Chapter 32

Chapter 32

-MILLIE-

“How’s your pain?” Darnian asked, settling beside me on the bed where I woke up this morning.

His idea of a busy day was staying indoors, cooking enough food to feed an army, spoon-feeding me, and maximizing his Netflix subscription.

The Holidate was rolling on his laptop. I’d probably messed up his movie suggestions by now.

“Itchy.” I said. Damian removed the pillow stacked on my side and settled there. The bed groaned under his weight, sighing as he rested his back on the headboard.

“Want me to scratch it?” He chuckled, reaching for the bowl of popcorn on my lap, his big hand almost covering the entire l*ps of the bowl.

1 bumped his shoulder, grimacing when pain drilled on my left side

“Easy.” Damian glowered at me in disapproval, which quickly morphed to concern. His gaze softened as he clutched my shoulder, looking down at my side where my cut was, “Did you take your meds?”

I did box breathing until the pain faded. Damian patiently waited for my response. “Yeah. Right before you came in.”

How can I forget to take my meds? He took a few calls after lunch and answered emails in his home office, but he texted me about five times, reminding me of the time I should drink my meds.

His phone had been busy vibrating since morning. I insisted he could leave if he needed to be in the office. Candice said Damian was swamped with work these days about his project in California.

He checked his wristwatch. “That should take effect in a few minutes. Doc said you’ll be sleepy”

I bite the insides of my cheeks. His concern made the butterflies in my belly go crazy. If someone else was micromanaging my life. I would tell them to mind their own business. I wasn’t a child. But Damian, playing nurse was a different story. I kinda liked having a freaking hot nurse.

Damian was still wearing those basketball shorts, and he topped it with a sleeveless cotton shirt. This reminded me of how I’d usually see him in their mansion back in high school. Laid back, chill. This was the version of him that most of our schoolmates didn’t see. I remember ogling him too many times after he played basketball with his friends, all sweaty and flushed, muscles rippling and defined.

“It was just a cut. You don’t have to worry too much about me, you know. I’ll be as good as new in a day or two.”

Damian made a disgruntled groan under his throat. “That could’ve been worse than a cut, Millicent.” His tone was sharp. “And that cut would open or get infected if you’re not careful.”

I shrugged. “I’ve had worse accidents than this.”

He shook his head, his narrowed eyes burning the laptop. He didn’t like my downgrading what happened to me.

I act and say that it was nothing, but inside, I’m still shaking in fear. The guy’s warning still rang in my head. ‘Stay away from Damian. This is your first warning!

I told him to f uck off. That’s when Damian came barging in.

“Say a f ucking word to the cops, and I’ll start hurting the people you care about. Those were his parting words before Damian fought him off.

He meant to scare me, and he did. I am not taking his words lightly; that’s why I’m keeping this information to myself. He’d be back. I can feel it. It doesn’t just scare me; it f ucking terrifies me, but I don’t want Dantian to know that

O

09:26 Sat, Feb 10 M

Chapter 32

With how he acted since he saw me bleeding and the way he watched over me in the hospital, if he continued to treat me like this… like he truly cared. I might not be able to get a hold of my feelings anymore. A repeat of that night in my New York apartment might take place.

I didn’t want that. I lost control. I gave in to what my b*dy wanted and lost sight of the fine line between this pretendi relationship and what was real.

Silence swelled between us until Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey tried to reenact a dance move from Dirty Dancing

Damian snorted when the two fell on the floor after Emma’s dress ripped on the chest. “People actually watch this ship??

“Hey protested. slapping his hand from the popcorn bowl. “It’s funny,” I giggled.

“It’s f ucking cheesy. What’s their deal, anyway” He grabbed the entire howl from me and set it on his lap. My protest was cut off when he fed me popcorn hits. Our eyes locked. His fingers lingered on my l*ps.

Afraid Tid drown in his intense stare. I quickly looked away. My heart was drumming in my head, and the tips of my ears were blushing, remembering the night we shared in New York

I chewed and swallowed the popcorn slowly. They made a deal, Lexplained, to be each other’s date on every holiday.”

