Facing him again (complete)

Chapter 20 - Amends

TJ's POV

The past couple of days was lonely without Azora. I was currently outside staring at the clouds aimlessly, waiting for the time to pass. Not being able to text her was torture and I was already missing her terribly.

I heard footsteps behind me, Damion came to stand next to me. "Do you mind if I join you?" I just shrugged in response and he sat down next to me. I could feel the tension between us.

We sat in silence for a while before Damion cleared his throat before he spoke. "I'm sorry TJ." At his words my head snapped towards him, shocked that those words came from his mouth. What just happened? "Don't look at me like that. I know we are both proud and I knew this had to come from me. I'm sorry for acting like an *ss."

I stared at him blinking, my mind went blank."Who are you and what did you do with Damion?" He chuckled softly at my words and I could already feel the tension dissipating. "I'm serious Damion. Since when do you apologist first when we fought?"

"Reality hit me like a train on steroids bro, that's what happened. I realized that we are both proud and stubborn, I also realized that all this mess was my doing. I made everything worse by being stubborn and selfish." He pulled his fingers though his hair looking up at the clouds waiting for my response.

I slapped him on the back unexpectedly taking him off guard. His face morphed into anger but when he saw my smile he smiled back. "That my brother from another mother, is all I wanted to hear. Your apology is accepted, but that does not mean our conversation ends there." I allowed the words to hang in the air waiting for it to sink in.

Just as I was about to speak up, Damion spoke. "I know we did not really talk about the day I left her. I just want to thank you for standing by me even though I know you never approved of what I did. I also know that I will never really understand the pain she went through, just like she will never know how much I regret what I did every second of every day and that I will have to live with that. I have been wanting to ask this for a while now but some how I came up short every time, realizing that I don't really want to know, but I need to know." He took a deep breath and I was thoroughly confused now but I allowed him some time till he was ready to continue. "What happened after I left? Azora told me a bit but I want to hear it from your perspective."

This is what I have been waiting for, a chance for me to tell him in every detail possible what happened, to try and paint a picture as colorful and vivid as I could with my words, but looking at him now I could see how his own memories of that day haunts him and I realized the need to make him feel the pain I saw her go through disappeared. I sighed feeling the whole world setting on my shoulders as memories came to mind of that day. It was such a happy day and despite my feelings for Azora I was truly happy for them. I remember how beautiful she looked when I slipped away and went to see her before the wedding.

~Flashback~

I knocked lightly on the door I knew she was behind. I could hear her speaking with her mother. "Just a second!"  She called out. I stood waiting patiently for them to finished and before I could gather my thoughts her mother opened the door and stepped out. she smiled at me. "I'll give you two a minute" .

As I stepped in I could smell her favorite perfume in the room, a smell I have come to love. As I rounded the corner I was not prepared to see the stunning woman in front of me. My breath hitched in my throat  as my eyes caught hers in the mirror. She was sitting by the vanity, her back straight and shoulder back. Her red and white gown spread around her hugging her in all the right places. Her veil covered her back and reached all the way to the floor making her look like an elegant angel. Her hair was elegantly put up with just the right amount of makeup to bring out her true beauty. I was speechless and when she gave me a dazzling smile I could feel my world shift. " You look ... I ... You ..." I stammered over my words and wound up with just a breathless "wow".