❝ jealousy is just love and hate at the same time. ❞

drake

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WARNING: This chapter contains strong language.

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I pulled away from Devon instantly at the sound of Damian's furious protest. It was so unusual to hear him curse; he had to be more than angry.

And he was.

His lips were tightly pressed together in a grimace of contempt, his chest heaving with rage and his eyes scathing. He looked akin to a scorned fallen angel, ready to tear apart mountains and swirl oceans. Everyone goggled at him with a mixture of surprise and fear, and even Jasmine had let go of his waist, stepping back.

I didn't know whether to be flattered that he was reacting this way or concerned.

But Devon wasn't daunted in the slightest. His lips curved into a derisive smile, as he still kept one of his hands on my hips, as if to provoke the other even more.

"What's your problem, Belfort?" he jeered, making all the students in the living room turn their heads towards us. "Don't know how to accept defeat?"

"I only see one loser here." he countered, striding to us. Every movement of his was calculated, like a predator lurking his prey. "Take your hands off her." he added.

Devon and I got to our feet. I immediately distanced myself from him, wanting to avoid the conflict at any cost, but he grabbed my hand instead and pulled me close to him again.

"What are you, her bodyguard? Her boyfriend? Fuck off."

"I am both, actually." he uttered with a deadly smile, his words raising shocked clamours.

Wait, what?

Taken aback and left speechless, the blonde let go of my hand as Damian advanced. Within the blink of an eye, he thumped the other in the jaw, the immense force making Devon stagger back and almost fall.

"That's for touching her." he hissed, striking him again relentlessly and not giving him a chance to retaliate. "That's for being a conceited arse and not knowing your place."

I watched appalled, not capable of uttering a word, no matter how much I wanted to tell them to stop, as Devon regained his balance and punched him back. I winced as if I could feel Damian's pain. He lashed out at him ferociously and knocked him to the ground, and I finally found my voice:

"Stop them!" I yelled, making the others jump.

The other boys came to their senses too and reacted. Joseph intervened first, and Paul right after him, striving to separate the two. Hayden and Liam joined them, and managed to drag the blonde away. Joseph took his brother by his arm and wanted to help him get up, but Damian shoved him aside. He had blood coming out of his nose and a bruise was already forming on the side of his left cheek. He glanced at me and exhaled wearily, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. Something snagged inside me. He looked so broken, and not because of his physical wounds.

Paul stepped in, in front of Devon, as if to shield him from another attack. But Damian simply turned around and exited the house, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

I turned towards the blonde. His face was reddened and his right eye was slightly swollen. He was doubled over with pain, holding a palm to his abdomen. Despite that, I didn't run to him and ask him if he was okay.

"I'm sorry." I apologized to him.

He frowned at me without understanding and called out my name, but I didn't linger for a second more.

This time, I ran after Damian.

The wind was brisk outside, and the air was chilly but refreshing. I was sure it was about to rain any minute now, and my playsuit wasn't really the most appropriate outfit for the weather, but there was no time for me to grab my coat. I discerned Damian's tall silhouette a couple of feet away; he was probably heading towards his car. I picked up the pace and exclaimed:

"Damian, wait!"

I knew he had heard me; he halted for a second, freezing in place, but then, hesitantly, began to walk away without even looking back. I sniggered in dormant irritation and increased my step, finally catching up to him. I grabbed his arm and positioned myself in front of him.

He surveyed me coolly and stepped back, as if my touch had burnt him.

"Get back inside. You'll catch a cold." he said without a scintilla of emotion.

I felt hot tears of frustration welling up in my eyes and clouding my vision. I couldn't bear the way he was looking at me, as if he had truly forgotten me, had truly forgotten us, just like he had promised. We hadn't seen each other in almost three months and that was all he wanted to tell me? A rush of anger prickled my skin, and in a fit of pique, I rammed my palms into his chest and gave him a hefty shove.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I reproached him, letting out a small stifled sob. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Do you have any idea what it's like, to watch you get hurt, over and over again? When he toppled you over, your head missed the table by an inch. One inch, and you could have fractured your skull or died."

The dark sky was etched by a bright flash of lightning. Rumbling thunder followed, making me jump slightly.

"What's it to you?" he snarled, his black eyes shimmering with ferocity. "If I'd died, you and Devon would be the first ones to dance on my grave. Maybe screw there as well, since he clearly can't keep it in his pants, and you your tongue in your mouth."