“Yeah Damian’s eyes were still on me.

“They got tired of being single every holiday, so they decided to be each other’s plus one. They thought a platonic relationship would save them the heartbreak.

Hocked eyes with Damian. The intensity of his green eyes made me swallow hard. “But they caught feelings along the way

“So fake dating led them to the real thing

The sliding door was open, but I was starting to feel suffocated, yet I continued. “It did. Coz the more holidays they spent together, the more they got to know each other. But you see, that’s what’s messy about fake relationships. You don’t know what’s real and what’s not. At the end of the day, all you’re left with is the reality that the two of you would never even be together if you’re not faking it.”

Damian’s jaw fluttered. His eyes searched my face. “I think you didn’t get how the story really turned out, Millicent.”

1 gulped the huge lump swelling in my throat

“Everything that happened since they started seeing each other was real. Every laugh, every touch, every f u cking word they said was real. They were only hiding under the pretense of their deal, but it’s f ucking real.”

My response, if I could form any, was cut off by the ringing of his phone

Eyes glued with mine, he let the call go to voicemail, but it rangagain. He grumbled a curse under his breath, stood up, and left the room, leaving me to digest his words.

Since I read the note he left that night. I promised to keep my feelings at bay. The intensity of my feelings when I was with Damian was like a bomba ready to detonate in my face in one flick I don’t want to fall for him because I know he would never give me the time of the day if he didn’t need me to get rid of Sonja

“They were only hiding under the pretense of their deal, but it’s f ucking real

Does he mean everything was real for him since day one?

I groaned, sliding down the bed, and threw an arm over my eyes, scolding myself for going down that road again.

This is Damian Black we are talking about. He’s beyond any league. He would never fall for someone like me,

I’ve fallen asleep with this thought in my head but when I woke up a little later in the afternoon, I wasn’t alone. Damian was sleeping with me. His b*dy was tangled with mine in a spooning position. He had an arm draped over my middle, a leg over mine, and my head rested in his arms. Being wrapped in his warm, solid b*dy like this feels so good.

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Sat, Feb

09:27

Chapter 32

27%

‘Just for today. I thought, snuggling closer to his warmth. His arms tightened around me, pulling me impossibly close to his b*dy. Just for today, Millicent, okay? Tomorrow, you go back to your mission of putting that wall between the two of you. again.

Then I dozed off.

The next day started the same way Sunday began. I woke up alone and found Damian in the kitchen, making breakfast, shirtless, Kick starting my day with a view of Damian’s freaking hot back is not such a bad idea.

My cheeks reddened when he caught me staring at him.

“Good morning.” he beamed.

1 cleared my throat and entered the kitchen, going straight to the coffee machine. “Good morning.”

A stack of shopping bags was on one side of the kitchen counter. The fruit basket was overflowing with fresh fruits as well. “Did you go shopping this early?” I had to know.

“Danny brought those last night.” He slid a sunny side up on a plate. He placed the pan back into the stove and expertly cracked another egg on it. His muscles flexed as he did. I watch him discreetly over my cup of coffee, taking a sip.

“Those are clothes for you.” He tipped his head towards the shopping bags, cracking another egg on the pan.

“That’s thoughtful of you,” I murmured, blushing when he lifted his eyes on me and caught me biting my l*p. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, babe,” he grinned, sc attering a pinch of salt on the egg he was cooking. “This is almost done. Can you set up the table?”

“Sure?”

While setting the table, I couldn’t help but feel the normalcy of this situation and wondered if we were not faking things. Having cuddles at night and waking up to Damian cooking breakfast is an excellent way to start my mornings. I’d make coffee and set the table. I guillotined that thought before I go daydreaming again.

This isn’t real, Millie.

Over breakfast, we talked about our schedule for the day. Damian insisted he’d drive me to work and pick me up after.

