Faking it with Damian Black by Louise Jane

Chapter 31

-MILLIE-

“Yeah,” I listened to Damian speak with Nancy over the phone. The cool wind of

the night carried her voice in my direction. It was mu ffied, but her worry was

evident. Damian kept nodding, murmuring words of agreement, pinching the

bridge of his nose from tto time.

His gaze would slide to mine once in a while, green questioning eyes, seeking

what was going through my head.

I pulled his suit jacket closer to my b*dy. We look out of place in front of the

hospital. I was still in my royal blue co cktail dress, blood stained the fabric,

while Damian was in his dress pants and shirt. He’d discarded his tie. The first

three buttons of his white dress shirt were undone.

He walked to me, extending his hand. “It’s Lenny,”

Sparks tickled the tips of my fingers as our fingers brushed.

I pressed the phone to my ears. “Hey, mom”

“Hi, Honey, is everything alright?” She sounded tipsy.

“Yes, mom… Damian and I just had to get out of there for a bit. Sorry for bailing

out.” I pressed my tongue on the inside of my checks.

She blew a breath, giggling. “You missed the good stuff. You should’ve seen the

black eye Nancy gave Martha.”

1

“What?!” I hissed. A biting pain struck on my left side,

Damian stiffened; he tried to reach forbut dropped his hand quickly,

hesitation written all over his face. I smiled at him gratefully. He looked the

other way, tucking his hands in his pants pocket.

I knew Damian’s Aunt Martha. That woman gets off on insulting people, and I try

my best to steer clear of her radar whenever she’s around. I wonder who invited

her, anyway. Nancy would rather cut off her fingernails than be in Aunt Martha’s

company.

Mom giggled. I hear Nancy murmuring in the background. “Martha… she told

Nancy not to wear a sack of rice again and boom!” She was clearly drunk.

“Martha chwith a black eye.”

I giggled. Wincing again. This time, I felt Damian’s hand over my shoulder. The

warmth from his hand sl*pped through the fabric of his suit jacket. I pressed a

hand over his, a silent thank you for all he’d done fortonight.

“Listen, Mom…. I won’t be coming htonight. Please tell Nancy thank you for

the beautiful party

“Oh no. Nancy is not satisfied with this engagement party. We will start planning

the proper engagement party for you two tomorrow.” I could hear Mom shaking

her head in the other line

I pinched my eyes shut. Not another freaking party. But now was not the tto

argue with them. I just want to sleep this night off. “Good night, Mom. Love you.”

“Love you, too, honey-“I cut the call before she could say more. Knowing Mom,

she wouldn’t stop blabbering about how Nancy gave Martha a piece of her

mind.

“Thank you.” I gave Damian his phone back.

“You’re not going home?” Damian inquired, steeringthrough the parking lot

of the hospital. It was after midnight. The night was eerie, and I couldn’t stand

being in a hospital. The scent of alcohol and bleach turns my stomach upside

down.

I shook my head, sliding on the passenger side of Damian’s jeep.

“Where to?” Damian asked, shoulder checking, backing out of the hospital

parking lot.

09.26 Sat,

Chapter 31

27%.

I thought for a moment and remembered that Andrea was staying in my

apartinent. I didn’t want anyone to know what happened to me, at least until I

figured out what to do

“Uhm. Just dropoff at the nearest hotel we could find.” I said, sporting my

clutch bag n the dashboard.

In my peripheral vision. Isas Damian’s jaw fiatter. “Hotel You want to stay in a

freaking hotel?!

“I don’t want anyone to worry about me. Damian I sighed, looking out the

window, watching the city light pass like a blur..

I wasn’t honest with Hunter. He was a cop, but I couldn’t trust the guy. Even if it

was a different officer. I don’t think I would be comfortable sharing what really

happened in that bathroom. My stomach was in knots. The masked my’s words

were ringing in my ears like church bells on Sunday morning

“Just dropthere 1 pointed towards the Orient Hotel, frowning at the driver

when he passed by it Damian-”

“There’s not a f ucking chance I’d let you stay in a hotel. Millicent His hands

were clutching the steering wheel tighty protest died down at his following

words “Tknew you lied.”

↑ stared at him, eyes wide as dinner plates.

“Don’t even try to deny it. I know you too well. Millicent, but given what

happened. I won’t force you to tellsh it. But I sure as hell won’t leave you

alone tonight

He knew I lied to Hunter? But how? Did he hear what that guy said to me?

All bghts have left my system. I just want to rest “Where are you taking me!

Nancy will freak out if she sees my stitches”

“To my place”

I woke up with Damian carryingthrough a dimly lit room. The pain pills I

drank before leaving the hospital madedose off

Then I felt a soft surface swallow my entire b*dy. I faintly heard Damian asking

permission to remove my dress so he could ch*ck my wounds and dress me

cleanly. When I woke up again. I was alone in a queen-sized bed, the sun shining

through the gaps of the curtains. The salty and fishy scent of the ocean mingled

with something delicious. My stomach growled.

The mouthwatering taste of bacon permeating the air madepush through

the biting pain on my side. Eyeballing the bottle of pain pilis on the bedside

table, I swallowed two, washing it down with water.

I was drowning in a pink dress shirt. Damian’s perfwas faint underneath the

layers of Lavender detergent and fabric

conditioner

Barefooted. I walked out the door, the scent of bacon was my guide. The house

was completely bare of any furniture. The

were blinding white as the morning light passed through the ceiling-high glass

walls.

I found Damian in the kitchen his upper b*dy on display, a basketball shorts

hung low on his hips. He turned, holding a pan and spatula, shiding a sunny

side up on the plate by the kitchen island.

“Good morning his smile was brighter than the morning sun

Ihat may by highting the effect of his contagious smile Good morning”

but hija,

“Breakfast? He heathed

our

“At least one of us woke up on the right side of the bed and cooked breakfast

for a plation Teyed the bountiful food served

on the island

He harmed, setting the pan on the sink, filling two cups with coffee from the

coffeemaker “That’s because we’ve got a busy day ahead of us