I gaped at him, feeling as if he had struck me across the face with all the force he could garner. Tears evaded my eyes, strolling down my cheeks, but there was no trace of regret on his stone-cold expression.

I brought up my hand and slapped him hard, much harder than I did in the cafeteria when he had kissed me, projecting all of my anger and resentment at him. My whole palm felt as if it had been lit on fire.

The impact snapped his head to the side, and blood started to trickle out of his nose once again. He sniffed and wiped it with the back of his palm, avoiding my sight. I thought that would make me feel better, but it didn't. It only made me feel worse.

I shut my eyes in anguish for a minute, trying to stop crying. Cold drops of water landed on my skin, and soon, the drops turned into proper heavy rain, mixing with my tears. I looked up towards the sky, letting it pour over my face. I felt something warm and somewhat heavy hanging on my shoulders: it was Damian's coat, so big on me that it almost reached my ankles. I slipped my arms into it, gazing at him and he at me, wondering what to say to each other.

I miss you. I'm sorry. I love you.

"You have no right to speak to me like that. You abandoned me when I needed you the most. And then you came back from Paris with a girlfriend." I chastised.

"Like what? Like I'm not in love with you? Like you spoke to me that day?" he sneered. "You made me promise that I'd forget you and never try to reach you again. You told me you never loved and never will love me. You said that we were a mistake. If anything, you abandoned me."

He inched closer, leaning towards my face. Blood rushed to one side of his face, where I had slapped him. I held my breath as his gaze fell to my lips and for a second, to my chest. "Well, congratulations. You got what you wanted. We don't exist anymore."

I bit my lower lip hard, averting my eyes from him. Another tear rolled down my cheek. Everything he said was true, obviously. I was the only one to blame. I always tried not to hurt Ellie, and didn't realize how much I was hurting Damian in the process. I couldn't lose him too. I couldn't.

But maybe I already did.

"Then why did you lose your temper when you saw me kissing Devon? Why did you tell him you're my boyfriend? Why did you beat him up like that? Why?" I questioned him, stepping closer as well.

"For the same reason you're wearing my necklace. For the same reason you're crying right now." He took a wet strand of hair away from my face with a soft gesture. It took me back to that evening at Devon's party, when we were together on the bed and he had done the same thing. "I can't let you go. And I hate myself for it." His words made my heart flutter painfully. I recognized love behind his dark eyes, but it dissipated quickly; too quickly. He let his hand fall by his body and stepped back. "But I will. You have."

"Really." I snickered. "You can't let me go. That must be why you left for almost three months and came back with a young Megan Fox on your arm. And then you have the nerve to lecture me about Devon."

"Are you done?" he cut me off sharply.

"Screw you!" I rasped in his face, turning around and beginning to walk in the opposite direction. The rain was getting heavier by the second, drenching me from head to toe, but I didn't care.

"Where are you off to?" he shouted from behind me.

I didn't answer him; I didn't know either. I kept on walking, but it didn't take him long until he reached my side.

"Get in the car. I'll drive you home."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn't let me:

"There's a storm outside. Stop being so immature."

"Sure, when you stop being a jerk." I quipped, giving him the death stare.

He didn't reply. We got inside the car, cold water dripping down my spine, legs and arms. It was as if we had just taken a shower and jumped in the vehicle. I started shivering slightly; Damian's coat wasn't keeping me much warmth. I buried my nose in its collar and took in his perfume. I had missed that scent tremendously.

"Jasmine's not my girlfriend, by the way." he said after a brief pause.

I widened my eyes at him, relief creeping in my body slowly.

"She's my cousin. We accidentally met in Paris. She was there visiting one of her friends." he added.

"Oh." was all I could mutter.

I felt an acute pang of shame; I really had been immature, jumping to hasty conclusions that she was his girlfriend, that I didn't matter to him anymore. I acted on impulse, kissing Devon only to hurt him.

"My parents aren't home. And my keys are in my coat. In Hayden's house." I informed him looking out the window awkwardly, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Okay. Then I'm not driving you to your house. I'm driving you to mine."

If only I knew what that would lead to...

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Author's Note: Special thank you's to : rosnnnn, TilaeTook, Joc_The_Boss, Snarky_Devilet. I appreciate your support! ❤