Stay with Me by Awesomekristii (primary phonics .TXT) 📕

DAMIEN

The moment her body stilled I knew something wasn’t right with her. I had always had the feeling that her past wasn’t white butterflies or lilies. They were as dark as the inside of a cave, deep and hollow.

I couldn’t sleep that night knowing the girl I had in my arms wasn’t having peaceful sleep for how long. The moment she had kept her palms over mine and entangled our fingers, I knew something had driven her to do that.

Yet, despite everything I didn’t know how to ask her about them. I still didn’t know if she trusts me that much to confide in the truth of her past. David hadn’t been much success in finding anything except the fact that her past was related solely to Rhinestone.

I had the feeling if I had to know her past I had to dig it out from there. Only then I could know who the person was behind the note she received.

I had read that, the exact day she had received it on Aria's birthday while rummaging through the drawer. The words had stilled me in my position with the registration that Lilah wasn’t safe at all.

The past same feelings resurfaced again. Fear of losing. Last time I had lost but this time I wouldn’t let the fear succeed.

Under this façade of us, I didn’t even know when I had begun to care for and adore her so much. It wasn’t love, that’s not the option, I couldn’t love someone. Not after I saw how my love for them tore them apart.

I looked over at the crossroads in front. The signboard had words written in black, bold letters.

RHINESTONE ➨

I had made up my mind that unless I look into this myself, I wouldn’t be able to know anything about her.

“Are you sure about this Damien?” I looked at the voice of Steven and nodded. The choice was clear as daylight. Depending on David alone I couldn’t let Lilah suffer in her past, days after days.

“I am.” I took a turn towards the narrow road leading to our destination. Steven had agreed to accompany me, and I didn’t object, knowing he wasn’t someone to listen to me like my employees.

The road was lined up with thick bushes both sides along with tall trees. I couldn’t remember I had ever been here, yet the name of the place sounds so familiar. I looked over at Steven and saw him bobbing his head up and down with the music blasting in his earphones. I hadn’t allowed him to play them inside the car.

His music taste could never match mine and moreover I wasn’t in a mood for such refreshments. I hadn’t told him why we were visiting the place, except that it’s important for Lilah. Maybe because he had grown close to Lilah after the visit in the office and even this weekend they were going to have a session where he was going to teach her to play better guitar.

I shouldn’t be bothered with that, yet I couldn’t help myself feeling the unknown emotions surging up.

“Bro, this place screams inhabitance. ” I sighed shaking my head. I had to tell him.

“This place is connected to something of Lilah's past.” That perked his interest while I began to explain him from the first about how I found her till the unknown letter.

His expression was what I had expected. Shock and worry lined up his features. “She isn’t safe.” I nodded at him, taking a swift turn with the direactions in the sign board.

“She isn’t. And Rhinestone is the only place to know a little about her.” He didn’t say anything more, but I could see his former happy mood had vanished into thin air.

We stopped in front of a gas station. Steven walked out to buy two bottles of coke for us, while I stayed behind with my phone.

I paid for the gas when I heard my phone buzzing in my pants pocket. I shoved it out and meet with a least expected caller ID.

Lilah

“Hello,” I spoke receiving it and heard some shuffling sound from behind.

“Hi.” Her voice was softer in call as compared when we were in person. “Umm… Grandma was asking will you be there for dinner?” Something in her voice betrayed her and I caught a feeling that it wasn’t grandma who was asking this. She could have called me by herself.

I didn’t break that to her. “I will be back before that.” She hummed and silence loomed between us. I could hear her soft breathing through the call.

“What are you doing?”

“I was just reading.” I heard some more shuffling before it cleared.

“Have you bought everything for the classes?”

“Yes. Grandma helped me in that and…” she hesitated to say something could feel.

“What happened?”

“There was a guy who was following us throughout our shopping.” I expected that.

“Was he dressed in all black uniform?”

“Yes… yes.” I sighed. “That’s your bodyguard.”

“What?” I could feel the shock in her voice. “Bodyguard?”

After the knowledge I got about her safety it’s needed. “Yes. You shouldn’t be roaming alone. That’s not safe.”

“But Grandma was with me.” I almost rolled my eyes to that. “And you think she is a boxer or wrestler?”

She didn’t speak for a while. “I'm sorry, Lilah. But that was needed.” She hummed before saying softly.

“Okay.” Silence hovered again and I know there wasn’t anything to speak more and it’s time to cut the call, but I wasn’t willing to. Fuck! What had happened to me? I could imagine her soft chocolate-brown hair would be covering half of her face like most of the time. I closed my eyes regaining my composure.

“Uhh… okay then…” She was going to cut the call when I spoke, and why I did that I didn’t know, but something in me caused to say that.