She met him three years ago, when she was just seventeen and innocent. She remembers that day vividly; it was summer, and her family was vacationing in their beach house. There was a festival at the beach, and she decided to check it out. There, as she walked amid the sea of people, she was captured by a pair of deep blue eyes set in a pale and handsome face.
The owner of those eyes walked across her as she stood there mesmerized. He smiled and held out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Damon," he said, and her heart skipped a beat, "you must be new here."
"A-angel," she stammered, "t-that's my name."
He laughed, and she stuck her tongue childishly at him.
It was an ordinary beginning as far as young lovers go, but looking back, Angel should've seen that glint in Damon's eyes, or the cruel edge behind his smile. But she was just seventeen back then, and she didn't knew any better than to trust a complete stranger.
From that day on, they became inseparable. Four years older than her, he taught her how to surf, introduced her to his parents and played for her with his guitar. They often hung out at his family's sea side restaurant, which can be considered fancy in that small town. In turn, she taught her how to dance, and wrote him poetry. She loved him despite his tattoos and drinking habits and her parents disapproval in their relationship.
He kissed her a week after they met. It was her first, and the kiss was meant to tantalize, not to satisfy. It made her weak on her knees. Then, a week after that, she gave everything to him on a humid summer night.
"We could do it you know," he said after they finished.
"Do what?"
"Run away, get out of here. Summer's ending, Angel. You'll be leaving in a few days and let's face it, we can never survive the distance."
That stung her. Is what what he thought of their relationship? That running away together is the only way that it can survive?
"Damon," she replied, encircling her arms around him, "you know that I can't do that. We'll try to work it out okay? I'll e-mail you, we can visit each other."
She heard him sigh.
"Deal," he said, "I love you, you know."
And she knew it was true, or at least she thought it was.
She left for home a few days after that, and she looked back teary eyed from the car and watched as Damon and the town grew smaller and smaller, she became determined to do her best to keep him, and the memories of that summer.
They talked on the phone constantly, even when she got busy in school and Damon got busy in the restaurant. Months passed and the phone calls and texts messages became less frequent, and Angel knew that she was losing him, slipping away from her day by day.
So one day, and she was riding in her friend's car, she got an idea.
"Diane, are you up for an adventure?" She asked her friend, already feeling the adrenaline.
She remembers Diane raising her eyebrow, and by twilight she was standing in front of Damon's restaurant. She checked her makeup, took a deep breath, expecting Damon to be pleasantly surprised, taking her into his arms in the middle of the patrons there.
But she was the one who was surprised.
The pair of blue eyes that she loved so much, was looking into the eyes of a blond haired girl, smiling before kissing her.
She remembers Diane tugging her hand and encouraging her to walk away, but too late, too late. Her feet were walking on their own, towards the offender. The tears were beginning to materialize in her eyes.
She remember the shock in Damon's eyes as he saw her. His stammer as he tried to reason with her, and the slap that she gave him for everyone to see. She saw the blond girl's shock too, but she was more focused on the boy who just broke her heart.
She remembers Damon saying, "You brought this to yourself Angel."
It all happened three years ago, and like they say, revenge is a dish best served cold.
To be continued.
