Masked//Roman Reigns Love Story

19. Something Stolen

*Please read with caution. WARNING: IMPLYING OF RAPE. I decided to leave what actually happened out. This was so hard for me to write, but I found it essential to the story.*

Sunday, August 28,2005
10:05p.m.

"So... there's a rumor going around," I wasn't sure how to begin the conversation when I knew it could turn into an argument. It'd been brought up around me all summer and I just couldn't hold my breathe anymore. I had to know, I had the right to know.

"About Danielle, right?" he sighed, rubbing his hands together between his legs.

"Yeah. I've been hearing it for awhile now but I didn't think that much of it—"

"So, why doubt me now? Why bring it up if you trust me like you always said you've trusted me? You don't think I hear rumors about you giving people sloppy seconds? Because I do, but I trust you enough to say, 'No, not my Maria,' and move on. Why can't you do the same?" he asked, hurt starting to cover his voice.

His defensive attitude was why I didn't want to bring it up. Every time I would attempt to confront him about any little thing it would turn into a big ordeal. Damian would get angry with me, make me out to be the bad guy and then suddenly, I would be the one left to apologize.

"There's no need to get all worked up. I'm not accusing you of anything, I just wanted confirmation that nothing between the two of you was going on," I said, with my voice growing timid.

"It's called a 'rumor' for a reason, baby. You know, there's a lot of girls at the school who are jealous of you and jealous of what we have. There's probably even more guys who would back up the story because they're jealous, too. I mean, why wouldn't they be? You got ass and they wanna hit. But I'm the only one that stands a chance at getting any piece of you, right?" he questioned through his laughing, his right hand snaking across my body to pinch my side.

"Damian!" I squealed and jumped up from the tingling sensation his fingers left behind. "Can't you be serious for more than five seconds?"

"Sure, I can be serious," he shrugged, removing his baseball cap. His eyes squinted into two, thin lines and he made another similar line with his lips.

That face wasn't a face of his that I saw often, only when he'd get into confrontations with other people or act out against the teachers at school. Usually, he was a goof ball and one of the things I cherished most about him was how he could make me laugh so effortlessly. He could make me laugh right after I'd watch my parents fight for the millionth time. He could make me laugh right after I got home from dance, stressing about all the homework I was left to do at ten o'clock at night.

"You're cute," I mumbled, grabbing ahold of his ears that I always enjoyed playing with.

"And so are you," he smiled up at me, grabbing me tightly by the waist and pulling me between his legs.

I was still so nervous when it came to making eye contact with him, even though I'd known Damian for well over six years.

"You know... I'd never... do anything to ruin... what we have. I promise," he mumbled in between the kisses he'd placed along my stomach and on the backs of my hands.

I hated how he could so easily make me melt into his embrace. Even before we started dating, just the brush of our hands would send a tingle through my spine. I couldn't help but smile. It was if my brain delivered messages to the muscles in my face to light up anytime he was around.

I hated how weak he made me felt.

I hated how I never felt strong around him.

"You're crazy," I blurted out, my previous thoughts getting lost somewhere in my head once he kissed where the hem of my pants were.