Mine for the Year

Chapter 25

I cancelled on the dinner plans, convincing myself that it wasn't worth it. Being with him was torture, the pleasurable kind sure, but still torture.

"I'm going to go to Ash's." I told Damon, grabbing my thing. "I have to watch Emma."

He stood up with me. "Oh, that's fine. I'll come too, I haven't seen Emma all week. And we can grab dinner after if you want."

I squeezed my eyes shut. Why was he making this so hard. "Damon...it might be better if you don't see Emma too often."

"Why?" He frowned.

I shrugged helplessly. "I mean, after this engagement ends, you won't see her anymore. So there's no point in confusing her by having you around all the time right now." I winced at how harsh my words sounded. God, I was a selfish, awful person.

He nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense."

And that was that. I walked over to Ashley's house feeling awful. She knew something was wrong as I played with Emma.

"Come on, Liv, you're my best friend. I know when something's wrong. Talk to me."

"Ash, I'm ruined. Damon completely and utterly ruined me for anyone else."

She came over and hugged me. "Oh sweetie, that's not true. You'll move on with time."

I shook my head frantically. She didn't understand. "Ash, you don't understand. I love him. When I'm with him, I feel whole, complete. Not a mess anymore. He's the only person who's ever made me feel this happy since the accident." I burst into tears.

Ash held me in a motherly hug as I broke down. We talked for a little longer as she did her work before I decided to get back home. It was almost 6 and I had to talk to Matt today.

Saying goodbye, I slowly walked back to the penthouse. So lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the crowd of paparazzi that had surrounded me.

"Olivia! Have you and Damon broke off the engagement?"

"How did you feel when he cheated on you?"

"Is he making you sign a prenup?"

"Are you pregnant?"

Voices overlapped each other as they tried to ask me questions. I tried to keep my head down and walk away, but they wouldn't let me.

Panicking, I tried to look for help, but everyone avoided eye contact with me. It was New York after all; people minded their own business. With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed the first name that came to mind.

"Damon," I breathed a sigh of relief when he picked up.

He noticed the panic in my voice right away. "What's wrong Liv? Are you okay?" He demanded.

I tried to keep fighting the crowd, but they were not having it. "The paparazzi. They won't let me go," I mumbled into the phone.

"Where are you baby? I'm coming to get you," He was yelling over the phone.

I whimpered in response as a particularly large man shoved me in his attempts to get closer.

Damon growled on the phone. I told him where I was, and he was there in under two minutes, roughly pushing through the crowd to get to me.

He cupped my cheek and held me close to him. "Did they hurt you?"

I shook my head no, but that didn't stop him from turning around and shouting a string of profanities at the crowd. A few of them had the decency to look ashamed, but a majority looked like they couldn't care less.

I tuned them out as I tried to get control of my reaction. I had to stop running to him for help every time something happened. And I needed to stand up for myself, especially in front of the paparazzi.

Still, I was grateful he was there. I clutched the back of his shirt, burying my head in his torso. He pulled me into his side, and dragged me out of there, the paparazzi hot on our heels.

I sighed in relief as we managed to make it inside, turning to him shyly. "Thank you...for helping me out back there."

He smiled gently. "Of course Liv. You know you can call me anytime." I shifted uncomfortably and looked away from him at that.

I didn't realize how dependent I had become on him, in the smallest of ways. He was the first person I wanted to call for anything, good news or bad. The person I wanted to make laugh. The person I wanted to take care of.

As the elevator opened up to the penthouse, we both got off silently.

"Damon-" I began abruptly.

At the same time, he started. "Liv, we-"

We both paused and laughed a little. He motioned for me to go first.

I took a deep breath. "I think we need to talk."

He nodded. "Let's have dinner first. I'm hungry." He patted his stomach, which grumbled on command.

I giggled a little. "Damon, what're you going to do after I leave? We both know you couldn't cook to save your life."

He paused a little and frowned. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. "I forgot you were leaving so soon."

I raised an eyebrow, a little angry. "What about all that stuff you told Laney and Gabe? About how there were no feelings and how we were going our separate ways and it didn't matter."

His frown seemed to deepen, his eyebrows scrunching in that cute way they did when he was thinking. "I said that? That's not true at all, I was just trying to get them off my back about the dinner thing."

"Well, it's technically true, isn't it?" I didn't know how to react. I had spent the last week convincing myself he didn't care at all, but here he was saying that wasn't true.

Damon shot me a hopeful smile. "We don't have to stop talking to each other after this, do we? We can stay friends. I still want to see you and Matt and Ash."

I gave him a tentative smile. "If that's what you want."