It Hurts When It's True (Affaire de Coeur, #1)

Chapter 31: The thin line between loving and hurting

Maggie had not slept a wink despite the exhaustion from work the night before. Surprisingly, she had shed not a single drop of tear even after watching the whole segment that featured Damian Williams and Catherine Maybury. She finished the whole portion that revolved around the stolen shot of the on-screen couple, but nothing had really been confirmed as to the nature of their relationship. 

She was not really heartbroken about the photo or the insinuation that there was something going on between the two celebrities. What shook her resolve was the reality that Damian, after all, lived in a different world that was light years apart from hers.

Despite all the reassurances from him, she realized that this was the real world and they were not exactly living in a fairy tale book wherein the poor girl gets her prince charming. No, this was the world where ordinary and 'plump-ish' girls like her didn't attract the attention of men like Damian Williams.

"So what's up?" Maggie tried to speak as nonchalantly as possible.

"Whatever you saw on TV last night, it was not true. It's just an entertainment scene kind of crap." Damian started but was cut off when Maggie raised her hand to stop him.

"You think I don't know that?" She spoke, stilling her voice from showing any sign that she was as affected as he was.

"Then wh—" 

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, really. It's not like there were any promises between us or anything. Whatever it is that you do is your business and I am in no position to feel anything about it. Are we here, so you can tell me about this 'entertainment scene' stuff? If it is then let's not waste each other's time. Good day, Damian." Maggie jumped off the bench, her trembling fists in each of her sweater's pockets.

Before she could even step away from where she was previously seated, she felt Damian's hand grab hers. He tugged on her arm firmly that she could not do anything but fall right back on her still-warm seat.

"Would you shut up and let me speak?" It was posed as a question, but Maggie was sure it sounded more of like a demand.

"There are things that we do in the entertainment world that even the veteran among the veterans would feel hesitant about. But we cannot do anything about it, Margaret. It's always a do-or-die choice for us celebrities. You don't know what each of us has to suffer to get where we are. Some even fall at the last hurdle even after doing the most unthinkable of things, just to stay on this unsteady boat that we are all standing on.

"And that from last night, Margaret? That's just one of the many things that you'll see about me. But little to none of them are actually true. So please, please hear me out before you jump into any conclusion. And if in the end, if you still cannot find it in your heart to trust my words, then by all means turn your back and leave." 

Maggie watched the pouring of emotions in Damian's deep blue eyes. Only now that she realized how the color of his eyes changed depending on his mood and emotions. And right now, they were the blue of honesty and sorrow. And who in their right mind would ever say no to this man? 

But she had already set her mind on one thing and that was to walk away before things started to get messy. Throughout the time that they had known each other, there had been times that she had been bouncing back between accepting this — whatever it was that was brewing between them — and turning her back and letting go. He had grown on her as if there were links that incessantly connected him to her and the sturdier those links were to become then the harder it would be for her to separate herself from him. And she was sure that it would take great effort for her to break the bond right here and right now. 

She had to.

Yet she did not want to.

Then she understood that there were things one must do not because one wanted to but because one had to.