When We're Together (Damon Albarn)

Chapter Thirteen

Monday 4th December 2006

"Lyla darling could you grab my jacket before you come down please" Damon shouted up at me, I nodded my head before laughing at myself when I realised he couldn't see me.

Missy and Fox were at school, Primrose was at nursery and Damon had cleared his schedule for today so that we could spend the day together, something we hadn't done in a while. Damon had booked us in for brunch somewhere and I was excited to eat out without having to carry half of the playroom in my bag. I walked over to the wardrobe, opening up his section and pulling out his navy jacket which he'd been wearing all weekend. As I pulled it from the hanger a strip of folded white paper fell from the pocket and onto the floor. I threw the jacket over my shoulder before bending down and picking up the piece of paper, unfolding it before letting my eyes scan over it.

I felt sick almost instantly, a mixture of anger and upset brewing up inside of me. I re-read it again, and again and again, as memories of her long legs, blonde hair and blue eyes came flooding back to me. I remembered the girls Damon used to take back to his hotel room when we were on tour and she was certainly his type. Most of all, I remembered the upset, the embarrassment as she so publicly shoved this piece of paper into his pocket. The paper which, as I read it again, seemed to be burning a hole in my hand. The paper which he told me he had gotten rid of, assured me that he had absolutely no need for. Yet, here I was, holding it in my hand. A big part of my mind was in shock, surely Damon wouldn't, couldn't, do this to me.

He'd kept hold of her number.

"Are you okay love? You're taking forever" I heard Damon's voice drift down the hallway, I could hear his footsteps getting closer, yet I felt completely frozen. As though those eleven digits had cast a spell on me.

"Are you okay darling?" I looked up to see him stood in the doorway, he had cast his eyes over the piece of paper in my hands and, judging by the look on his face, had almost instantly put two and two together.

"Eliza, I, I, it's not-fucking hell" He aimlessly stuttered, taking a few steps to close the gap between us before removing the paper from my hand.

"It's not what you think it is" He told me, placing his hands on my face and readjusting it so I had to look at him. I shook my head before taking a step back so that his hands fell off of me, I didn't want him touching me.

"You promised" I whispered, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath "You promised me that you'd never cheat on me"

"I haven't cheated on you, I would never" He sighed, shaking his head as he spoke. I looked up at him, our eyes gazing into each other, every part of me wanted to believe him but there was an uneasy feeling in my stomach which held me back.

"You lied to me Damon" I choked "You said you'd binned it, why did you lie?"

"I-I don't know" He shook his head again, the paper leaving his hand and dropping to the floor "I was never going to call her, I promise"

"Then why did you keep hold of it Damon?" I retorted quickly, the anger was starting to bubble up inside of me and I knew that unless he started giving me some answers, it wouldn't be long before I exploded.

"I don't know Lyla, I didn't deliberately keep hold of it"

"I'm not fucking stupid, you obviously had some reason for keeping hold of it" I took a deep breath before looking him up and down "Fancied a quick shag?"

"Fucking hell Eliza, of course not" He exclaimed, his voice starting to rise as he spoke "You're overreacting okay? I thought I had binned it but I obviously didn't"