Recap: " I can't."
Damien's POV ♣️.
I can't.
Those two words pierced my heart like daggers. I was also rejected by Sasha, but this…this hurt way more than that. It stung. Really badly.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at her. She tugged at my hand gently telling me to let go but I held on even tighter.
" Why?" I asked my voice cracking.
" I…I just can't. I'm sorry." She said wiping her tears with her other hand.
" I want to know why." I stated.
" Kimia I am not going to let you leave until you tell me why you can't say yes. Why we can't be together."
" Damien you don't understand."
" Then make me understand."
" Kimia I am in love with you. And I know you feel something for me too. Even if it's not love."
" I don't." She croaked.
" You are lying Mia. And we both know that. If it's true then look at me when you say it. Look me in the eyes and say it."
She gulped but she couldn't meet my eyes.
" Why are you making it so difficult?!, Kimia I'm in love with you why are you being difficult?"
" You don't understand." She stated shaking her head.
" Then make me!, Mia make me. You keep telling me that I don't understand and I don't even know what to understand."
" You don't understand the pain love causes!" She yelled snatching her hand away and moving backwards.
" You don't know!"
" I do know. Sasha-"
She chuckled bitterly cutting me off.
" That was rejection. Not pain. She still loves you, she said it herself. You don't understand the real pain love causes. You've never had your heart ripped out by someone you love."
Tears were flowing furiously down her cheeks by now as she glared at me.
" You don't understand how I felt after Nathan. You don't understand how Rosa felt when Lucas abused her for years and he still claimed he loved her. You don't know the pain love causes.
Love is dangerous. Love is deceitful. Love is cunning. Love is painful. I am not about to subject myself to any further pain."
" Yes. I don't know what you went through. Yes love is all those things. But love also has a different side. Love is patient."
I took a step forward with each word I spoke.
" Love is kind."
" Love puts others before self."
" Love cares."
" Love never gives up, and I won't."
" Love never dies, and my love for you won't. Let me show you the other side of love. Please."
I knelt down once again and held her hand.
" I'm scared." She croaked softly.
" I am too. I've never been in love with anyone before you. But I promise you that I won't hurt you like Nathan did."
" I-I-I can't say it back. The words. I'm not ready."
" I understand. Just take your time. You don't have to say it now. Whenever you're ready, I'll still love you."
She trembled as the tears flowed. I stood up and held her face in my hands wiping the tears away.
" How are you so sure we'll still be together after the mission?, Anything can happen-"
" Sssh!…just forget about that for now and enjoy the present. Tomorrow will sort itself out."
" Yes." She whispered softly and I did a double take.
" Wait!, Really?!"
She nodded and I grinned. I lifted her and spun her in the air and she let out a shaky laugh. I placed her down and hastily brought out the ring that I had stashed in my pocket when the drama began.
I slipped it onto her finger and grinned.
" Can I change my mind?" She asked.
" Too late." I said smiling cheekily and she laughed.
I kissed her hard and pressed her against the wall. I showed her just how happy I was that she said yes. She moved my hands from her face and placed them on her waist as I wrapped her legs around me.
We eventually came up for air and I trailed my lips down her neck till I reached her collarbone. I sucked on the skin there and she tugged at my hair. My lips trailed further down till I reached the swell of her breasts where I kissed softly. She moaned softly and I groaned.
Let's just say she was getting Damien jnr excited. Very excited.
I pulled away and kissed her softly on her lips again.
" I love you." I said and she smiled in response stroking my cheek. I leaned into her touch purring slightly and she laughed.
Her ring caught the light and I caught her staring at it.
" You don't like it?"
" No! I do. It's really beautiful, thank you. Why and when did you get it?"
" I got it a few months back. The day we went to the beach and kissed inside an alley. It reminded me of you. Simple yet beautiful. So I thought ' why not?'"
" I love it." She replied staring at me but I know she meant " I love you."
I grinned and hugged her tightly.
" You just made me the happiest man in the world." I mumbled and she smiled.
***
I wrapped my arms around her as we stared at the sea through the balcony connected to our room. She sighed as the cool sea breeze hit her face. Her wavy mass of hair was pulled into two thick braids at the back of her head allowing me to see her face clearly under the moonlight.
The soft lighting of the moon gave her softened features making her look angelic. Her mismatched irises seemed to sparkle in the dim light.
" You okay?" I asked.
" Yeah. You?"
" Honestly, I'm not."
" What's wrong?"
" I'm kind of scared."
" Of what?"
" Of Henry's reaction when he finds out about us."
She laughed and I stared at her blankly.
" You're really laughing?, Kimia your godfather is the USA's Minister of Defence. He can make me disappear without a trace!"
" He wouldn't do that once he knows how much you mean to me." She said and I smiled.
" I don't blame him for being protective of you. If I had a goddaughter as beautiful as you I'll be protective of her too."
She giggled and leaned into me.
" I'm basically his only child."
" He doesn't have a child?"
" Yeah, his wife died before they could have any kids."
" No wonder he cares about you so much."
" He was even more protective than my dad. I remember when I was in 7th grade, there was this guy in my class that I hated. Jake McFarland, he stole my first kiss. I was so upset that day that I didn't speak to my dad or Henry.
So the next day they bribed all my classmates with candy in a bid to find out what happened."
" What did they do to Jake?"
" I don't know. He apologized and the next week, he was gone."
" That's reassuring." I said sarcastically and she giggled.
We stood there watching the sea as it glistened under the moonlight in each others arms where we both belonged.
***
Салом🤗!,
She said yes😭😭,
Well eventually 😒.
Did you like it?
Stay safe 😷.
Bye!!