Strangers in the Storm ✔

Chapter 16: Falling

DAMIEN

Despite acting casual, Damien was actually terrified of introducing Roxanne to Mona. Yes, they had technically met in his apartment, but he didn't count that as cannon. That was a weird day and he wasn't at his best.

This would be the first time the two women would speak to each other without him shoving one or the other out of the room. Mona carried a bunch of beer to the shade and stopped to show Andre the new tattoo that now trickled down her thigh, half-hidden by the loose-fitting, sleeveless black dress. Her short black bangs were coated in sweat, but her eyes shone brightly surrounded by all the greenery.

He glanced back at Roxanne who smiled nervously. With a towel wrapped around her body, she looked younger, making Damien remember she was only twenty-three. A strange thought coursed through him; the realisation that maybe she could have found someone better than him. Who the fuck was he to tie her down?

Her doe-like eyes looked around, jumping from him to Mona, and Damien instinctively came closer to her and draped his arm around her shoulders, irrationally wanting to become the solution to any problem she might have.

"It's just Mona." He nudged her forward.

"I know, dumbass." Roxanne mumbled. "I'm not nervous. Do I look nervous?"

Damien chuckled, "Of course not."

"Hey!" Mona approached, a grin circling her head. "I should have guessed Damien would make us meet outdoors, there's nothing to kick you out from!"

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose, "Ha, ha."

Roxanne giggled under his arm, "He can always throw me off a cliff."

"You can steal his boat, then." The two women shook hands. "I'm Mona."

"Roxanne. I'm sorry about the, uh, unfortunate way we met."

"Nothing to be sorry for, hun." Mona's sharp gaze cut through Damien. "Also, I'm sure you've made him grovel for that one."

Roxanne chuckled, but said nothing. There it was; a strange shared nervousness that suddenly passed through them, a dark, disgusting feeling of something unsolved lingering between them.

"Okay, I'm gonna get a beer." Damien excused himself out of the situation, "Do you guys want one?"

"Sure." Roxanne nodded, a small, curt smile on her lips.

"Yeah, get me one." Mona agreed.

Mona's arrival turned a very casual afternoon into a tension-filled, egg-walking nervous wreck, but Damien seemed to be the only one participating. Others were having fun, they chatted under the setting sun, drank beer and played board games. Then, when the night finally fell, Damien and Andre made a bonfire while the girls went for a night swim.

"You're awfully quiet." Andre mumbled, fire reflecting in his dark eyes. "For a host."

"It's nothing." Damien grabbed the bottle of beer and looked at the fire. "Mona meeting Roxanne and all."

"It took me by surprise." Andre commented. "That you actually invited Mona. Seems kind of soon."

Damien didn't like that word in terms of relationships. Some messed up part of him was viscerally afraid of words like 'soon' or 'moving too quickly.' Every nerve in his body fought against them.

"Why?" Damien mumbled the question. "It's no different than her meeting you."

"Yeah, it is." Andre countered. "Mona is like a sister to you, dude. It's basically family."

"Well, Roxanne technically met my family." Damien said and went into offense immediately, "Why are you bringing this up, exactly?"

Andre raised his hands, "Just saying. You're not the type to do this kind of thing."