Loving Damon

| 30 | The Sweet Side

A/N: Two chapters in one day?! Is this a record? What has happened to me? 🤣

Thought you might like that surprise. 💖 Hump days are always hard, so close to the weekend yet so far! But being stuck in quarantine, has it really made a difference to anyone? All my days have muddled together and become 7 different Mondays. 🤣

| Ariel | 

Breathing heavy, I hunched over with my hands placed on my knees for support. Trying to catch my breath and calm my speeding heart rate I heard Damons feet jog back towards me and squat in front of me, his ragged voice coming across soothing with his words.

"Hey, you okay princess?" I peered up at him through my lashes and his eyes held worry with furrowed brows. "We can stop, we've been at it for 3 miles already..."

I shook my head, taking in a deep breath "N-No, I'm good," I lifted up from my crouched position and forced a smile, the last thing I wanted was Damon to see me as this weak, unathletic girl that couldn't keep up with his top shape physique but I was trying, really hard...

I just hate running, I could never do it day after day, I would much rather take up sports training or HIIT for cardio to get my heart healthy but I wanted to share this with him and show him I could do this.

He huffed out a breath of air and tilted my chin to meet his gaze. His eyes searched mine as his thumb caressed my jaw gently "Seriously Ariel, I don't want you to over work yourself. Thats not how this works..." he warned "...How long has it been since you had a run."

I shrugged and shifted from one foot to another, my shins burning up already. "A few weeks, I don't normally do much running for cardio. I like more boxing, or sports training, or HIIT workouts."

As I explained this to him he sighed and put his hands on his hips "Then why force yourself on such a long run with me today Ari? You cant go straight to advanced and skip beginner."

I chewed on my bottom lips as his words sunk in. In high school I never needed to workout to stay fit, volleyball did that for me and I guess I was doing too much, too fast?

Something happened this morning when I woke up, it was one of those days — I felt horrible, ugly and unworthy of a man as handsome and perfect as Damon Hendrix. Suddenly all my past insecurities I had with my ex were resurfacing and it had nothing to do with Damon, it was me...just me.

Maybe it was the pizza last night or maybe it was the fact that I couldn't find one outfit I thought looked good on my body this morning...

Last night, before I left Damons place, we talked and he promised me he was going to take a day off from work to help me go apartment hunting. I felt bad for him having to take a day off, he really didn't need to but he offered quickly and wouldn't allow me to say no, so I agreed, happily.

I got up earlier than usual with the anxiety of finally leaving the safety of my childhood home and having to pay rent on my own and rent here in NY wasn't cheap. I texted Damon letting him know I was already up and if he wanted to go get a coffee or something with me before the apartment hunting started. He agreed and said he would pick me up at 8 o'clock for breakfast.

As I started fixing myself to get ready, I went through outfit after outfit and nothing was working, suddenly everything was looking hideous on me and my hair wasn't sitting beautifully, my makeup came out all wrong. I broke down on my bed and cried — I screamed my pain away.

A few seconds later I was done feeling sorry for myself and I was going to push myself, I had to force myself to do anything possible to look beautiful in the mirror. To fit the way my body fit in high school in a size 6 pair of jeans. I was sadly up to a size 12 now.