Stained

Chapter 21

I squeal as the horrible pain shooting up my arm and down my spine makes my legs give out on me. Fortunately, the hand that Damien has tightly wrapped around my upper arm keeps me upright.

Breathing heavily through my nose, trying to get past the shock of pain my body just endured, I fist the hem of Damiens hoodie with my good hand and gaze up at him. His jaws twitching slightly and he's holding my arm in a vice grip I don't even think he notices because his hard stare is entirely on Estella.

"What the fucks wrong with you?!" He snarls. "She's hurt her fucking wrist! Just because you're trying to seek attention every second of the fucking day doesn't mean everyone else is."

He peers down at me, anger blazing in those beautiful emeralds. Without warning, he pulls me away from their table, grabs my stuff from mine and then pulls me outside. All the while I'm too stunned and shocked to form a coherent thought, let alone protest.

Opening the passenger door to his car, he lightly pushes me inside and then gets into the driver's side and throws my bag into the back seat as if it's trash.

Damien slams his door shut with so much force the quake breaks me out of my state of shock. "What are you doing?"

He turns to face me. "I'm taking you to a fucking hospital." He moves to grab my arm over the centre control but I'm not quick enough to pull back and end up flinching away from his touch.

His eyes meet mine and he looks...hurt? "Are you scared of me ?"

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod my head no. For some reason, I'm not and it's strange because I'm scared of every other male. However, I'm not as happy as I should be from the realisation; I can't help the fear creeping up in me, telling me its just my body tricking me into believing I'm fixed just so it can break me further when a male comes too close and my body seizes up with panic instead of the instinct to protect myself.

Also, I register I flinched because I was momentarily petrified he would hurt my arm like Estella did, but he's only gripping my elbow.

"Words Rose, I need words," he prods, his eyes imploring.

I try to move my arm out of his grasp and to my surprise, he lets me. He's not Estella, I remind myself.

I turn in the seat to grab my bag from the backseat. "I'm not."

Why does he keep helping me when I don't want it? Yesterday, he was mad at me for being a virgin, and now he's acting like nothing happened like he didn't accuse me of trapping him through my virginity. He's so strange.

I look down at the bag in my lap and start fiddling with the strap, my hair cascading over my face like a veil. "I've got to go. I'm going to miss my bus." 

"Ro—." Just as his fingers brush my arm, I'm out the door, the wind immediately engulfing me and whipping my hair about. I turn around to close the door, but when I turn back I hit a hard chest. I instantly recognise the black hoodie and black leather jacket, but even if I didn't, the scent would've told me enough. Damien.

What is he, a vampire with supernatural speed? Okay, I've been reading too many Cassandra Clair books.

"Excuse me," I mumble, staring at my feet, which are very small compared to his. Focus Hazel! I move to the left, but his hand shoots out, pressing against the car at my back and blocking me from moving that way. What is he doing? Ignoring the strange butterflies in the pit of my stomach and keeping my gaze pinned on the ground, I move to the right. Unfortunately, like before, his arm stops me. Great, I'm caged in between him and the car now.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I finally look up at him. "What do you want Damien?" He's become an expert at snuffing out my kindness and I've only known him for about twenty-four hours and have only spent eight of them with him. Not that I was counting or anything. It's just quick maths and I've always been really good at maths.

"I told you to go to the hospital to get that checked out ." Timbre thick with anger, he gestures to my hand with his head.

What is it to him? "I did go," I lie, glancing at the ground. "Now can you please move out of my way." I try moving again but he doesn't let me. I glare at him.

"Oh really?" Narrowing his eyes disbelievingly, he grabs my bandaged hand by the elbow and brings it up between us. "You think I don't recognise my own fucking bandaging? "

"I don't have the time to go to a hospital, Damien," I tell him, twisting my arm out of his grasp.

"Well, I'll take you now. So let's go." He moves to grab the door handle by my hip.

I push him away before he can open the door. "I don't have time now either. And I don't want or need you to take me anywhere. So leave me alone."

"What's your fucking problem?" He says harshly.

I meet his stare dead on. "You."

He rolls his eyes at my admission, which just frustrates me more. "Just get in the damn car, Rose." Why the hell does he keep calling me Rose? I'm guessing he calls the girls he messes with then forgets their names that.

"My names Hazel, not Rose. Hazel ." I repeat for what feels like the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours. "And I don't need you to do me any favours. Now if you could just move out of my way, please. You've made me miss my bus, so I'm going to have to walk it now ." I don't know why I tell him that. Maybe because I want him to feel guilty for making me miss my bus?

He gets in my face and I have to crane my neck back till the back of my head hits his car, just to make eye contact with him.

"Just get in the car."

"What part of no do you not understand, Damien?" I ask. "I would never get in a car with a guy who disregards a no."

Damien staggers back as if I just slapped him, his face suddenly stricken. "I-I wouldn't. You've hurt your arm and it could be broken and—."

"Leave me alone Damien, I'm not going to say it again." My arm brushes his as I walk away.

"That's what I can't do." I think I hear him say under his breath.