Strangers in the Storm ✔

Chapter 10: Friends at Dawn

DAMIEN

Damien jumped out of the wooden chair the moment Roxanne stood up. A weird, faint fear coursed through his spine and he wished he could take back what he said a second ago.

"Wait, wait." Damien spread out his hand, meaning to stop her, but she pulled away. "Wait a second."

Roxanne halted, her chest heaving, her cheeks flushing, "I'm not going to stay here if you're going to be a jerk."

Unfortunately for her, he was a jerk. He could spout philosophies and wisdoms, but he hasn't kept a steady relationship for more than two weeks in his entire life. He has never learned how to compromise, how to fight, how to change.

"I'm sorry, papillon." Damien said, the wine and the apology causing an acidic taste on his tongue. "It's easy for me to claim that anyone willing to stay in an awful relationship has no self-respect because-"

"Because you're a coward." Roxanne cut him off.

"Ouch." He pulled back. "I guess I deserve that."

"I may have no self-respect." Roxanne breathed in, her lower lip slightly shaking. "But you're too scared to get hurt, aren't you?"

Damien said nothing. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he was just an ordinary coward, but this coward knew very well she wouldn't just leave. Reluctantly, he realised she truly was the type of a girl to stay even when she should make him take her back to the shore. And selfishly, he did not want to be alone tonight.

"Please, stay." Damien whispered. "I won't be mean, I promise."

Roxanne looked at the cloud of light pollution above the town, then at the still full bottle of wine on the table and finally, at him.

"I'm sorry for calling you a coward." She apologized.

She fucking apologized.

Damien gestured at the wine bottle, "Please, help me finish the bottle."

The girl looked at the sea and the moonlight reflecting in her eyes revealed tears gathering in the corners. Damien swallowed the pain in his throat, realising he did in fact regret hurting her.

Of course, he would hurt her. She was like a butterfly, soft and naive, and he was a flame, warm but deadly if one came too close.

He was used to different women, women who were used to having jerks around them, women who had no problem leaving in the morning after taking exactly what they came for.

Damien took a risk and came closer to her. She didn't move away, not even as he brushed the wayward hair strand from her neck, pulled her closer and leaned in to kiss her.

Their lips met briefly under the moonlight before Roxanne stepped back.

"I'm not ending up in your bed tonight."

Damien grinned, "Technically, we're on my boat."

Her nose wrinkled with dissatisfaction, "I'll make you take me to the shore."

"Okay, sorry." Damien took a step back and gestured at the bottle again, "I still need help with wine, please."

"Alright, but only because you're begging." Roxanne sat back down.

Damien felt bad for predicting she would stay if he begged. He wondered whether she would still be here if she wasn't the type of person to forgive and forget quickly. Would she still be here if she knew that he wasn't the most reliable guy in the whole wide world?

It took another glass of wine to lull the conversation back to where it was before he messed the entire thing up, but as the bottle grew emptier, their inhibitions lowered, and soon enough, Damien brought out another bottle.