Verboten

Chapter 16: Get Out

Amelia's POV:

I stood anxiously behind Damien's now closed front door for the overbearing seconds before he gets it. My teeth were gnawing at my lips mercilessly and my hands a fumbling mess.

"You seriously have to consider using the key I gave you." Damien said, opening the front door, and opening his arms too in unison for an embrace. I smiled, it was a bit tightlipped and I was sure it didn't reach my eyes, but I reached for him nonetheless and buried myself in his hold.

We barely spoke yesterday over dinner. My parents were there and we were treading on frozen water, one wrong step and the ice breaks submerging us all together; I wasn't a big fan of hypothermia, so we took it slow.

I knew I needed to talk to him because every moment yesterday I was afraid to my very core that dad would bring the subject - I was currently frightened of sharing - up.

"What is it? You don't look okay." Damien asked softly, a hand holding my face in place and the other running over my now short hair. His eyes held mine, as if he was reading deep into my soul, I thought he almost reached my archives with his stare.

"I-uh-I need to talk to you about something." I mumbled, slowly moving out of his hold and settling on the leather couch where he was previously sat. I shook my head at his antics because the TV was on with a football match playing and beer bottles were scattered on the table.

"Are you drinking at noon?" I asked looking at him scrutinisingly. Damien shook his head with a rumble chuckle, "it's just beer, baby, plus I always work the night shifts so I've shifted my life too."

"You have work in a couple of hours." I replied eying the two already empty glass bottles.

Damien sighed, wordlessly picking up the mess that was on the glass table; I heard him throw the empty bottles in the trash, and place the unopened ones in the fridge. "You're right, I'm just tired, I needed to clear my head."

My eyebrows almost furrowed in confusion because Damien didn't put up a fight, I was waiting for the customary 'Amelia, I know what I'm doing' argument.

"What's going on?" I murmured softly as he flopped down on the same couch, placing his head in my lap. My fingers immediately finding their place between his locks.

"Don't worry about it, you already have enough to worry about, you don't need my burden too." He whispered, and my heart clenched further with every word he spoke, "you wanted to talk about something."

"Promise me that you'll tell me what's going on with you soon." I murmured, not wanting to be too forceful, but I needed to know. I was always so open with him about everything even if it's just minor, but in return he always kept his burdens locked away the furthest thing from me.

He smiled at me and nodded. I smiled back.

He kept looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to say the thing that was burdening me alongside our clandestine liaison. The hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach multiplied, and my wandering hands stopped their exploration.

"I-uh I'm going to study literature." I whispered, my voice barely coming out. Damien's head now abandoned my lap and I instantly felt cold and dreadful.

"Hey, baby, that's amazing, you finally reached your decision!" Damien was rather too cheery, and I was apprehensive, oh so apprehensive because I wasn't sure if he knew what that meant or not. "You don't look happy, what's wrong?"

I ran a hand through my hair, stifling my emotions, "I'm going to Pennsylvania." I croaked out.

Damien's smile multiplied tenfold, as he pulled me into a celebratory embrace, "I'm so proud of you! Amelia, baby, that's amazing." I held onto him tightly, too tightly because I was afraid somehow this would be my last time holding him.