Stained

Chapter 88

My chest constricts. Hazel, not Rose, Hazel.

I know we're with Hannah and Hayden right now so it's good. However, he didn't even address me by the name when we were alone. 

I reluctantly turn around with Hannah. Damien approaches us with Hayden whose gaze is entirely focused on Hannah. Hers is on the tree behind him as if it's the most interesting thing ever.

To be honest, if I had a choice between the two, I'd find the tree better too.

When Damien stops in front of me, I finally look up at him. His face is unreadable, calm, but there's a hint of worry in his eyes.

Embarrassment over what I did... what he heard makes me want to look away, but then he'd know.

"My keys and wallet," he nods his head at my body. Huh? I look down and it's then that I notice I still have his jacket on.

"Oh sorry," I begin to unzip it but Damien grabs my hand, stopping me.

"I just need my keys and wallet." Keeping his hand pinned on mine, stopping me from lowering the zipper, he lowers the other into the pocket to take his stuff out.

My eyes are drawn to his previously bandaged hand. The gashes look to be healing well and the bruising has decreased quite a bit.

A nag teases the tip of my tongue. He was supposed to keep on for longer, though.

The stubborn part in me compels me to also remove mine. Unfortunately, mine can't just be taken off by hand, I would have to go to the hospital and twice within a week is too much for my mental health.

I shake my head. "No, you can take it back. I don't need it anymore. I think the t-shirts dry now." It still feels a little wet, but I can't keep his jacket. It's starting to get colder and he's only in a short-sleeved t-shirt.

"You okay baby?" Hayden asks Hannah, his voice holding a hint of worry. Where was the worry when you cheated?

"I was before you spoke," Hannah grumbles.

I try pulling the zipper down again but Damiens hand on mine tightens. "Damien." I tilt my head with an annoyed purse of my lips.

He shakes his head no.

"Where's your car?" Hayden asks.

Good question, where is my car?

"Where is my car?" I turn to Hannah, only to find her suspicious gaze on Damien.

"Hannah?" She seems to be lost in thought, her gaze flitting between me and Damien, assessingly.

Between me and Damien... does she know? Did Damien tell Hayden whilst we were in the bathroom and then Hayden tell her?

Okay, I'm being paranoid. They haven't exchanged more than two words since we left Starbucks.

I need to tell her before she puts two and two together. No stalling. I'm going to do it the second we're alone.

She shakes her head. "What?"

"Where did I park my car?" I repeat.

She gives me a weird look. "How am I supposed to know. It's your car."

"I know it's my car, but I forgot." I go over our steps in my head. "We parked it near The Light when we came with Sarah..." Damien's hand suddenly drops from the zipper as if it burnt him. I ignore it. "...But after we came back we went to New Look and- Boots! It's near Boots."

"We'll take you," Hayden says but when Hannah shoots him a glare, he corrects himself, "My car is near there anyway."

That's a blatant lie if I've ever heard one. But Hannah doesn't reprimand him and neither do I. We'll be passing more than three Pubs on the way and it's a Friday night so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared to go alone.

Especially after what happened to Sarah Everard.

I leave Damiens side and interlace my fingers with Hannah's and walk ahead, leaving the guys to trail on behind us.

"You've met Damien before, haven't you?" Hannah half asks.

So Damien didn't tell Hayden and he didn't tell her. Good. I try not to sag against her in relief. If she found out through Hayden she would be mad then upset to not have heard it from me first.

I look over my shoulder, the boys are around two metres away from us. A safe distance... but I'm not taking any risks. "I'll explain everything in the car."

"I'm really so—."

"It's fine." I squeeze her hand. "You didn't mean to say it. I know. I'm sorry for overreacting."

Hannah squeezes my hand in a bruising grip. "You did not overreact. Shut up."

"Yes ma'am," I laugh and hers join mine after a nudge of her shoulder.

"So are things not as they seem?" I ask her, quoting what he texted her a couple days ago.

"Not sure. He said he purposely created the lipstick marks on his t-shirt himself, using my lipstick so I would break up with him and stay away and that it was the only way to protect me, bla de bla de bla. He claims he was visiting his dad in a private hospital in Sheffield before he came home." And then she says loud enough for him to hear. "I said he needs to get the proof of him being in Sheffield and then I'd consider taking him back."

"I'll get it!" He shouts from behind us and Hannah throws a middle finger in the air.

I laugh. "If he's lying, I'll personally knee him in the groin for you."

"Trust me, if he's lying, I'll chop his fucking dick off and feed it to him."

Hannah spots my car before I do thanks to her perfect vision and passes me the keys.

I press the button to unlock it. With the speed of lightning, Hannah opens the boot, throws her stuff inside, then gets into the passenger seat.

I suppress my chuckle at her eagerness to get away from Hayden and move to open my car door but pause at the sight of Damiens leather jacket engulfing my hand.

I shrug it off just as Damien comes to my side, and Hayden goes to Hannah's. Ugh, he needs to leave her alone.

Suppressing my annoyance, I pass Damien the jacket. "Thanks." I dare a peep down at my t-shirt. It's dry, but the coffee stain... that's not going to go away. At least you can't see my bra anymore. Anyways, this t-shirts only four-pounds from Primark so it's replaceable.

Damien doesn't reprimand me this time, wordlessly takes the jacket and puts it on.

"Where's your car?" I ask. I know Hayden lied about it being close to here, so that makes me think it's further away.

"Near Pirane Lorn College." He pushes his wallet and keys into the jacket's pocket.

I went to Pirane Lorn College before joining this one. It's on outside of town. It's more than a ten-minute walk from here.

"That's quite a walk..." I trail off.

It's a bad idea, Hazel, it's a bad idea. Don't do it. Don't! "I can drive you there?"