Heal Me

Chapter 36

As the holidays were rapidly approaching, Evangeline and her family were growing more and more excited about Christmas each passing day and whether there were gifts they had to buy beforehand, all kinds of supplies for preparing the dishes or new clothes for the New Year’s Eve party, her mother and her were out shopping on most of the afternoons.

So that was why when Damon showed up at her house, her father was the one who opened the door.

“Hello, Sir. I’m Damon Williams.” the boy shook his hand respectfully as Will greeted him with a hesitant smile. “Is, uhm, Eva home?”

“Not yet.” the older man said, inviting him inside. “She’s supposed to get home soon, though. Sit down.” he gestured towards the couch. Damon thanked him quietly and took off his coat.

“So… I’ve heard loads about you from both my kids.” Will looked inquisitively at him and sat down as well. “Only positive things, I can assure you. Anyway, would you like me to tell Addy to come down for a minute? He has been particularly excited about meeting you again.”

~

“If I give you a piece of paper, will you make me another star?” Addy asked, yet before Damon had time to reply, he heard the door open and the sound of her voice filling the air.

“Dad, we just saw-“she shouted and took off her shoes. Yet as soon as their eyes met, she stopped talking, her smile perishing from her face as she recalled their scorching kisses and her thoughts of forgetting him, denying her feelings for him vanished from her mind in a second.

“Oh, what a nice surprise!” her mother beamed as Damon greeted her as well, coming a bit closer.

“I need to talk to you.” he muttered to Evangeline as she took off her jacket and arranged it on a hanger, not even looking at him.

“We’ll take care of everything here. Don’t worry.” Anna ushered them up the stairs and Damon just followed, hungrily watching Evangeline. And God, he wanted her so much…

“You haven’t replied to my texts.” he stated after she closed the door behind them. Her room was painted sunflower yellow and, overall, it was neatly arranged, with sensibly made furniture and its own attached bathroom.

“There was nothing I could tell you.” Evangeline murmured after a while and pretended to busy herself with some of the clothes that were lying on the bed, still looking down, calm and collected. Her heart, though, was beating wildly, the hope of him kissing her again blooming inside her being.

“Nothing…”

“You said all there was to say. We shouldn’t have... I know, I’m sorry. Just...”

“Just what?” Damon crossed his arms and took a couple of steps towards where she stood.

“Just…” she gulped down the lump in her throat. ”Just let it go.”

Evangeline sensed his intense, confused stare on her back so, taking a deep breath, she mustered up some courage to turn around and look him in the eye.

“You don’t need me anymore. You found closure, you’ve moved on, I can tell. And I’m happy for you, I am… I-… That’s what I’ve always wanted.” she stuttered and rubbed her face. “I suppose the pain of your loss is not unbearable anymore and I’m-“

“No, just stop!” he cut her off angrily, gesturing with his hands and she flinched a bit, taking a step back. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I fucking feel? Dr. Phil?” Damon raised his voice, yet careful not to be heard by her parents.

“Damon, please-“

“You’re scared! You’re so afraid I won’t say it back that you didn’t even bother to let me know. For God's sake, Eva!”

“What are you talking about? Say what back?” she frowned, her lips parted in curiosity to hear the reply. He snorted and slowly approached her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. And the sparks, the shivers that ran down both their spines were heaven on Earth. They knew... he knew that what he was about to say was indeed true. He went through so much with her... she had been there when Damon felt the worst, when grieving had become his new way of living. Evangeline was everything to him now, he did not care about the cheesiness of the emotions inside of him. It was just him and her... now he realized it was like that from the very beginning.

And, closing his eyes, he murmured against her skin “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” came the reply. No hesitation, no doubts, just breathtaking sincerity. The ache she endured in the torturous wait to say these words was now gone, leaving her with a major feeling of content in her heart. It was like she just escaped from something and she did not have to hide her love for him anymore. And what a sweet release it was!

Damon held her as close to him as he could and he felt two arms shyly wrapping themselves around his torso as she began sobbing. And he laughed, because he had never felt this happy before, this complete and wanted. And she laughed as well, in-between silent sobs and tears of joy, because she felt the same.

Perhaps they did not know anything about love, perhaps there wasn’t anything to understand about it, but they fervently whispered ‘I love you’s to each other and they kissed and nothing else mattered anymore because all their pain was gone.

If you liked this story, please go check out my other work too, Cold Fingers (on my profile page). It would mean so much to me, thanks! ;)