“You don’t have to do that,” I insisted.

“I have to,” he pressed.

“No, Damian, you don’t. You’re busier than me, and my place is out of your way.”

“I don’t f ucking care, Millicent. I will drive you to work and drive you home after. That’s final.”

“How’s your pain?” Damian asked, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in tune with Kings of Leon’s Sex on

He was driving me home. I don’t know how he knew I planned to take an early off to avoid him. Imagine my surp saw him leaning against his Jeep in front of our building when I clocked out, smirking haughtily.

“I’m almost as good as new. It’s just a scratch,” I say cuttingly without paying him a glance. I didn’t bother hiding the annoyance in my tone. I’m irritated that he outwitted me.

“That could’ve been worse, Millicent,” his tone was pierce, almost irritated. His reflection in the window showcased his fluttering jaw and blazing eyes

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09.27 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 32

I shrugged, not giving him a reply. We had this conversation at his place. It would be redundant to explain myself again. Even though the cool air was blowing up from the air conditioning, the atmosphere inside his car was tense, almost claustrophobic. I could hear him clutching the steering wheel tightly with each turn.

When we reached my parent’s place, he moved at lightning speed and was at my door before I could sl*p out. I sighed and skirted past him, climbing the porch stairs as if a ball of fire was chasing me.

With Damian’s long legs, he easily caught up with me and grippeil my arm, spinning me around.

“What’s your problem?” he gazed at me through the tip of his nose, deep green eyes perusing my thoughts.

Nose flaring, I matched his penetrating stare with my own and sn atched my arm back. “I told you I don’t need you. chaperoning me, Damian.”

“And I told you that’s not up for discussion, Millicent,” he said pointedly.

“Who gave you the right to make decisions for me?”

His eyes sharpen. I swear I felt his energy surging around us. “You are my responsibility. That’s a f ucking no-brainer.”

I gaped at him, disbelieving. I counted to ten and closed my eyes, inhaling a heavy breath before looking him in the eyes. again. “You don’t have to do all of this. No one is watching, and no one knows what happened to me. You don’t have to pretend that you care for me.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the air around us cr ackled. Gooseflesh blanketed my skin as Damian stepped forward, breaching my personal bubble until he had me trapped between the door and his huge b*dy. “Pretend? You think I’m pretending to care about you?”

His pine and waterfall scent enveloped me. I was at eye level with his throat. It bobbed up and down, and his pulse there was quickening. Damian bent a little on the waist until his face was leveled with mine, his palms laid flat on each side of my head, completely trapping me.

“Let me make one thing clear, Millicent. Everything between us is as real as you and I. I promised I’d protect you, and that stays on whether you like it or not, got it?”

His voice’s deep tenor and possessiveness sent a different kind of chill down my spine. I should be scared. Damian looked like a feral lion marking his territory. And I was the gazel who st upidly walked in his trap. Something must be wrong with me because I swear I felt my lower muscles contract the longer he’s keeping me caged with his b*dy. I licked my l*ps… Damian’s eyes dropped to my l*ps as I did.

“Got it?” he asked, his hands rounding to a fist beside my head. His hot breath swept over my parted lig

Chest rising and falling, 1 mustered the little speck of defiance in me and made my position clear. “Th

contract.”

Fire kindled beneath his eyes. It was so wild, threatening to burn me in place.

“Have you forgotten our conversation before you invited me inside your place, Millicent?” His tone was hard cold as winter. “We’ve breached that contract the moment I set foot in your apartment and shoved my fingers pu ssy-”

“Damian!” I hissed, eyes going round. That fire in his eyes ignited heat on my checks. “Can we not-”

He chuckled. “Not what? Not go back to that night? I can’t f ucking do that.”

Shocked, I was held speechless. I thought that night was nothing to him, and that note he left was just a lame excuse for telling me it was a one-time thing.

He traced my check with the back of his hand, clutching my chin. His thumb traced my jawline as his eyes roamed all over my face. “You are mine, Millicent.”

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