Should Have Not Asked - New Adult Romance (Wattys 2014)

Chapter 24 - Not An Illusion

Chapter 24 – Not An Illusion

Our faces go straight to the door, slamming and swinging against the wall. A breathless and pallid Damien appears. My tiny little voice fights a battle against my constricting and dried up trachea at the sight of him. With Haynes on top of me, and I helplessly lying over the desk, all my strength and power used up to defend myself, I feel my tears bursting out. The sight of him becoming an instant joy doesn't happen all the time. But this time, it feels more than that. Just the sight of him gives me security.

In just a matter of a few seconds, after blinking my eyes multiple times to get rid of the tears, I see Haynes being dragged away by Damien, pulling the old man's collar and thrusting the latter toward the shelf. Books fall over Haynes as he collides with the furniture and eventually, plummets to the ground. With that kind of impact, I thought Haynes would have broken his hips and spine, but he didn't as he's able to rise to his feet and stand erect in a couple of seconds. However, he's limping, his one hand is on his side to support himself, and his foot is behind the other being helplessly dragged by force.

Feeling the ghost of Hayne's unwanted touch on me, I rub my palms against the skin of my arm, wishing the friction could alleviate the hair-raising current that flows in there.

Stomping his feet, his nose flaring with apparent anger, his veins on his forehead and neck slowly engorging and threatening to rupture, and his fingers curved as if ready to wring Hayne's pale neck, Damien approaches the man who's having a difficult time to move his legs. By the time his hands reach Haynes, he quickly hits him hard thrice in the face until the latter falls back on the floor with his face and stomach first.

Fresh blood spills out of his nose, soaking the collar of his shirt. The edge of his mouth starts to discolor from red to purple. Bruises all over his face make Haynes almost look like a convict on parole during French Revolution.

Damien grabs his stained collar and pulls Haynes up from his embarrassing fall. His teeth are grinding, and his eyes are sharp as a sword's blade. "I can get you fired, you animal!" he hisses.

"Etheridge..." Haynes utters, blood bubbling out of his mouth, makes a trail down to his cheeks. His limbs have lost its strength, and they fall helplessly beside his trunk. Damien's muscles on his arms bulge as he carries all of Haynes' weight.

"I was just..."

"You were just what!"

"I swear I didn't touch her!" pleading, Haynes cries.

Damien thrusts him back to the ground. His eyes are filled with resolute anger that anytime he loses his sanity he could murder the poor teacher. I should know if Haynes lost consciousness or if he's dead, but since there is quite an obvious rise and fall of his chest, I begin to think otherwise. He's far from doom, I guess.

"Angel..." Etheridge softly and gently trudges his way to me with both arms open, ready to receive the shaken me. But not even those strong arms can remedy this fear I feel. I know that he can't do anything this time.

My legs are still shaking, my eyes widened, and my hair at the back of neck rise in terror.

I wish Haynes is injured to the point of not being able to walk again so he couldn't mistreat others. It's not good to wish ill for others, but because of what he's done to me, he deserves more than just plain words. I wish it becomes true.

"Angel," Damien utters again. He pauses when I flinch away from him. Surprise is drawn on his face.

Yes, he did save me, but it cannot erase the fact that he's the instigator of this mess. Who would have known about that supposed one night stand other than him? If he didn't breathe a word about that bargain to Haynes, this wouldn't have happened. I cannot blame anyone but him. Damien is one damn good actor.