Him & I

SIENNA-ROSE

Blue Eyes had his hands around my waist, and I was surprised by the tingles that spread across my skin. It felt right being in his arms; his touch didn’t make my skin crawl.

“Are you okay, Sienna-Rose?” I couldn’t answer because I wasn’t sure myself.

Physically, I was okay, to some extent. But mentally, I was a mess. I gave a slight nod because I didn’t trust my voice at that moment.

“I’m Damien Black. I saw you earlier at the café. You served me and my men in the VIP room.” His face was emotionless, but if you looked closely, you could see the anger simmering in his eyes.

I knew exactly who he was; he’d been on my mind all day. It’s funny how life works, throwing new people at you when you need them the most. I guess that’s destiny.

“You’re Sophie’s nephew, right? She told me a bit about you. But it seems like you’ve done some digging too. You called me Sienna-Rose, not just Rose. And if I remember correctly, I didn’t give you my name this morning.”

He looked a bit taken aback. I wasn’t sure if it was because I knew about him or because I knew he’d asked about me.

A smirk spread across his face, probably amused by the situation between us. We both knew we were intrigued enough to ask about each other, but neither of us was ready to admit it.

“Well, that is your name, isn’t it? I don’t know why you don’t use the whole thing, Angel. It’s a beautiful name, suits you.”

I could feel my cheeks heating up. Being a nineteen-year-old girl with a real-life Greek god in front of me stirred up strange emotions in my chest.

My vision finally cleared enough for me to look into his eyes. But as soon as I did, it was like a switch flipped in his head.

His eyes hardened when he saw the red mark, no doubt the start of another bruise on my cheek from the punch Marcus had thrown a few moments ago.

His eyes were filled with anger and disappointment.

I didn’t know why, but seeing that look in his eyes made me feel weak, like I’d somehow let him down.

I looked down at the floor. I couldn’t bear to see the look on his face, knowing that I was weak and a disappointment. I couldn’t even fight off Marcus and escape.

He gently lifted my chin with his thumb and forefinger to get a better look at my face.

His eyes hardened even more, filled with pure rage.

The disappointment was gone, replaced by pure, concentrated anger.

He started to check the rest of my body for injuries. Each time he found one, his face hardened even more.

His thumb began to stroke my face. It was comforting, and I didn’t understand why.

I wasn’t going to complain though. After the night I’d had, I needed all the comfort I could get. I certainly wasn’t going to get it at home from my parents.

When I looked into his eyes again, they were still filled with intense anger. I thought I heard him whisper, “I’ll fucking kill him for touching what’s mine.”

What did he touch that was his? I tried to think of everything Marcus could have touched, but I couldn’t come up with an answer. It couldn’t be me. I wasn’t his.

His eyes began to soften the more he looked at me. I realized that this was an intimate position for two strangers to be in, so I straightened up and took a small step to the side to put some distance between us.

His smile turned into a frown, and for some reason, I felt bad for causing him any distress.

“Thank you for saving me, Damien.” He gave me a small smile and a nod, as if to say “You’re welcome.”

“I should probably get my stuff and go home. Thanks again.”

I turned around and started to head for the back door again. Every part of me ached, and my vision was still a bit blurry. But I couldn’t stop now. I needed to get home and sleep this off.

As I reached for the door handle, I heard Damien’s voice.

“I’ll always save you, Sienna.”

With a small smile, I continued to the back room, grabbed my stuff, and got changed, ready to leave.

I didn’t know why I felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on a boy, but I knew I was attracted to him. My body practically screamed it every time he was near.

It was like a powerful energy entered my body, pulling me toward him every chance it got.

Pushing these feelings aside, I walked out the front entrance with my bag over my shoulder. Just thinking about the walk to the bus stop made my muscles ache. But I started walking anyway.

The sooner I got there, the quicker I could get home and sleep.

Before I could get five steps away from the club, a car pulled up next to me. Could I ever catch a break?

The window rolled down, and I saw one of the guys from the VIP room in the passenger seat, with Damien in the driver’s seat.

“Need a ride home, Angel?” Damien slowed the car to match my pace.

“I’m just going to take the bus, it’s fine.” He didn’t look pleased with that answer.

The car came to a complete stop, and the unknown guy got out and moved to the back seat. Damien stuck his head out of the window and gave me the most intimidating look I’d ever seen.

“Get in the car, Angel. I’ll take you home. Taking the bus after the night you’ve had isn’t a smart idea.”

He was right. I was still a bit rattled from the earlier incident. A chill ran down my spine and I could feel the tears welling up just thinking about the what-ifs.

I didn’t want to relive tonight’s events, so I figured it was best to hitch a ride with Damien. I didn’t believe he’d hurt me. If he had wanted to, he had the perfect opportunity back in the alley.

I set my bag down at my feet and gave Damien my address. He offered a small, comforting smile and started the car.

We drove in silence for about five minutes, but it was short-lived. Blondie in the backseat decided it was the perfect time to strike up a conversation.

He glanced at Damien through the rearview mirror, as if waiting for him to speak.

“Well, if you’re not going to introduce me, I’ll do it myself. Hi, I’m Cole, this jerk’s best friend. I just wanted to say that your performance in the VIP room was unforgettable. Where’d you learn to do that?”

I had almost forgotten about the VIP room incident until Cole brought it up. This night was turning into one big disaster. If there was ever a time when my luck ran out, it was tonight.

I just shrugged. “I hear that a lot, actually. I have to tell at least fifty guys—and sometimes a few women—to keep their hands to themselves every day. So, I guess it’s just a lot of practice.”

Damien looked like he was about to strangle the steering wheel—his knuckles were white—but I didn’t say anything, afraid he might redirect that anger at me.

The car fell silent after that. No one spoke, but I didn’t mind the quiet. It gave me a chance to reflect on the past few hours. Today really hadn’t been my day.

Before long, the car pulled up in front of my house. It wasn’t much, but it was home. Without wasting any time, I grabbed my bag, opened the door, and hopped out.

I turned back to look at Damien. His face was unreadable, like a riddle I couldn’t solve, probably because the answer kept changing.

Even though we’d only met a few times, he never gave anything away. The only time I saw any real emotion was when he saw my bruises. He was a puzzle, and I had a feeling some of the pieces were missing.

“Thanks for the ride. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me tonight.” I gave him a tight smile and slipped into the house as quietly as I could.

I didn’t want to face the consequences of waking my so-called father at this hour. I started for the stairs but froze when I noticed the living room lamp was on.

No one should be awake at this hour.

I cautiously peeked around the corner and saw my father sitting in the chair, facing my direction.

My breath hitched when our eyes met. This wasn’t like when Damien looked at me. This was frightening and intimidating, not at all welcoming. I was in for a long night.