Over the Edge ☆ Danny Edge {EP}

☆ Chapter 18 ☆

Somehow we ended up back at Danny's apartment. I'm not sure how it happened- after the after-kiss dinner-date I was supposed to break off ties and go my own way. And yet I was here, with Danny, Paul asleep in the room over.

Not to mention that we were sitting on Danny's bed. I'm almost certain that anyone would be overjoyed to be where I was now; anyone but me. My hands twitched as I tried to figure out some way of escape.

Danny looked at me. He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. He was just contagious that way.

And then he was kissing me. Apparently the movement of his lips was contagious, too, because I was kissing him back without hesitation. And I was enjoying it. But I needed to get out.

In the dimness of the room, all I could see was Danny. His taste, his scent overwhelmed and consumed me. Everything was melting together in a blob of happiness and warmth.

Until it wasn't. Suddenly, Danny withdrew from the kiss, his handing conforming to the shape of my jaw.

"Cassie? Why are you crying?" Even in the dark I could make out the concern on his face. An expression that he was making because of me. The tears began to trickle down in a steady stream until I could no longer control myself.

I doubled over, laying my head on Danny's lap. He didn't even hesitate, his hand immediately making its way to my hair and threading it's way through the tangles. His other hand traced circles on my back, soothing me.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. You know that, right?"

I nodded against Danny's leg, wishing I could burrow into the ground. He didn't understand; it's not what I didn't want to do, but rather, what I lacked the courage to do.

"I want to kiss you until I can no longer breathe, but at the same time I can't." I muttered into his leg.

"It's okay if you're not ready for that sort of thing."

"No," I shook my head, "you don't understand. It's not that I'm not ready for that sort of thing. I just can't do it. I can't let us do it."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't be in this sort of a relationship with you." The words spilled out before I could stop them, accompanied by another set of tears. I looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

Danny's hand lifted my chin slightly until we'd made eye contact. It was as if his blue eyes were digging into me, searching for an answer without words. "What do you mean?" He repeated hesitantly.

"A relationship between you and me," I choked on the words, clearing my throat before continuing, "could never work."

"What do you mean?" He asked yet again, his voice raising slightly. "What did I do wrong?"

Oh, Danny. What he didn't understand, what I hoped to protect him from, was the fact that I did everything wrong. He was perfect, and here I was, a mess, inside out. A part of me wanted to apologize and continue to kiss him. The other part of me knew I couldn't, I shouldn't; I wouldn't.

"Nothing." I finally choked out before quickly standing. "I just need to go." My feet began to move on their own toward the door. Of course it's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to know Danny better than anyone else could, to learn about his pros and cons and what made him tick. But at the same time, I knew I had to do what was right for both of us and leave.

A warmth suddenly took hold of my hand, breaking me away from my thoughts. I found myself turned around, facing Danny as a sole tear fell down his cheek. Before I could protest, my back was pressed against the wall, Danny's lips against mine.

"What are you doing?" I forced out as he took a moment to breathe, pushing his chest lightly. I had never thought of him as the sort to kiss another so forcefully. The sudden image of Jason came to mind, but I pushed the thought away. They weren't alike in the slightest.

"I just got you." Danny's head fell against my chest, his hair hanging over his eyes. I could see his hands ball into fists from either side of my peripheral vision. "I can't just let you leave me like this."

He picked his head up, leaning over slightly so that his deep blue eyes were parallel from my own. "Please." His voice cracked slightly. He sounded so weak, I couldn't help but want to hug him and never let go. "Please, just tell me what's wrong."

"Danny, you wouldn't understand." The words physically hurt me as I forced them out, tearing my eyes from his gaze. I pushed him away again, looking at the ground as I continued my route to the door.

"At least give me the chance to understand." Danny's voice was pleading from behind me. "Tell me everything, please. I just need to know what is happening."

"I swore I'd never tell anyone." Tears began to fall from my eyes yet again. "Nobody ever understands. I can't- I won't let you break my heart."

"I promise I won't. I promise I'll stay by your side no matter what you tell me. I cross my heart." I'm fairly certain he was using his fingers to literally draw a cross over his heart. The mental picture of him doing this made me smile slightly, and in that moment, I decided to do something I hadn't done in a long while.

I decided to believe his promises and tell him everything.

I turned, grabbing his elbow and leading him back to the bed. Once we were both situated against the headboard, I enveloped both of his hands within my own.

"I have this thing, I don't even know what it is." My voice immediately began to sound strangled, but I was determined to finish. Danny's hands squeezed mine reassuringly, causing a small smile to break through my tears. "I'll just wake up and, well, hate everything. It's like I'm not even in my body- in those moments I can do anything, and not usually in a good way.

"I'm not bipolar." I continued, sniffling a bit. "At least I don't think so. As far as I know, I don't have a split personality and I'm not depressed, either. I just have these..." I paused, trying to muster up the word to describe it, "episodes of anger and hurt and pure hatred. I can't control when it happens, I can't control it while it happens, and most importantly, I can't control who it happens around and who I hurt."

My voice cracked dramatically as I finished my spiel. "I just don't want to hurt you."

Despite his earlier words, I immediately expected him to turn away, to spit at my face in disgust. I looked at the bedsheets instinctively, hoping to hide the impending flush of emotions when he rejected me. No one could accept someone after being told something like that.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around me. I found myself pressed against Danny's chest, his alluring scent overtaking the air.

"What're you-"

"I promised to not leave you. I intend to stick by that promise." He mumbled, tickling my neck slightly.

"You don't have to do it because you feel obliged to." I said, pushing his arms from around me.

"I don't feel obliged to, Cassie." He tightened his arms around me, pressing me back against his chest. "I want to stick around because you make me feel happy in a way I don't think I've ever felt before. I'm glad that you've told me about this problem and I'm glad that I get to be there for you. And I do not intend on leaving."

In that moment, I felt happier than I had in a long time. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and Danny had managed to be my savior yet again. For the first time that night, I found myself crying from sheer happiness. 

☆ ☆ ☆

(a/n) 

So, for those of you who happened to read the *Please Read* note, you may be happy to find that I have decided to continue the story from it's last chapter. I think I found a spin of her emotions that will allow me to reach my pre-planned ending. 

Thank you for reading~! Don't forget to comment your thoughts, vote if you liked it, share with others who might like it and follow me if you like my writing style :)

QotC: What do you think of Danny and Cassie's "intimate" moment together?

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