Save Room For Us (18+)

Chapter 35: The Day That Wasn't Meant to End

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-SweetDumplingss

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Chapter 35: "The Day That Wasn't Meant to End"

Damon

The day started like a dream, like something out of a fantasy that I never thought could be real, considering the hell I went through for months with Cade.

The sun hung low in the sky, soft and golden, casting everything it touched in a warm glow. It was the kind of day that felt like a secret between the two of us, the kind of day that made the chaos of everything else seem like a distant memory. Nevaeh and I, finally able to escape the weight of the world for just a little while.

We started the morning slow, just the two of us—no rush, no agenda. The kind of morning where the air feels like velvet, and time doesn't seem to matter. I took her hand as we walked through the streets, the rhythm of our steps matching the beat of our hearts, in sync like a well-practiced dance. She smiled up at me, a quiet smile, but one that spoke volumes.

I looked at her like she was a piece of art—flawless in a way that made me feel like I could never deserve her. The way her curly hair tumbled over her shoulders like a cloud and or how her brown eyes always seemed to look just beyond me, like they were searching for something hidden in the distance. She had this beauty, this ethereal quality. Her beauty also radiated within her with the way she carried herself, and the way she made everything feel like it was somehow worth the fight. I always felt like this about her. Even five years ago. I was just too much of a coward to face the challenges I had in my life.

We spent hours wandering, letting the day unfold like the pages of a book we were both trying to understand. It was an old day for the weather during this time of year. It wasn't as cold as it was last week. The sun seemed to give us warmth despite the cool breeze kissing our faces.

We talked about everything and nothing. Small things. The kind of conversations that don't matter to anyone else but you and the person you're with. I took today as an opportunity to take pictures, because taking pictures always seemed to calm my nerves. I would take pictures of the beautiful scenery and a few of Nevaeh when she wasn't really paying attention. When she looked and saw what I was doing, she laughed softly, but there was that look again, the one that made me wonder if I had truly reached her.

Nevaeh's mind always seemed somewhere else since Cade. She was physically there with me, of course, but her mind? It was as though she was in another world, floating just out of reach, as if her thoughts were drifting somewhere I couldn't follow. I'd catch her staring off into the distance, her eyes lost in a memory or a thought she wasn't sharing.

"Vae," I said, gently touching her arm. She looked at me, and for a moment, her gaze seemed to flicker, like she wasn't quite seeing me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice laced with concern. "You've been kind of distant today."

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine, Damon. Just... tired, I guess."

I didn't buy it. But I didn't push. Not this time. I had learned the hard way that sometimes, you have to let her come to you when she's ready. And for now, she wasn't ready.

We continued our stroll, and despite the distance that seemed to linger between us, it was one of those days that felt like we could stay in it forever. I kept noticing how the sunlight danced in her hair, how the sound of her laugh made everything else seem less important. It was enough. More than enough.