Stained

Chapter 83

"Who's there for you?"

I pull my arm out of his and cradle it against my body like it's a child. "I don't need anyone." It's better to be alone, no one can hurt you that way. I learnt that the hard way, and I most definitely don't want to repent my lesson.

"You don't want anyone. There's a fucking difference." Despite his harsh tone, he gently pulls the last of my hair out of the jacket.

Remembering how I used him to hurt myself, the words, "You know better than anyone why no one should be there for me," hang on the tip of my tongue.

When I don't respond he sighs and asks, "what happened to your shirt?"

"Some guy spilt coffee on me," I tell him. Why am I telling him anything?

"Who?"

I can't help but roll my eyes.

"I don't know," I answer honestly. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell him, especially not after he beat up a guy and got hurt because of me.

He brings a hand up to push my hair behind my ear. My heart begs me to lean into the touch but I hold my ground. But then his touch lingers, stealing my resolve and I jerk my head back. I accidentally do it too hard, as if afraid he was about to hit me.

I think I see those blue-greens flash with hurt, but it's gone as fast as it came, making me wonder if I imagined it.

"Who were those guys?" He repeats Hayden's question.

I give him a taunting cheeky smile as I tilt my head up at him. "My boyfriends." The words escape me before I can stop myself.

My eyes widen a fraction from the bold move, otherwise, I keep up my taunting exterior.

Something dark crosses his features and he takes a step forward. "Yeah," he murmurs, looking down at my lips.

My eyes also flit down to his lips. "Yeah," I whisper.

"You gonna let one of them touch you?" He steps even closer, making me take another one back.

"Mmhmm." I don't even know what I'm saying at this point, all I know is that my head is encompassed by a fog that is Damien.

I lick my lips, taking another step back. I'm about to take another one when he takes one forward, but my back collides against a wall, leaving nowhere to go but forward, into him as my treacherous body so desperately wants... as my broken heart so miserably wants.

Damiens full lips curve up into a small smile and he brings his hands up against the wall beside my head, encasing me.

My breathing picks up — and surprisingly not in a bad way — as he leans forward...

"Mummy no!"

Both mine and Damien's heads whip to the side. A toddler thrashes in her dad's hold. A woman with a pushchair walks beside them.

The toddler's eyes land on us and Damien pushes away from me. I straighten and sort out my hair.