The Beginning | Damon Salvatore #1

Chapter 13

Alex watched the ceiling for hours as if it would change or move and she could actually diagnose herself as clinically insane but nothing. She laid there and everything was perfectly still and sane. Eventually, she sat up in the bed, flinging her legs over the side and getting up. She didn't bother to be quiet anymore since she felt Damon and Stefan could trust her not to leave. However, the question of whether they were still keeping her hostage lingered in her mind.

She made it to the library where she'd left her Bible and sat herself on the couch next to the still-burning fireplace. She picked up the book and sat it in her lap, nervous to even look at the pages after what had happened. How was she supposed to make sense of it all in such a short time, it seemed, considering the book was huge?

Her fingers traced the edge of the cover before she opened it to where she left off. After days of reading and talking with Elena about it all, who was trying to keep up, Alex had somehow made it all the way to Daniel. She smirked at the name because in it was the story of the lion's den that Damon had joked about. She began reading, seeing the flashes of cartoon coloring pages she'd loved as a kid in Sunday school.

When she got to the part about Daniel being in the den, she was sad because the ones who were supposed to be on his side, the wise men who were jealous that they couldn't interpret the king's dreams, were the ones to get him thrown in the den. The ones who were supposed to support Daniel were the ones to try and kill him. She felt the anger in her chest.

She hadn't had any trouble believing everything the book was saying, but some of the stories were really hard to read because she was feeling all of it and understanding more than she thought she could. It was like she was there in real time, understanding all that God was doing for the Israelites and for other people who believed in Him, even if they weren't of the same lineage. She could see the essence of what her dad always taught her.

"Hey," a voice said. She jumped and nearly threw the book, earning a laugh from, she soon realized, Damon. "Sorry." He laughed.

"Hey," she said with only minor annoyance as she watched him sit at the couch on the other side of the little table.

"Wanna talk?" He asked, propping his elbows on his knees that were turned toward her; he wasn't sitting all the way back on the couch.

"I was just reading about the lion's den," she said, deflecting. He nodded, understanding that she wasn't really up for that conversation yet. "How do you know about certain Bible stories if you've never read it?" He looked at her intently.

"Well, Alexandra, I never actually said I hadn't read it, did I?" He asked sarcastically. Her brows furrowed at him as she closed the book and set it on the table between them. She adjusted herself to where her knees were now facing him as they both stared intently into each other's eyes. Alex was floored.

"You've read it and you didn't tell me?" She asked, shocked. Heat fluttered through her chest, feeling like she wasn't alone even though Elena had been reading it with her. This, though, felt like someone knew what she was trying to know and didn't tell her about it.

"We barely know each other, remember? I don't share my deepest secrets with strangers," he said, smirking at her. She shook her head a little in confusion.

"Kind of funny since you're telling me now," she said, seeing his body language stiffen a bit. She looked down at her hands in her lap; the scabs from picking at her cuticles were starting to come off.

"Listen, Alex," Damon said, getting her attention. She looked up at him to see the serious look in his eyes. "You aren't required to stay here anymore. If you want to leave, you can."

His eyes searched hers for any response and hoped his face wasn't showing that he secretly hoped she'd want to stay with him.

"I trust you," he said finally. She took in a deep breath and smiled.

"Thank you," she said. His eyes moved down to her hands and back up to her eyes in a glance. "But I think I need to stay here, if that's okay." His eyes darted back up to hers, trying to see if she meant it or if it was what she wanted. She smiled again.

"I want to stay," she said softly. His lips formed into a thin smile, making her chest warm again like it did around him. He nodded slightly before getting up from the couch and facing her.

"You can stay as long as you'd like, but if Elena moves in, one of us will have to move out," he said with a humorous smile. She giggled and shook her head.

"Come on, Damon. She's not that bad," she said, rubbing her hands over her bare knees as she brought them to her chest in the chair. He raised his eyebrows as he turned away from her.

"Oh, she's that bad," he said. When he was fully facing away from her, he was able to smile like he wanted to. "Get some sleep, Jesus freak."

She giggled as he disappeared and smiled into the fireplace. He trusted her. He really trusted her, and she'd earned his trust somehow; she'd earned the trust of the most stubborn vampire she'd ever encountered. What she didn't know was that he trusted her more than he trusted himself.