34: CLARA!

Damien was humming to her gently and her breathing became even as her cries subsided. He didn't want Clara to feel the way she felt. She didn't want her to be scared of anything. She wanted her to be happy and always happy.

"Am sorry," she murmured silently holding onto Damien's hands that we're encircled around her.

Damien felt her delicate hands as they smoothly rub on his arms. The hairs on his body stood still and the goosebumps were to give him away but luckily Clara couldn't see them because they grew on his neck.

"Don't be Clara," he said in a low tone before wiping her face with his handkerchief.

Clara tore his arms around her and started to stand up but Damien held her waist restraining her from moving any further.

Clara looked back at him and forced herself out of his grasp picking the coffee mugs and re-heating the coffee. She was undecided whether to explain to Damien about her problems or let them slide and work it out on her own. On second thought she didn't know how she was going to fight the demons away on her own or how was she going to face him and tell him that she should focus on something else.

'Ting!" The timer on the oven woke her from her thoughts and she picked the mugs and went back to the long room.

She found Damien looking at the portraits on the wall that her aunt had magnificently aligned to the wall in a fashionable pattern.

"Who is this?" Asked Damien pointing at a portrait that had gold frames.

"My family, " she generalised everyone in the photo instead of focusing on one person she was asked about.

Damien removed the photo from the walk and brought it closer to her and pointed at the specific person he wanted her to identify.

Most of the portraits were of Clara and her family. He recognized her dad and mum in most pictures but the photo that he was holding to Clara was different from other pictures. There was a person he hadn't seen in the other pictures except for only this picture.

"This one," he placed the picture in front of Clara's face. 

"My brother.., .." Replied Clara in a scattered voice making Damien regret insisting on the picture.

"He died," 

Those were the only words she murmured and Damien retired the picture back not wanting to awake some long-forgotten feelings again.

Clara handed her a mug and they drunk their coffee in silence each lost in their thoughts. Damien wondered what she might be thinking right now. On the other side, Clara was trying to figure out how to tell Damien about her story but at the same time, she didn't want to tell him because Damien looked like someone who might cause chaos.

"Why are you concerned, Damien?" Asked Clara placing her mug down on the coffee table. Her aunt might have been thoughtful because to make the coffee in big mugs.

Damien cleared her throat and placed the mug on the table.

"I was supposed to be your tour guide but Daniella said that she knows you and I should let her do the honours of guiding you through the school. She is supposed to make sure your adjustment in Blue Mountain is comfortable and peaceful." 

"Really? " questioned Clara while thinking how he could be a good guide who makes sure that his visitors are okay whenever they are during their stay.

"Yeah, and that's why am concerned about your well being," answered Damien professionally to create a mutual understanding between the two.

Clara laughed and choked on her coffee but she quickly got over it.

"Just say you like me and that is okay Damien," 

Damien was shocked with his audacity but covered it with a fake laugh," sweetheart, you can't please everyone. Plus I have a girlfriend." 

It was now Clara's turn to look aloof and get jealous. He covered it up by placing the mug over her whole face and drinking the coffee from it in one gulp.

"I think you should go, Damien, your girlfriend might be worried sick of you," said Clara sarcastic.

Damien was determined to make her jealous, but not with the girlfriend thing.

"I know who did that Clara," he changed the topic. Standing up and moving closer to her. Clara was dumbfounded not knowing what to do. She tried escaping towards the kitchen but Damien was too fast and he licked her up using his arms near a wall.

"Damien please, I don't want to talk about this," begged Clara trying to look for an escape route from him but she couldn't escape because Damien was too strong for her.

"I know it's Vin, Daniella's boyfriend Clara, and I know why am forcing you to tell me, that is what he does to new girls when they come to school!" Shouted Damien shrieking Clara.

"He didn't rape me, Damien, he wanted to but Daniella rescued me and told me not to say it to anyone, I was afraid that you wanted the same from me and that is why I was afraid of you," she mumbled.

Damien let his arms fall on her neck as the other one to her cheek.

"Clara," he called her name slowly

Clara opened her now-closed eyes and looked into Damien's orbs. Damien got a list in her black orbs and forgot what he wanted to tell her. "I might as well be liking you," he mumbled softly but Clara couldn't hear him.

"Are you saying something Damien?" Asked Clara startling him from his lusty thoughts.

Damien shook his head and cleared his voice and went back to face her. 

"You don't need to let your demons take control of you if in case this happens again please tell me, I don't want you to feel scared of things around you okay?" 

After his little speech, he felt like he didn't give her a convincing statement. 'Blame it on my lustful imaginations,' he thought to himself.

"Are you my guardian angel now?" Asked Clara playfully whole smacking his arms.

"Aaah, you can call me that if you let me kiss you," said Damien cheekily.

"Perv! Get out of my face," Clara pushed him away and room the mugs into the kitchen.

That was the day their friendship started. Damien never cared whether she had a boyfriend but what he cared about was her safety and well being. He made sure he was okay and no one hurts her. As much as he wanted to hold her tell her how he felt about her, he couldn't. He respected her statement when she told him she loves Nathan and not him. Damien couldn't do anything about Vin, sadly. Most of the girls had suffered from his wrath and he was untouchable.

The roof had been Damien's favourite place to watch Clara. Every time they walked into the cafeteria holding hands with Nathan just the same way other soccer boys and cheering girls do, he couldn't prevent his jealousy from taking control but he survived and let them be.

"Damien, Damien," he heard his voice being called from far,  no it was not from fear, it was here, facing him. The voice he wanted to hear, from the girl she admired. 

CLARA!

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

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