Stay Away From Him
Chapter 6
Damon;
Fucking Layla.
I wouldn't mind taking Liv right here and right now, but with the horrified look in her eyes, I pulled away from her.
"We will continue this some other time," I murmured in her ears.
I turned to see Layla standing frozen at the door post, her eyes wide with disbelief, as she stared at us.
Deep down, I craved the satisfaction of the Intruder being anyone but her. Preferably Marcus. I'd have loved him to watch--to see the look in his eyes as I claimed his Fiancèe right in front of him. I would have loved him to know right now that she was mine first, way before he knew.
Layla was hot on my tail as I stormed back to my room.
"What was that I walked into, D?" She sounded distraught.
"Exactly what you saw, Layla," I said, just before I reached the bathroom door, "I am not in the right frame of mind tonight. So let it go."
She wanted to protest, but I turned my back on her and headed into the bathroom, my head a mess.
Layla shouldn't be here. But somehow, she was with me when I was booking my flight here, and insisted on tagging along.
She could be whiny, but she was incredibly soft. And after the death of her brother, Jason, my best buddy, three years ago, I'd taken it upon me to ensure she didn't spiral.
Things went downhill for us both during that period. Not only did I lose my best fuckin friend, I lost the love of my life. And in a way, in a twisted, fucked up way, Layla was there, and we sorta...became each other's coping mechanism.
Except she single-handedly put a tag on it and ended up catching feelings. I tried to care back. Or at least pretend. But the only woman my heart belonged to... is my peaches.
I stepped into the bathroom and started the shower, letting the water drain down my clothed body.
I was a mess, but all I could think of right now was how good it felt holding her again. How good it felt tasting her again. But the glaring knowledge that she wasn't mine made me blind with fury.
My fist gave out, smashing on the tiled wall in frustration. I heard the door open and soon enough, I felt her hands on my back, hugging me from behind.
My muscles tensed.
I was about to push her away when she said. "I know it sucks, D. Your parents won't be happy if you destroy....."
"I do not give a fuck about anyone," I gritted, my voice tight, "Go back to the room, Layla. I don't want to... hurt you."
But her hands tightened around me. "Layla." I warned.
I was one second away from losing it, and the effects of my rage are always a sore sight.
"Leave, Layla. I need to be alone," I repeated.
"But I can't leave you in this state. I'm your girlfriend, D. I should be able to share your worries with you."
My breath came out in short pants. "I wont to say it one more time. LEAVE!!"
Her hands left me abruptly. I closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply.
""Why?" she cried, stepping into my space, eyes brimming. Her trembling hands fisted by her sides, as if she didn’t know whether to hit me or hug me. I gritted my teeth. I could barely hear her over the sound of my own rage.
"Damon, don't tell me you're still in love with her? Can't you see? She ended things with you! She left when you needed her the most, D. I know you need closure, but...how do you think it made me feel when you spent these years searching for her?"
My brows raised. How did she know that?
"And what was it I walked into earlier?" she asked. For heaven's sake, she's marrying your brother! She's moved on."
That was it. The tiny thread holding my sanity together snapped loose, and in a split second, I had her pinned against the wall, while my hands clutched at her neck.
"I told you to fucking stay away, Layla." I growled. She coughed, taking my hands. "This is none of your business. So stay the hell out of it."
I released my hold on her, and she staggered out. This time, without any qualms.
But her words resounded in my head. It was true, though. She'd left when I least expected. When I needed her the most. I haven't healed from that, yet.
Olivia;
I tried to get my bearings after the horrific moment earlier. It was painfully clear that Damon showing up at this point in time would pose a much bigger problem than I'd imagined. And it's left to me to fight it out.
I was still standing in the same spot where he'd almost taken me, but this time with a towel tied securely around my body.
A single knock on the door made my heart almost jump out of my chest. The door was slightly open, but it was pushed wide open before I could make a move.
My body tensed on seeing her.
"Hello, Olivia."
Layla.
She looked oddly calm, compared to how terror-stricken she was when she'd walked in on us just a few minutes ago.
Her clothes were damp, but I couldn't give two fucks about that.
I swallowed the rage I felt as she came closer.
And closer...
"What do you wa--"
Layla's hand shot up, and a slap landed on my face, catching me off guard.
My eyes were instantly wide with confusion and fury. Just who does she think she is?
"Are you insa--"
I started to speak, but...
Smack!
Another slap echoed in the room, this one aimed at the other cheek. My cheek burned, and for a moment, everything inside me just... froze.
"God! I should have done that years ago, you slut!" She yelled, her face contorted with rage, "I don't know what games you're playing or what you hope to achieve with it, but... How the hell do you even do it? So desperate that you had to go after his brother? It was your plan to get him all the way here, wasn't it?"
I blinked at her, wondering what brand of crazy she’d swallowed this morning. "You...." I tried to speak, but was cut off. Again.
Her fingers flashed in my face, "Let this be an official warning to you, Olivia. Stay away from Damon. Stay away from my boyfriend--"
"Maybe you should put a leash on your "boyfriend" so he can get out of my face. Listen to me, Layla. I don't give one single fuck about you or Damon. Have fun with my leftovers, since that's what you're clearly good at."
Years, months of replaying that scene in my head. How her smug eyes had found mine that night. The unspoken words in them...
Her lips curled into that same smirk, her eyes all knowing. "You think you're special, don't you?" She said, "You think Damon ever loved you? You think he was really interested in you while you guys were together?"
My breath caught. I shouldn't be affected. I'd outgrown this, and I definitely didn't want to recall the past, but...
She stepped closer, leaning in, until there were barely an inch of space between us. "I bet you thought he would give a shit about you, or..." Her gaze drifted lower, voice a low whisper, "the child you were carrying then?"
My stomach dropped, a lump forming in my throat.
And her smile widened.
"I'm just helping you, Liv. But I bet you already knew that. Damon was only with you because he was attracted to your body. That's all. You were just a distraction. I would know, because I was right there before you came into the picture. My... brother was his best friend, remember? So I know everything. He just wanted to sleep with you, darling, and being the cheap whore that you are, you fell right into it."
Wow.
Her words burned.
I always knew Layla was a stuck-up, self-absorbed bitch. I saw right through her and I knew she never liked me right from the very start. I knew there was more to her, and I hated that it took me so long to realize just how far she'd go, just to spite me.
Layla straightened, her lips curling into a final smirk, satisfied with the wreckage she'd left behind. Then she turned, and walked right out the door.
My wobbly legs moved towards the do
or absentmimdedly, and this time, I locked the door behind her. My knees buckled. And for the first time in months, I let the tears fall.