Self-Seeker

29

"Damon? What's wrong?" Genesis asked, assuming something had to be wrong for him to willingly be communicating with her. Emily realised Genesis was no longer walking behind her and stopped, looking at them sceptically.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, privately?" He inquired. She turned to Emily, nodding reassuringly.

"It's okay, Em. I'll be out in a moment." Genesis stated. Emily smiled before heading back outside, at least Genesis knew she had her back. "What is it, Damon?" She questioned again, looking at anything but him.

"Why are you avoiding my eyes?" He asked. It was just like him to notice, she thought. The truth was that every time she looked into those clear baby blues, all the confusing feelings that she had previously felt for him threatened to come rushing back. She wasn't ready to tackle those again. She didn't answer.

"Look at me, Genesis."

Damon gently clasped her jaw and brought her face to his so she was forced to look at him. For some reason, right that second she was reminded of the fact that he was dating Audrey. They may not have been good friends anymore, but Genesis still cared for her. She would never betray her trust like that. She roughly pushed his hand away.

"What are you doing, Damon? You're with my best friend – don't you understand? Just leave me alone. You already made it clear you don't want me, so quit waltzing back into my head with your hypnotic blue eyes and dishevelled brown hair and making me feel things that I don't want to feel." She went into an irrepressible rant.

"Genesis I--" She cut him off before he could even say what he wanted to. Genesis had heard enough.

"You know it's perplexing - how quick you were to give up on us. I wasn't even given a chance to express the fact that I did want to get to know you better. I may have made some mistakes, I know the situation with Carter was untimely. But you have conveniently forgotten that Audrey was a part of that past too."

"She didn't keep it from me, though. I knew she had been involved in some shady business, but to me it seems that you are still caught up in it." Damon explained.

"You're right, I suppose no relationship should be built upon a lie. However, I am not the one who then turned around and screwed your best friend. Because Damon, I may be selfish; I may be egotistical; I may be closed off, cruel to my sister, snide to your best friend and a profound keeper of secrets. But what I'm not is disloyal. If I've committed myself to something or someone or even given an inkling that I'm interested, I at least try to give it my all. My eyes don't wonder elsewhere by the next day."

"I was interested, Genesis, believe me. But you didn't give me much to work with when you're sprinting out of my kitchen rather than speaking to me. Or avoiding me whenever there's a chance we might end up at the same place. Besides, you are the one that told me to stick with Audrey, who by the way I have had an on-and-off relationship with for years. I didn't just turn to her all of a sudden, she has always been there." Damon argued. Genesis could see that he was trying not to shout as his voice came out strained, yet his body language was explosive.

"But it's almost as if you wanted things to go south between us. Like you were waiting for an opportunity to push me away. Is it because I didn't sleep with you that day, right here in this very kitchen? Believe me, I know exactly what you Soldati men are like. Do you think that because you brought me to your home instead of your aids-infested apartment, that I'd automatically fall to my knees for you? If so, you were very wrong Damon. To think I have lost my best friend over the likes of you. She went back to England and I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. You know, I never really regarded you as the long-distance type. I would have thou--"