and looked at him. He smirks knowing that now only I registered what he whispered.

"What did you say again?" I know what he said but maybe I want to hear him say the exact words again.

"I said, I. will. fuck you... pretty soon" he said loud enough to for me to hear and maybe the person in the next room. I felt like a ten-year-old girl spotting an ice cream shop. And, in that exact moment, the only thing in my mind is the words that came out of this man's mouth.

I walk back to the living room and I saw Jason sitting on the couch and his head in his hands. He looks up at me when I came near the couch to sit down. Lily wasn't there to be seeing.

"Get me the first aid box," Damien said walking in and sitting right in front of me.

"Did she talk? Can she hear us?" Jason asks handing the first aid box.

"I can hear you dumb ass," I say looking up at him. "Oh, good. I thought you have gone deaf and for a moment I was shit scared..." he started blabbering sitting down next to me.

"Shut up," both me and Damien said in unison. He brings up his hand to my arm to get the glass pieces off. I flinch in pain but I kept steady for him to get them out.

"Now, I want you to tell me who did this to you, Lia," Damien said after band-aiding my arm. I can't. I can't tell anyone that my mother did this. She was drunk and she most probably didn't mean it. Even though she had said some things hurtful when she was sober but I know she would've never laid a hand on me. My mother is someone who's yet grieving, not only one but both of her children and to top it all off the divorce from my father. They might've been shit parents together but I know they loved each other. I remembered how comforting my father was to her when Noah died. I remember when I used to sneak up to the kitchen at three am and see my mother and father sipping wine and eating strawberries on the floor, their laughter filled up the whole house. Just the way I have my reasons to be a bitch my mother has her own to act out that way. At the end of all this, I can come up with the conclusion that after all, it is my fault. All of this is.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please." I say and get back into my foetal position. Lily walked in with coffee in her hand.

"Do you mind if I stay over for a few days?" I ask her and take my coffee.

"Of course dear. You can stay here as long as you want" she said and pressed a comforting hand on the side of my face. I thank her with a smile.

"One of you boys get Rhea some clothes okay? I need to be at the office for a few hours" Lily said and walked out.

"I'll give mine," Jason said and stood up.

"Get your ass back down. She is not wearing your clothes" Damien said and I burst out laughing. I genuinely laughed and I realized that I've found myself laughing a lot around these boys. I caught my breath and looked at Damien. He had an amusing smile on his face.

"C'mon let's get you some clothes," he said and gave me his hand to stand up.

"Ugh you guys are gross," Jason said lying down on the couch taking the full space.

"Y'all don't mind if I have some company do you?" he asked looking up from his phone.

"Only if I don't find a girl running out of the house butt naked and unnecessary sexual sounds. You are good" Damien said walking towards the stairway with me.

"Now, that's gross Jason," I said and he mimicked me.

We walked up the stairway and into his room. He closed the door behind us and I looked around. There was a full-length bookshelf filled with books and one shelf had photo frames. Pictures of him and Lily; mostly, some with his friends, a few baby pictures, one with Jason, Lily and Kevin and what caught me off guard was a little polaroid picture. It was...... me. A picture of me playing the ps4. I always went to their house and played video games with Damien. We were very competitive at it. That picture was beautiful and heartwarming. I'm not saying that because it's me in it but my smile was so bright and beautiful and I would die over and over again to have that smile on my face again. I turned to see Damien leaned against the bookshelf looking right at me with a small smile.

"I never knew you took this"

"You would've never let me take it if you knew". True

"Why do you have this... after all these years?"

"Because that picture right ther- " he cut himself off.

"Right there what Damien?" I asked walking towards him.

"Tell me who did this to you and I'll answer. I promise". Of course, he would say that. But I want to know why? I want to know why he had this picture of me for four years. I want to hear him say the words. Because I know hearing him say the words I have been dreading to hear for years will solve most of my problems. I need him and he knows that. Damien always knows.

"U-uh it was my mother," I tell him looking down. And, I look back up at him when he didn't answer. He was just staring at me with anger filled in his eyes. Without a word, he walked out of the room and I went after him.

"Damien! what do you think you are doing?" I asked walking down the stairs but he was already out the door. I walk out and he drove away. I wanted to go after him but right now I could hardly walk.

What are you doing Damien?

A/N - DAMIEN CAN BREAK MY BACK AND I'LL THANK HIM.

IF YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER AND THANK YOU FOR READING :)

-PEACE