Delicate

Chapter 34

William's P.O.V

Damon's family home was beautiful.

The walls were coated in a gentle cream coat that was the base for several art pieces and numerous framed photographs.

The cream color shifted slightly in tint when it came to the large, marble pillars that seemed to climb the walls for ages until it finally reached the arching ceilings which resembled that of a unique dome.

But that wasn't what made this home so undeniably beautiful. 

It was the fact that it felt like a home, a lived-in space that spoke of beautiful memories and experiences at every turn.

There was a never-ending sea of pictures that lined all the hallway walls we passed through, some small and others dauntingly big, but all offering me blurred glimpses into a childhood that seemed to be filled with nothing but joy.

Happy faces were showcased in every single photograph, bright smiles filling in the details where my eyes failed to.

I couldn't find a single fault in any besides the fact that I couldn't see them properly or pick out which of the beaming faces belonged to Damon.

I let my eyes pull from the walls and back to the man who owned my heart.

I release a breath of air I hadn't even realized I was holding when a clear image of him fills my vision.

His sharp features were now tight with tension and discomfort as he stared ahead at his parents who were directly in front of us, leading the way through their beautiful home with stiff movements that mirrored Damon's. 

As for where we were heading, well, that destination was still unknown.

I didn't need to turn around to know that Damon's siblings were right behind us, all except Peter who was still at Damon's other side.

The poor boy had kept to his word and hadn't let him go since.

I didn't know if Damon saw it, I doubted he did with the onslaught of emotions that had cascaded over him with being back home, but I definitely did. I saw the seemingly, unintentional formation the family had made to keep Damon caged between them all.

It was a silent attempt to keep him from leaving.

That was clearly their biggest fear from all this, him leaving again. 

Something I assumed may have been an option but I was clearly realizing was definitely not. And that wasn't only because of his family, they were a factor, but I could tell that Damon didn't want to go anywhere as much as they didn't want him leaving.

Which allowed for the question I'd been pushing away to wiggle its way to the surface - what the hell were we going to do when it came time for me to go back and Damon didn't want to?

At the slight squeeze to my fingers, I escape my unwanted thoughts and blink up at Damon who was already looking at me with an almost audible question in his eyes. I offer him a quick smile in response, assuring him that I was fine. 

But he doesn't smile back when I send the same question his way.

Instead, he tightens his hold on my hand and redirects his attention to his parents as they walked into a large room that was illuminated by the floor to ceiling windows that lined the wall to the right. Giving notice to the large dining table in the center and one large painting that occupied the majority of the opposing wall.

Turning to face us once more, I meet blue eyes all too familiar to ones I loved and black, haunted ones that mirrored a fear I'd come to know as well.