Chapter 26 â I Love You
Two nights after Damien and I became official, my boyfriend pays my family a visit, asking my dad to allow me to go with him on our first official date. My parents got no idea that the man standing on our porch is my boyfriend. Fortunately, he didn't come with flowers or chocolates, or I would have run to my room and soak myself in my bubble bath until he leaves realizing that all this is new to me. I wouldn't want that no matter how much I dreamed of receiving flowers from my first ever boyfriend. I knew I should have told my parents right away, but I was too scared. They knew who Damien is. They knew what Damien's family can do, and I know it won't be easy for them to adapt to this change because all their lives they only have me, and to know that their daughter is finally starting to welcome new people into her life means more than just development. It could be an added stress, and stress is what I want Dad to avoid.
But surprisingly, Dad just let me go without questions. Mom too is surprisingly quiet. I notice that she keeps her smile controlled like she already knew what's happening.
"Your parents were so quiet," says Damien while reaching for my hand. His fingers interlace with mine, bringing them close to his lips to briefly brush. His gentle kiss makes me shiver.
"Eyes on the road, Damien!" I say blushing, quickly letting loose of his grasp. But Damien is too fast to take my hand back and tightly grip it with his again.
"You have to get used to this, babe," he teases.
"I'm a cockroach. I adapt," I counter, taking back my hand. "So where are you taking me?"
"Some place where I can be alone with you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't hang out with you at school," I say. People might take this surprise rather negatively. After the incident with Haynes, I don't want any more mishaps before graduation.
"I understand. No troubles before graduation," he replies with his eyes back on the road.
I honestly don't know where we're going, but I trust Damien. But as we pass through a short abandoned tunnel and some few familiar highlands, I immediately realize where our destination would be.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"There's one more place I want to show you," he says as the gates of his house slide open.
"There is one place more majestic than your library?" I couldn't help but gasp at the thought of seeing something greater than his grand library. It was so breathtakingly beautiful that I think I could live there for years and not want to leave it for anything in this world.
He smiles.
"I know you'd love it."
Being with Damien for the past two days wasn't something I can call a real struggle. Perhaps it was a little awkward in my part for being a first timer. I don't know anything about being someone's girlfriend, so I had a lot of help from him. What I like about Damien is he doesn't burden me with the pressure of being the perfect one. He's not shoving to my face the things that girlfriends normally do. We act like normal people who don't flirt that much. I don't even think we act like couples around people. None of Ray or Damien's friends knew about us. This set up has really made me comfortable around him. Ideal, I must say, for a working progress like me.
Damien is not the guy I thought he was. This time, I am a hundred percent sure about what I am rambling about. This elation is not due to some scientific logic of love. This is a reality. This is my verdict of him.
Damien Etheridge is the man I have been praying to come. He's the first that I've always wanted, the change in my routine, the beginning of something beautiful, the rejected who's never lost hope in pursuing me, the crazy guy who never got tired of bullying me, the one I used to hate. All these he was, and yet I fell in love with him.
He's entirely a different person. I can only laugh at myself now for always judging him before, and I know I am an idiot for doing that. If only I can go back, I will definitely undo the biases and prejudices I have shown him. There's more to him I am glad to have discovered, and even his imperfections I already have learned to love. Perhaps those imperfections were the catalyst for this beautiful change. Such wonderful imperfection then!
My heart lightens every time I feel his goodness. He makes me happy. He fills my entire being with joy, and my days are always filled with expectations and dreams I have for the both of us.
I love being loved by him.
I love loving him.
"You're not peeking, are you?" he teases with his hand covering my eyes as he leads me to an uncertain place. I feel the grass brushes the sole of my footwear. I hear water flowing, the waves hitting the rocks, and the birds singing.
"I am not peeking!" I say.
"Slowly, babe." I hear him giggle. "We're almost there."
"I'm nervous about this, Damien."
"Trust me on this, Angel."
We stop, and his hands leave my eyes.
The view before me blows my mind. The nervousness turns into amazement as soon as I realize that my feet are stepping on a piece of paradise. I always knew how large Etheridge's place is, but I never imagined they are keeping a sanctuary... a paradise.
"A lake? You have a lake in your backyard?"
Maple, fir, and pine trees surround the glistening body of water, and somewhere in the middle of the crystal lake is a small island with a tiny wooden house which seems to be uninhabited. It is breathtakingly beautiful that I can't take my eyes off it. There are four swans resting just around the small house. The color of red maples and green firs reflects on the water and makes the sunset even lovelier.
