Damaged (Rúben Dias)

Chapter 14

Dani's POV

I cannot get away from him fast enough. I don't even care about the things I might be leaving behind. I just need to leave.

"Dani! Don't go! Please just hear me out. There has to be an explanation for this".

"Yes, the explanation is that you're dick who has used me. That's the explanation".

"I haven't. How can you believe that?"

I make it to the door and when my hand is on the doorknob, I notice Rúben right behind me lifting his hand to grab my arm.

"Rúben, don't touch me. Or I swear to God I'll start screaming until the whole building comes here to see what's happening".

"Just stay so we can talk", he begs.

"There is nothing to talk about. I don't want to see you again. Stay away from us!"

I don't even know what to do or where to go. Sam offered I could go to her place but...I need my sister. I need her to comfort me. But also, I need her to explain what the fuck is going on.

When I opened the link Sam sent to me, I saw an article. An article about Libby being Rúben's new girlfriend. It had photos of them kissing and they were recent. I recognized the clothes Rúben was wearing in them because it was the same ones he wore the day we kissed. He told me he had seen Libby in the morning but what had they done? Kiss? Do more? And then he kisses me. And what about Libby? Was she ok with Rúben being at our place because she likes him and wanted to see him again? Is that why she kept calling him a brother figure for me? Because she thinks he'll be that to me when they start dating?

God! I feel like crying but have to keep it together until I get home. So I find the bus stop and make my way back home. An older woman sees my face and asks me if I'm ok, to which I nod. I appreciate her concern but I don't need strangers getting in my business.

"Dani? What are you doing here?"

Libby gets up from the sofa and joins me by the door. "Have you seen the article?"

"Yes", she says. "I don't know where that's even coming from".

"It comes from how you two have been together this whole time, lying to me".

I try to leave but she grabs my arm and stops me from walking more.

"We haven't been together since that first day, Dani. But you know how these people manipulate images. It's all about finding the right angles or whatever".

"It doesn't matter, Lib. Now everyone knows there was something between you two".

"We can deny it...people will leave us alone and forget it soon".

"It doesn't matter!", I scream.

Then I start to cry, which catches my sister by surprise. I don't cry often. Not over unimportant things. But this is important.

"Hey. It'll be fine. It's just some photos. I told you, people will forget soon and no one will bother us about it".

"I slept with him".

She doesn't say anything, so I look up to see her shocked face.

"You did?"

"It was right after that when I saw the photos. I wish it had been before".

Libby's face is so pale that I start to frown, worried. Why would she react like this? I know I haven't been with anyone for a while but...is it because she likes Rúben?

"I'm so sorry, Dani. I didn't know he meant that much to you. I...I just thought it was a silly crush".

"It's not your fault, Lib".

She gets up and starts running. I get up to follow her but she locks herself in the bathroom.

"Lib? What's going on?"

She doesn't answer but I hear her throwing up.

"Libby? Open the door! You're scaring me!"

Libby throws up again and then gets out of the bathroom, hugging me so tightly she's actually hurting me. But I don't know what to do.

"I didn't know, Dani. I didn't know this was going to happen between you two".

"I didn't either. It's all happening so quickly".

"I'm always scared you'll be hurt and now you have been", she says, moving my hair away from my face.

"Not the first time".

"And I couldn't prevent you from being hurt any of those times. I keep failing you".

"You've done your best. I don't even know where I'd be without you, Lib".

"What can I do to help now? Please tell me there's something I can do. I can't deal with this guilt".

"Hold me while I cry?"

She does just that, putting my head on her lap and caressing my hair while I cry. It brings me back to the times after our parents died. Sometimes it was her doing this and sometimes it was me trying to console her. But we were always there for each other. We will always be.

"Did he...did he treat you well?"

I look up to see her expression. Libby and I avoid this. She knows I don't agree with her sex life and it's not as if I really have one to talk about. When I lost my virginity, she screamed at me for not asking her for advice. Only to then cry and just say she was scared to see me grow up so fast. So worried I could have been hurt and she wouldn't have been able to do anything to fix it. I don't need to ask Libby what her biggest fear is because I know it. It's that. Me being hurt.

After that, there had only been a couple of random guys that meant nothing. A part of me doesn't understand Libby because I've never enjoyed sex. So I can't comprehend how others do. Well, I couldn't. I can now.

"He did".

"Good".

We stay like that for a while. Until I run out of tears and the pain turns into me just feeling numb. My eyes feel so heavy and my body so exhausted.

"Let's go to bed", says Libby. "You can sleep with me tonight".

She gets it. She knows the pain of getting your heart broken like this. Only she gets me.

I lie down next to her, feeling like a little kid again, and she brings me closer to her. When she leans down to kiss my forehead, I notice a tear falling on my face. So I just hold her tighter.

"I wish I could take all the pain away, Danielle. I wish I could protect you instead of being the reason you hurt".

"It's not your fault".

"You're my responsibility. If you hurt, it's because I failed you".

"You could never fail me, Libby".

Everyone else? Sure. Libby? Never.