Within Temptation

Eighteen (I'm the Knight Who Falls Alone)

Danny Worsnop had a sinking feeling the end was coming for him.

The time at the cottage had been memorable. Everyone had gotten along, and an uneasy peace treaty existed between Corinne and Ben. He felt for the little tyke, his nephew Orion. The little man had no idea how drastically his life was about to change. In his defense, he tried to smooth the waters. The damage had already been done. Corinne dropped the divorce papers on Ben the moment they came back from the cottage. The dogs had been transferred to Nora August. She had also agreed to watch over Orion. She didn't want him around the drama the divorce would cause.

Corinne and Ben were not the only ones who had entered a downward spiral. He'd be the first to confess that he was taking secret joy out of this. He'd coveted feelings for Corinee, and the news of her divorce from Ben reignited his hope. He was far from innocent, finding he would go after hearts he would never have. He'd been seeing Jo until his conscience appeared in the form of his little firecracker. He broke things off with Jo and focused on himself. He did meet someone at The Torii Gate, her name was Lexi and he was falling for her slowly.

Their new album was complete. The record company was getting to release it. He sat at home watching the news. The state of Ohio was closing its borders in the wake of a mysterious illness. If Yumi's outlandish stories were to be believed, this wasn't a mysterious illness. It was the work of something supernatural. He found himself shivering, a far-fetched idea considering how warm he normally ran. This world was falling apart and as much as he wanted to deny it. He'd played a key role in his destruction.

Danny could barely keep his eyes open. He'd spent the better part of the evening consoling his best friend. They'd made amends putting one of his biggest regrets to rest. If he were to die today, he would look back and say he lived a full life. Changing into a pair of black pajama pants he lay down in bed staring up at the ceiling. He could feel the exhaustion deep within his bones. Instead, he merely stared up at the ceiling completely oblivious to the shadows gathering in the corner of the room.

"Hello, Danny."

He sat bolt upright his eyes falling on the familiar face emerging from the darkness. It took his mind a second to absorb what was in front of him. Corinne smiled seductively her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a form-fitting dress that hugged curves he didn't even know she had. Her eyes flashed jet-black. He realized at that moment this was not his little firecracker. Not anymore.

"I wouldn't." She walked up to the bed. "I came to see you."

"Corinne." He kept his voice even.

He could feel his body aching to get closer. He wanted to kiss her, take her into bed, and forget the promises he had made to Lexi and Ben. Corinne smiled climbing onto the bed and straddling his waist. Now that she was closer, he was finding it difficult to fight the magnetic pull he felt.

"Isn't this what you've been wanting?" She ran her nail down his chest leaving a burning trail of heat in its wake. He groaned feeling her rubbing up against him. If he wasn't turned on, he was now.

"In the beginning, when we first met, I will be the first to admit I was jealous of Ben for finding someone as beautiful as you. I thought that if I got us both wasted to the point of sleeping together, I could ignite feelings between us. I realize now how utterly stupid that was and because of that one mistake I caused a rift between two of my best friends." He replies.

"Yes, you did and now you are going to get exactly what you deserve."

Her words sent a shiver down his spine. He recalls them making amends at the cottage. He had to think fast if he was going to survive this in one piece. There had to be some shred of his firecracker in there. He didn't want to think about what would happen if the growing pit in his stomach was any indication, it was not good.