"Are you crying?" he begins to tease.
"This is unbelievable!" I almost scream at the top of my lungs. "Oh, Damien! How can you keep something beautiful as this? This deserves to be seen!"
"I know, right?" He looks so amazed with my reaction that he can't help but smile. "Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it!" I jump and wrap my arms around him.
How can he always manage to make small things look so grand and beautiful?
"Thank you." I land a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Thought I deserve more than that," he grins. "I have one more surprise." He grasps my arm and pulls me to a wooden landing near the bank. There is a small white row boat snugly tied to the mooring.
"I prepared a little something for us, but we have to use this to get there."
"Where?" If this continues, I fear I won't be able to contain myself and just explode.
"Do you see those unlit lanterns at the other side of the lake?"
I nod. Indeed, there are about a dozen glass lanterns hanging on wires tied safely on the branches of the maple trees.
"We're going there." He goes down the row boat and offers his hand to help me.
"Are you serious?"
"Come on, baby. We don't want to miss the day, do we?"
"Okay."
As soon as we are seated, Damien starts to row using the wooden paddles. His arms bulge as he exerts effort. His display of strength makes him an eye-candy. It seems to me that he is enjoying the sight of redness that spread across my cheeks.
I know the long cold night is coming. The sun is setting down, and darkness commences to fill the firmament. Slowly, the stars are showing.
Just as we are near the opposite bank, I spot a small piece of red cloth laid on the grass. There are three square white pillows and a basket.
A smile is drawn on my face.
"And one more thing." He holds his pointer finger up, shows off his phone, and presses something in the middle. The entire lake lighted up. The lanterns glow and even the empty small house in the middle of the island lighted up in seconds. There are tiny floodlights outside the edges of its roof that make the waters light up, too. It is so beautiful to watch that I can feel tears running around my eyes.
"You really did prepare for this," I say.
"Well, it's just one of the few things I always do."
"Always?"
"Unfortunately, you're with a man loaded with experience."
What a smart way to brag about his expertise! He didn't really have to show it off because even before I liked him, I knew about his stunning reputation.
"And yet this man chose to be with me," I counter, grinning.
"I must be dumb!"
"I must be dumber!"
The row boat pauses at the landing. Damien jumps off the boat, pulls it by the rope, and ties it to the nearest wooden post, then he helps me into dry land.
"Thank you, Mr. Experienced!"
"You're most welcome, my angel," he says.
I lay my eyes on the beauty that surrounds me.
"This is too much of a surprise," I say as I hold his hands in mine.
"I was actually holding my breath waiting for your reaction," he coyly responds.
"For a good pleaser like you, I doubt this was difficult." He slides his hands around the small of my back and pulls me close to him. His face just inches away from me, I can't help but smile watching him melt away as he fixes his sole attention on me.
"I must confess, I lied about being experienced. I haven't done anything like this before, so I was quite nervous whether you'd like this."
"Well, for a first timer, you've done a really great job!" I stood on the balls of my feet to meet with his lips. He softly brushes his to mine, and I quickly feel the heat wrapping my neck and face.
"Enjoying every firsts so far?" He smirks.
"Very much!"
And I want him to know that I am currently living a dream because of him.
"So, what do we have here?" I ask, eyeing every item he pulls out of the basket.
"A bottle of red wine and hot chocolate."
"How considerate!"
"I can't get you out of my mind," he kids. "But seriously, I want you sober for the night."
"For what reason?" I ask with a sly grin. Damien wraps his arms around me as we sit on the mat, and I lay my head against his shoulder. His fingers interlace with mine, and my heart flutters at the sight of his flirtatious smile.
"For so many reasons." His whisper sends tingles down my ear.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" I raise an eyebrow. I want him to know that tonight won't end like that night in his apartment.
"Do I look like I'm seducing you?" he counters.
"Unsurprisingly, yes! You do appear like Colin Firth in wet breeches and shirt."
He shakes his head as though trying to suppress his laughter. "Can't believe you're one of those girls!"
"You don't want to be ridiculed, do you, Mr. Etheridge?"
"Surely, I don't!" His voice sounds apologetic after seeing my face turn sour. "But as for you, my angel, I'm surprised you're learning my ways."
