Discovering Truths by B. Benfield (chrysanthemum read aloud .TXT) 📕

to the hotel. I wasn’t trashed, but I had a small buzz. I’d been leaning on alcohol a lot lately, searching for a distraction from my reality. I knew it was wrong, but it helped me through. It numbed the pain, if only just a little.

Damien placed his hands around my waist, steadying me as I walked. “Is this okay?” he asked.

Honestly, it felt a little awkward, but I was too out of my mind to care. “Yeah. You’re good. Thank you for being a good guy. You’re a good friend.”

His only reply was a soft smile and I noticed something in his eyes, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was exactly.

We made it to the hotel and rode the elevator up to our floor. He walked me to my room and I slid the key in, opening the door.

“See you in the morning, okay? Set your alarm.” He said.

“I will. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Crawling into bed, I fell asleep quickly, refusing to allow my mind to enter the dark space it so often visited. No Marcus, no Gage, and no depression. The only thing on my mind was the day ahead, and bringing some type of joy to my life, even if only temporary. I knew when I went back to Melbourne, things were changing for me. That gut feeling I had still made itself known, reminding me that my life was far from happy.

Chapter Thirty-Six

 

I rolled out of bed at seven -thirty and hopped in the shower immediately. I was pumped for the day ahead. It had been a while since I had some real, innocent fun. Sure, Melinda and I spent time together, but it always went back to me complaining about all the troubles in my life. I was ready to enjoy the day with my new friends. I was happy I met them. People come into our lives for a reason. That thought took my mind to Gage. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find the reason for his existence in my life.

My phone buzzing from its spot on the bed grabbed my attention. Wrapped in a towel, I walked out of the bathroom to check it.

Damien: Breakfast in the lobby at 9:30?

Me: Sure! I’ll meet you down there.

Dressed in light jean capris and a pink blouse, I pulled my long hair up into a ponytail and curled the ends. With one last glance in the mirror, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs. Damien was waiting for me at a table with two cups of coffee and a plate of fruit.

“Morning,” he said. “I wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee, so I just grabbed a bunch of cream and sugar packets.”

I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down smiling. “This is great. Thank you.”

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Not bad,” I said, stirring my drink. “Actually, pretty good. Which is unusual for me. How about you?”

“I slept pretty good myself.”

“Nice. You ready for this day?”

“I am. It will be nice to just chill…especially after the week we’ve had.”

“Exactly. I never do stuff like this. I’m excited to get out.”

“I know the feeling.”

We drank our coffee and picked around at the fruit when Taylor strolled in at five minutes after ten.

“The party has arrived!” she exclaimed.

“Five minutes late.” I smirked.

“Listen, it’s not my fault,” she said. “The traffic was ridiculous.”

“Just giving you a hard time. Lead the way, my dear.” I said.

Damien and I stood from the table, and he placed his hand on the small of my back as we followed her out to her car. He opened the door for me and allowed me to slide in the backseat before he followed in behind me.

“Really? You guys are both sitting in the back? What am I, your freaking chauffer?” she asked playfully, eyeing us in the rearview mirror.

“You are today.” Damien said.

“You two should date. You’re cute together.”

My head fell to my hands and I could feel my cheeks heat. Oh my gosh.

“Taylor, really?” I asked.

Damien laughed and in that moment, I’d never been more embarrassed in my life. Her comment sent my mind wandering. If my life wasn’t such a cluster, maybe Damien would be a good potential partner for me. He was a gentleman, we got along well, and yeah, I was attracted to him. There was only one problem. Could I ever feel for someone like I felt for Gage? He ignited a fire inside of me that I’d never felt before. I wasn’t sure that it could ever be matched. I still had hope for our future. My love for him was that strong.

We drove through the city, arriving at our first adventure. We climbed onto the trolley and others followed, filling every seat. We sat together laughing and being silly as we rode through the city. It felt good to let loose. Our tour guide was awesome, with his funny commentary as we rode along, passing by all the “must-sees” of Atlanta. After an hour and a half, the ride was over and we climbed off, heading back to Taylor’s car.

“What’d you think?” Taylor asked.

“It was good! Maybe another weekend we can visit some of the places he showed us. I mean we do have a few more weeks of training.”

“That’d be fun.” Damien said.

“Am I invited?” Taylor asked, smiling.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be dumb.”

We pulled into a parking lot and climbed out, following Taylor as we walked through the busy city.

“So, this is downtown Atlanta if you couldn’t tell.” Taylor instructed.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Damien said with a smirk. “There’s only signs on every corner.”

“Okay now, smartass…” she said, playfully slapping his arm.

My head fell back as I laughed. “Whoa! Watch it, you