Secrets, Deals and Lies

Chapter 12 - Promise Me Daniel

‘C’mon, let’s go sit down.’ He detaches his arms around my shoulders and pulls away from me gently before holding my hand and half pulling me to my bed.

‘I’m so scared Daniel. You have no idea how terrified I am of Billy now. I couldn’t even sleep last night without thinking about him.’ I shuddered and ran a hand up and down my arm.

‘What did he do now?’ Daniel asks taking my hand away and assessing my wounded palm, he cringes at the deep cut and runs a soft finger across it slowly, thankfully not seeing my bruised wrists under my long-sleeve. I felt my cut sting a little but I didn’t take my hand away from his firm hold.

‘After I got drunk, and ran away from Zach–’ I started but Daniel cuts me off with a sharp look. ‘Drunk?’ he asks quickly, concern and anger in his voice.

‘I-I didn’t mean to, I needed a drink and I didn’t bother to read the label.’ I explain eyes downcast looking at my small hand rested in Daniel's broad hand instead; he soon started to draw swirls with his pointing finger on the other hand.

‘I didn’t know you got drunk.’ He says, ‘but I do know about the falling off the roof scenario and not wanting Zach to help you.’ I look back up and hold his gaze again, ‘I didn’t trust him, I couldn’t; not after what he tried to do in the attic…’ I trail off already knowing why.

‘I also heard that even after Zach had talked some sense into you, you let the gutter go anyway.’ He stopped drawing invisible swirls, brow furrowed and eyes serious. ‘If Zach hadn’t caught you, you could’ve died Remy! What were you thinking?' Daniel’s grip on my hand tightened a little as he waited for my answer, it stung but I did my best to ignore it.

‘I just… I hated the thought of how Billy set the whole thing up, and also I knew you still hated me and I didn’t like the feeling,’ I look down and sigh.

‘I could never hate you Remy, you know that. I was just being a jerk. Everyone has those moments and I guess I just don’t know when to stop. Plus,’ he says, softening his voice, ‘you promised me you’d never think that, don’t you remember?’ He asks pulling up my chin to look him in the eye, it reminded me so much of Billy I all of a sudden cowered away and pulled my hand free from Daniel's grasp.

He looks at me confused and I started to sob refusing to look at him anymore. Why was I crying? This is Daniel for goodness sake! But for some reason I couldn’t shake the thought of Billy away from my mind.

‘Remy,’ he starts putting a hand on my shoulder beside my neck. That too reminded me of Billy and I jerked away getting up about to walk off, Daniel grabs hold of my hand and makes me stay but I pull my hand away not looking at him and just standing there.

‘What's wrong Remy? What did I do?’ I hear him ask as he watches me stand there trying to stifle my sobs, he walks in front of me trying to make me hold his gaze but I kept looking away. 

Finally I talked some sense into myself and realise that this person in front of me was not Billy, he’s Daniel and he’s not a threat.

‘I’m sorry, it’s just-’ I stop lost for words, still refusing to hold his gaze. How could I explain this to him?

‘Remy, tell me what's going on. One minute your crying in my arms and the next you won't even let me touch you.’

I fall back onto my bed and sit there staring at Daniel – not Billy.

‘I don’t know what's wrong with me Daniel. It’s just… for a second I thought you were Billy cos the things you did was what he did yesterday. And your touch, it just... it made me remember…’ I trail off digging my head into my hands telling myself not to cry; instead I soon started to shake.