Chapter 8 - You're Safe With Me

🍀 Alisa 🍀

I refused to let go of Mr Gorgeous.

Absolutely refused.

My arms stayed wrapped tightly around his waist while my face remained buried in his chest. His shirt was warm, slightly damp from rain and smelled dangerously good.

Like mint.

And smoke.

And expensive heartbreak.

"I think she's glued to you now," Patrick said with a grin.

"Shut up," Damien muttered coldly, though one of his hands remained firmly around my waist.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The guards dragged the burglars away while one of them kept crying about a broken nose and another swore he saw death itself in Damien's eyes.

Honestly?

Same.

"Sea Girl."

I looked up slowly.

Damien's brows furrowed instantly at my tear-stained face.

"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.

I blinked.

Wait.

Was Mr Gorgeous… worried?

"N-no."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously before his large hands suddenly grabbed my wrists gently, checking them carefully.

"There's blood."

"Oh." I stared too. "That's probably not mine."

Patrick snorted loudly.

Damien did not.

His jaw clenched dangerously as his gaze slowly travelled over me again.

Checking.

Searching.

Like he needed proof that I was really okay.

"I'm fine," I whispered awkwardly.

He inhaled sharply before stepping back immediately like he'd just remembered himself.

"Patrick." His voice turned cold again. "Take her upstairs."

"What?" I frowned instantly. "No."

"You need rest."

"You need therapy."

Patrick choked on air.

Damien stared at me blankly.

Then—

To my absolute shock—

His lips twitched.

A smile.

A tiny one.

But still a smile.

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

Mr Gorgeous could smile?!

The world was ending.

"You're impossible," he muttered before walking away.

And for some reason…

Watching him leave suddenly made my chest feel strange.

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🌿 Damien 🌿

I almost killed them.

No.

Scratch that.

I wanted to kill them.

The image of that man touching her wouldn't leave my head.

Every single time I blinked, I saw her terrified face again.

Her trembling body.

The panic in her eyes.

And something inside me snapped violently.

I punched the wall beside my bed hard enough to crack it.

"Fantastic," Patrick said from my doorway. "Now the wall offended you too?"

I ignored him.

He walked inside quietly this time.

Too quietly.

That usually meant trouble.

"You scared her tonight."

My fists tightened instantly.

"I know."

Patrick sighed before leaning against the wall.

"She wasn't only scared because of the burglars, Damien."

Silence.

I already knew where this conversation was heading.

"When that man grabbed her," Patrick continued carefully, "she froze."

I closed my eyes briefly.

Because I noticed it too.

One second she'd been fighting wildly…

The next second she completely shut down.

Like she'd gone somewhere else mentally.

Like she was reliving something horrible.

"Lieutenant Levi," Patrick murmured. "That's the second time she reacted badly after hearing that name."

My chest tightened unpleasantly.

"What happened to her?" I asked quietly.

Patrick shook his head slowly.

"I don't know."

I frowned deeply.

Something about that cheerful, chaotic girl suddenly breaking apart like that made rage burn inside me again.

Whoever hurt her…

I'd kill them.

Without hesitation.

Patrick studied my face carefully before smirking.

"There it is again."

I glared at him. "What?"

"That look."

"What look?"

"The 'I'd burn the world for her' look."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't." He grinned wickedly. "You carried her like she was your entire oxygen supply."

"She was crying."

"You hate crying people."

"She's annoying."

"You looked ready to commit genocide because she was scared."

I pinched the bridge of my nose tiredly.

"Patrick."

"Yes?"

"Leave before I remember violence."

He laughed loudly before finally leaving my room.

I sat on the edge of my bed afterward, exhausted.

Then my eyes drifted toward the tray sitting on my table.

Her unfinished food.

My gaze landed on the broken phone beside it.

Guilt hit immediately.

Damn it.

I stood up, grabbed the phone pieces, then walked out of my room.

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🍀 Alisa 🍀

Kiki once said rich people had soft beds.

She lied.

This wasn't soft.

This was heaven itself.

I rolled around dramatically under the blankets before sighing happily.

Maybe I could forgive Mr Gorgeous for being a psycho.

Just a little.

A soft knock landed on my door.

I sat up instantly.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly.

And Damien walked inside awkwardly holding… tape?

I blinked repeatedly.

"What are you doing?"

He avoided my eyes while placing my destroyed phone carefully on the table.

"I fixed it."

I stared at the phone.

Then at him.

Then back at the phone.

The thing looked traumatized.

Tape covered almost every corner.

I gasped dramatically.

"You murdered it twice!"

"It still works."

"It looks homeless."

"It's functional."

I climbed off the bed and picked it up carefully.

To my surprise…

The screen actually turned on.

My mouth slowly fell open.

"You fixed it…"

Damien shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly.

"It was annoying hearing you cry over it."

Liar.

Big liar.

Still…

Something warm spread through my chest.

"No one ever fixed anything for me before," I admitted softly.

His expression changed instantly.

The coldness disappeared for half a second.

And there it was again—

That sadness.

That deep, lonely sadness hiding behind all his anger.

"You should sleep," he said quietly.

I nodded slowly.

But before he could leave, I suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

He froze instantly.

"Mr Gorgeous?"

"…What?"

"Thank you."

Silence filled the room.

His eyes dropped briefly to my hand holding his sleeve.

Then slowly…

Very slowly…

He reached out and tucked one of my curls behind my ear.

My breathing stopped.

"So stubborn," he murmured softly.

And God help me…

I think my heart melted.

Then his hand brushed lightly against the faint bruise on my neck.

The one he caused earlier.

His entire body stiffened instantly.

Regret flashed across his face so quickly it almost hurt to look at.

"Did I do that?" he asked quietly.

I touched my neck awkwardly.

"Oh. That."

His jaw clenched painfully.

"I'm sorry."

The apology shocked me more than anything else.

Damien Petersen apologizing?

To me?

"I…" He swallowed roughly. "I lost control."

For a moment he looked angry at himself.

Not me.

Himself.

And suddenly…

I understood something.

Mr Gorgeous wasn't only hurting other people.

He was hurting himself too.

"It's okay," I whispered gently.

"No." His voice turned hard instantly. "It's not."

Our eyes locked.

And suddenly the room felt too quiet.

Too small.

Too warm.

My heart started beating strangely again.

Damien stared at me for one long second before stepping back quickly.

"Sleep, Sea Girl."

Then he walked out almost immediately.

Like staying longer would destroy him somehow.

I slowly touched my chest after he left.

Something was happening to Mr Gorgeous.

But the scary part?

Something was happening to me too.