You seem Star Shaped. (Blur/Oasis)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Come on Lyla, it's not that cold!" Damon shouted across to me, though his chattering teeth told me otherwise. It was nearing midnight and the reflection of the moon was casting shadows over his body.

We'd had a few too many glasses of wine with dinner, which led to me sharing a joint or two with Dames, which then ultimately led to us deciding that we just had to go skinny dipping. Though now I was stood on the beach wrapped up in my dressing gown, with Damon's crumpled up by my feet, I wasn't too sure that it was such a good idea.

"Come on Eliza" He whined, splashing the water around him with his hands.

I took a deep breath before throwing my dressing gown on the floor and running into the sea, wrapping my arms around Damon once I was close enough.

"Oh my god Damon it's fucking freezing" I screamed, letting go of him and turning to run back out of the sea, but Damon was quicker than me, grabbing hold of my hand and pulling me close to him again.

"Don't be so boring" He teased, mockingly pouting at me before leaning forward and placing his lips against mine. The kiss took me by surprise, though that didn't stop me from pressing my body closer to his as I kissed him back.

He bent his knees slightly and pulled me closer to him so that my own thighs were practically sitting on his. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his torso, knowing that one tiny wrong move and we would be having sex in the middle of the North Sea.

I pulled away from the kiss with a laugh, resting my forehead against his as I did so.

"I'm not having sex with you in the sea, so don't even try it" I warned, though I think my laughter removed any seriousness from my words.

"Why not?" He questioned, over dramatically frowning as he did so.

"Damon, I can think of a thousand reasons why not, it's not happening" I told him firmly, though my laughter soon broke through my words. Just the idea of having to tell him why we wouldn't be shagging in the sea seemed completely bizarre to me.

Things had been... odd over the past few days. Damon and I had both cried, a lot, though for once it was him crying more than me. He'd opened up to me about the panic attacks, which I thought had died down, but that actually kept him awake most nights. He told me that one night his heart was beating so fast, chest so tight that he actually believed he was going to die, he was alone and completely terrified. He told me how miserable life had become, how much he regretted the country house battle. He would walk down a road, into a supermarket and they would deliberately play oasis, just to get a reaction from him. He told me that he found it funny the first time it happened but now, after it occurring almost daily, it half killed him.

Justine had phoned him yesterday, I couldn't hear what she was saying but I aimlessly sat by Damon's feet trying to work out the direction the phone call was going in. The coward had called time on their relationship, broken up with him over the phone. I was heartbroken for him, their five year relationship seemed meaningless enough for it to be ended on a phone call. He told me that she was like me, a tough exterior but hated confrontation so he wasn't surprised she had ended things over the phone, but I was still angry. They both deserved far more closure than a phone call could bring them. He told me that he had agreed to pretend to be with her until the year was out, they had far too many invites to events to cancel. Damon wasn't too bothered, he didn't need the money or the publicity they gave but he knew how much Justine wanted it, so he reluctantly agreed to it.

It had been a rough night, I had never thought he'd be this heartbroken over her, there were times that I had doubted he even loved her, but he was so unbelievably upset. Though, this morning had come round and he looked lighter, happier. The bags from under his eyes had started to fade, his eyes looked brighter and his smile was wider. It was amazing what sea air does for the mind and soul.