Ghost City

34

I knocked on Damien's door, and he gave a rushed, "Hold on!" After about five seconds he opened the door half way and asked, "Yeah?" His breathing was off, as if he hurriedly did something that required energy.

I muted my end of the call and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded frantically. What the hell was up with him?

"You don't look okay," I stated, and blush began forming on his cheeks. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing..." he breathed as more blush formed on his cheeks. "What do you want?"

"My dad's on the phone. He wants to speak to you," I answered, and he immediately frowned. I stretched my phone out to him and told him, "Unmute first."

He unmuted himself and answered the phone, and I rest my head on the wall to observe how this conversation would go.

Damien's POV
"Yes?" I answered with a frown on my face.

"I heard you're the reason Carson & Co. is doing so well," he said.

I nodded, "Damn right."

"You love my daughter, right?" he asked, confusing me. How did we go from talking about where I worked to my love for Sagacity.

"Of course," I answered. "Your point?"

"Well, does she know that you're cheating on her?"

"I'm not, but does Sage know about you?"

"Ashley was sent to you from me, you fool. The Carson's thought they were on to something, but they were just my pawns," he replied. "I had her make up the story when I found out you were trying to dig up dirt on me. I know for a fact that you and Ashley slept together though."

I chuckled to myself before responding, "Ashley must not have told you that that was during the time your daughter and I had split. City knows all about it." I looked over at City, who held a frown on her face. I knew she was going to ask me about the conversation once I'd get off the phone. "Look, the next time you try to blackmail me, get your facts straight, aight?"

I hung up before handing Sagacity her phone. She immediately questioned, "He tried to blackmail you over that Ashley girl?!"

"Yeah, he thought I was cheating on you," I nodded.

"Why was my mom brought up?" City frowned.

"Ashley told me that your dad had been cheating on your mom. Come to find out, that was a story made up by your dad," I informed. "He was going to force me to quit my job so that you wouldn't find out about Ashley. Some dad, huh? He probably would've still told you about it to make things worse for me."

She shook her head, "I can't believe he would go so far as to blackmail you!"

"That's what feeling threatened does to a person," I shrugged. I motioned to close the door, but she held it open and slid into my room. I quickly ran to my bed and went under the covers to hide the fact that I had an erection due to the fact that I was masturbating before she entered my room.

Sagacity frowned, "Seriously, what is up with you?!"

"Nothing!" I blushed. She narrowed her eyebrows at me as she studied my face. Her face then softened after a moment of studying my face. "What?" I softly asked as she walked over to me.

"Remove the covers," she ordered, stopping in front my bed.

I lied, "I'm cold."

she yanked the covers, but I pulled on them so that it wouldn't move, and she questioned, "What are you hiding?!"

"Nothing!" I replied as the two of us continued tugging the covers. She then let go and sighed while sitting beside me, and I scooted over so that she'd have more space on the bed.

"I don't like when you hide stuff from me, Damien," she sighed. "I feel like you've been doing a lot of that. Like why were you even trying to dig up dirt on my dad? What are you even hiding now?"

I sighed, "I just wanted to get back at your dad, City. I know it's bad and petty, but I have my reasons."

"That you never want to share with me," she sadly replied as she played with her fingers. "I just don't like that you're being secretive, especially because it just makes us grow distant. I wanna understand what's going on with you, but you won't let me..." I remained silent as I tried to figure out what to say. My secrecy was definitely having an impact on our relationship, but I couldn't tell her what was really going on. "Is it me, Damien? Did I do something? Am I still doing something? I just don't understand."

I sat up and shook my head as I tilted her face in my direction. "You did nothing wrong, City. You're not doing anything wrong. I just can't talk to you about certain things."

"Why?" she asked sadly as she looked into my eyes, and I could tell that she would be crying soon.

"Because if I tell you what I'm up to, you'll try to stop me," I admitted as I cupped her chin. "I wish I could talk to you about certain things, but I just can't."

"Okay," she sniffled. "...are you...you know?"

I frowned, "Am I what?"

"Cheating on me?" she asked as a tear strolled down her cheek. "You'd tell me, right?"

"I swear, Sagacity, I would never cheat on you. Ever. I love you so much, and I know I haven't been showing that over these past months. I'm working on it," I promised. She nodded as more tears strolled down her cheeks, and I quickly wiped them away. "I hope you don't feel like being with me was a waste." We technically weren't even back together. I still slept in the guest room, and she still wasn't calling me by any names of endearment. She was also still practicing abstinence, which was why I had to opt for masturbating.

She sniffled while shaking her head. She then informed, "I...I just feel like you're gonna leave for good..."

"That's the last thing I want," I shook my head as I cupped her cheek. "I only want you. Look." I removed the covers, allowing her to see what I had been hiding. "I was shy to admit that I was masturbating to the thought of you. I didn't want you mocking me about it because I was already sexually frustrated. You're constantly on my mind, even when I don't want you to be. I think about you when I'm lonely, sad, happy, horny, confused, angry, everything. Seeing you and being able to talk to you just always make things so much better. I don't want anyone else, Sagacity."

"Would you still want me if I lost our child?" she asked as more tears steamed down her face. "I did. I wasn't feeling good after I fell down the stairs that night. After going to the clinic this morning, I know why." She looked away as more tears streamed down her face. "I'm so sorry. I should've been more careful!"

I directed her head in my direction once more before passionately connecting my lips with hers. I then tightly wrapped my arms around her while smooching her wet cheek over and over again. "It's not your fault. I should've talked to you instead of walking away from you. I'm sorry you even fell. I've honestly been beating myself up about it. I don't blame you, City, and you shouldn't either. I'm gonna love you regardless of whether or not we have more children. You and Aurora are already my everything." I smooched her lips again before saying, "I love, Sagacity. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

"I love you more than I've ever loved anyone too," she sniffled. "That's what scares me."

"Well, if I'm ever leaving, you're coming with me cause I don't wanna go anywhere if you can't be there too," I promised while taking her hands in mine. "I'll never stop loving you, and that scares the shit outta me too."