"I'm a fast learner." I lean closer to him and bury my face in his neck, his warmth embracing me.
I wish this sense of security stays forever. Is it too much to ask? Is it too much for a wish? Is it too much for Damien to give? I just want him, all of him to be mine.
"Damien, don't get offended when I ask you this." I turn to face him. "Did you like me because of... you know. I mean, after that night you seemed to be so fixated on me. I can't help but wonder."
His thumb brushes my cheek with the assurance that his answer is not going to kill me inside.
"I must confess I was turned on a little." The boyish smile resurfaces, and his cheeks go red as he sees me staring at him intently. "But instantly, I knew you didn't want it. I can't do something like that to girls even if they ask for it. I knew that you were just forced to do it and that you're not the type of girl who asks random guys to sleep with her for money, but I was so curious that I had to do it to feed my curiosity and pride. And boy, was I wrong. I must have caused you so much bad memories."
"The truth is..." I trail off, breathing in the warmth that comes out of his mouth. Our faces are only inches away, and I swear I am already tempted to kiss him. "I was curious too of how it will be like. I knew it was wrong, and I knew that I shouldn't be doing it, but still, I didn't stop you. Maybe because I knew from the start that you won't harm me... that you won't do it."
"We're you scared?"
I nod then after running a few thoughts in my mind, I shake my head. "Maybe not as much as I used to think before. What scared me was failing to do it and going home empty headed, which I did."
"Why did you think I was the right prey?" he asks.
"I heard so much about you. I thought you'd give anything for sex."
"And?" His forehead wrinkles.
"And it appears that you were more than what I thought you were. To my surprise, you failed as the highly reputed ladies man."
"If it were another girl, I don't think I could control myself."
"Are you serious?" I tug him on his shoulder.
He bites his lower lip and beams.
"Just kidding! But who knows?"
"Don't ruin this night, okay, Mr. Etheridge?"
Damien pours wine into my glass and hands me a sweetened toast.
"Just one glass for you, my angel."
"And one glass for you too, my knight."
He shakes his head, smiling. "Two!"
"One."
"Okay, one it is."
"But maybe if you do me a bargain, I'd let you have two!"
"Hmm..." He squints his eyes as though measuring me. "You're going to regret this!" he continues as he gently pushes me down the ground.
My eyes widen, and I let out a soft squeal.
"I wasn't asking for this kind of bargain!"
"It's my game, babe." He leans in closer, and I wish the ground eats me so I can keep my distance from him.
"What are you trying to do?" Giggling, I feel air bubbling out of my chest. The butterflies are going berserk and the heat boiling up.
"Doing a bargain," he says, his voice sounding like a tempting Greek god.
Slowly, I feel his sneaky hand trailing up from my knee to my thigh. His touch sends shivers all over my trembling body. All I could do is murmur his name in between heavy breaths.
"I'm not ready for this." The words come out breathlessly. I feel like each word has to pass through a needle's eye. I want to just laugh at this, but humor and silliness suddenly disappear when Damien begins this unconventional crusade.
"Ssshhh..." He puts his finger on my lips, then his fingers slowly stroke the side of my face, following the outline of my lips and jaw.
Then, he lands a careful, calculated kisses on the side of my mouth, perhaps trying to coax me into responding. His hands carefully rest on my hips, massaging the fabric of my shirt. And although his touch isn't direct, I could feel the electricity raising every hair follicle in my body. Every fiber in me is heightened, and every cell is recharged. He can make wonders even more wonderful.
"I love you not because of this..." he says while his lips trail down my neck. "I love you not because you make me feel extraordinarily wonderful. I love you just because I love you, Angel."
Unconsciously, I feel a smile blooming on my face.
As I open my eyes, I see the dark sky almost void of stars. Its murkiness adds to the coldness of the night. One drop of water falls from above and lands on my delicate skin. From there, I know this has to end.
The angry sky begins to pour water on us heavily, and I couldn't stop laughing at the premature ending of this heat he started.
Damien pulls me up, muttering words I could barely hear. I bet he is cursing nature for not being so friendly this time. His hands grasp me tightly and led me to the landing where the row boat is.
"Are we going back now?" I ask with a slight tinge of disappointment as I watch him prepare the row boat and the paddles. I don't think it's safe to cross the water.
But Damien's face is devoid of sunshine, much like the grim sky that surrounded us.