Mija Priestess

Part 36 (TW)

Rhea and I drove back to the hotel in complete silence. We pulled up outside, parked up and walked into the hotel all the while still in total silence. When we got into the empty elevator I finally spoke. "If you want to ask me anything, you can. I suppose that you probably have as many questions to ask me about my past as Damian does, don't you?"

Rhea sighed before answering me. "I guess I am just a little bloody lost as too why you never told me your real name. Why did you hide that from me? We're best friends, if we can't trust each other then who can we trust." I looked Rhea in the eyes and could see the hurt and disappointment.

"Claire WAS my name and before I made the move to the US I changed my name. Legally may I add, just to make sure that they couldn't find me. I needed to leave who I was behind, I am not that person anymore. Can you at least trust me on that? I suppose in short if I am being honest, I changed my name to protect myself. You saw what he did Rhea, imagine if you and Damian hadn't shown up. Imagine that as a 14 year old child knowing that there is no one around to hear you scream. Knowing that the people who should protect you, don't. Knowing that that is your reality EVERY.SINGLE.DAY." I found myself starting to shout my frustrations at her. I saw a tear roll down Rhea's cheek and wasn't sure if she was hurt, upset or angry with me.

"I guess I can understand why you did it. I just wish you had of told me, or told Damian at least. Does he know about any of it? I mean other than the Dylan drama and the Daddy issues you had growing up."

I looked down to the floor. "No. He doesn't know I changed my name. He doesn't know about David's scar or what exactly happened and became the straw that broke the camels back. I have a feeling though I am going to be letting him know. I just hope he allows me a chance to explain before he ends things."

We travelled the rest of the way to my room in silence again. When we got to the door I broke the silence once more. "Look I appreciate you walking me back but would you mind leaving me? I think I need to be alone and figure out exactly how I can save my relationship as I know if I was Damian I would be planning my break up speech right now."

"Of course, are you sure that that is what you want though? To be alone I mean?" I nodded and Rhea gave me a hug before retreating and heading off to her room.

I let myself in and turned on the bedside lamp. We had a gorgeous view of the City so I decided that I would sit on the floor and look out over the City that had just brought me face to face with my Demons and potentially changed my life in the space of less than 20 minutes. I just had to hope and pray to a higher power that Damian wasn't angry with me and would at least let me talk before asking me to leave. I sat myself down between the bed and the window so I was shielded from anyone who would have come in.

I am not too sure how long it was exactly that I was sat there for before Damian came back. I heard the door open but didn't move, not realising just how perfectly hidden I was. "Mija? Mija, are you here?" I was in my own little world and didn't register the panic in Damian's voice. "Sophie?" This time was louder and with more authority.

"I'm down here Damian." Damian placed his bag down by the door and hurried over to sit with me on the floor. Damian didn't kiss me, hold me or anything else that you would do when in a relationship. I looked into his deep brown eyes and saw that they were filled with disappointment. My heart sank. "Well? What would you like to ask? What exactly is it about me that you think that you would like to know?"

"I don't think or didn't think that there was much I didn't know about you. I suppose the main question is why didn't you tell me your birth name? What did he mean when he said I may be your next victim?"

"You know some of what I am about to tell you but I just want you to know that not everything has been a lie." Damian nodded and allowed me to continue. "I was born in the Midlands and my birth name was Claire Joanna Keeling or some people would call me CJ growing up. Everything else from then to being a teen I have told you is true. One of the only things I have ever kept from you is my birth name. David married my Mum when I was 9 and then when I turned 14 he started drinking and becoming abusive as I have explained before. By next victim, he is referring to the scar on his neck that I gave him when I was 16. The day I left. He had me pinned against the wall as he did tonight and I was close to passing out. He called me a slut and a whore even though I had never slept with anyone. I tried to reach out for something and the first thing I found was a knife. An inch higher and it would have killed him and I hate to admit it but I wish I had aimed one inch higher. I promise you though Damian that every other thing I have ever told you is true." I swallowed and took a deep breath before looking up at Damian.

"Is that why you changed your name? Why didn't you tell me that Sophie isn't your name?" I could still see the disappointment in Damian's eyes.

"That is why I changed my name. As soon as I was 18 and legally allowed then I changed my name to Sophie Marie Taylor by law so from the age of 18 Sophie has been my real name. My legal name. If it wasn't then I would never have been allowed into the US or allowed to work here. I never told Dylan, he went snooping through my things and found the paperwork I had confirming who I was and who I am now. Is there anything else you would like to ask me?" Damian shook his head, the disappointment in his eyes growing deeper. I nodded back solemnly before talking again. "So I guess I will get my stuff and leave. I will go downstairs and get another room and when we get back to Florida I will move my stuff back into storage. If you want I will ask to go back to NXT." As I went to stand Damian stopped me.

"What are you talking about Mija? Why would I want you to leave? You have answered my questions and we always knew that there were going to be things about each other we would still be learning. Yours just came out earlier than you were ready. There are still things you will learn about me but that doesn't mean I want you to leave. Why would I Mija? You are still the woman I love, nothing changes that. I believe that I know the real you. I know that you would never hurt me the way you did him because I will never give you reason too."

"You don't want me to leave? Normally when I screw up and people are as disappointed with me as you look then I run. I don't know what to do when someone actually wants me around."

"I am not disappointed in you Mija." Damian shuffled closer to me and placed his hands on mine before looking into my eyes. "The disappointment you see is the disappointment in myself. I promised you that no one would ever be able to hurt you again and I failed you tonight." I could see Damian now fighting back tears. I had never seen him cry before and in a way it was nice to see a new side to him, I just hated how it had come about. "I promised you that no one would hurt you again and then I failed you because HE was able to put his hands on you." Damian raised his hands to my neck and inspected the finger shaped bruises appearing around my throat. "He was able to hurt you and put his hands on you in a place where you should feel safe. I should have been there. I failed you Mija. If that was the reason you wanted to leave then I would not do anything to stop you but I want you to stay. I want things to progress and now we have less secrets from each other what is stopping us?"

I couldn't fight back the tears anymore. I threw myself at Damian sending him flying backwards onto the floor with me on top of him. I kissed him passionately and right there in front of the window overlooking the City that brought my demons to me, we made love.