"𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚃𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚢, 𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢. 𝙸 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝. 𝙸𝚝𝚜'𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜."

For some reason, I love this quote.

Chapter 11 : Stop Being Flirty

The feeling of pain still on my cheek as my eyes flutter open in the morning. I come face to face with Scarlet and I smile. She's always there for me when I need her the most.

After sitting up and stretching, I get up from my comfortable bed and walk down the hall and into the bathroom.

I could have used my bathroom but what I need isn't in there.

My head and body are killing me.

Opening the cabinet, I search for pain killers and soon find some on the last shelf.

We've had these pills for about a while now. They were for my mom to help her headaches and hangovers.

But she hasn't been needing them in a long time. Ever since dad left, it's been hard for all of us, mainly her.

She'd get drunk out of her mind and stress out a lot. So she got pain killers to ease her pain. I'm glad she's less stress and doesn't need them anymore.

I pop the pills into my mouth and drink some water from the sink. Sighing, I close the cabinet and cringe at the sight of my face.

Remembering the event from last night, I fight back my tears and slightly touch my purple and black bruised cheek. I flinch.

"Ew. I'm even uglier.." I run my fingers through my light brown hair and whimper at the throbbing pain.

"I agree." I gasp and jump, Turning around to see Damon staring directly at me while leaning on the bathroom door frame.

"Gee thanks. That makes me feel much better," I roll my eyes.

"I'm kidding," He chuckles as I turn back to face the mirror, staring at myself.

"Yeah, well I wasn't.." I mumble, hoping he didn't hear.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," I sigh.

Damon walks into the bathroom slowly, staring at me through the mirror with curiosity in his eyes.

I take my chance to look at his appearance. He has on grey sweat pants, with a white t-shirt showing off his muscular arms, his hair is messy but in a cute way.

Why does he have to look like that?

It's not fair.

My heart can't take all his— his— cuteness!

"Like what you see?" He smirked. I shake my thoughts away, staring down at the sink with a flustered face.

"Why are you still here? You have a house."

"Why did you run off yesterday then come back with a busted face?" I frown. He has a point.

"I told you guys what happened."

"No, you didn't. You told Scarlet what really happened," How did he k—

"I know this because I grew up with you two. I know you tell each other everything," He folds his arms and I bite my lip.

Damon suddenly shifts uncomfortably staring at my lips.

"Why do you care?" I ask as he slowly walks up to me and I suck in a breath.

"Because..." He stared into my eyes and grabs my waist slightly. I gasp a little at the electric shock of his touch.

My heart is about to explode!

"S-Stop Damon," I mumble as my heart raced and my stomach did all types of flips.

"Stop what?" He whispered staring at my lips. I bite down on it and he squeezes my waist slightly. I shiver at his action.

"You're beautiful, You know that?" I close my eyes and shake my head, coming back to my senses.

Why is he doing this to me?

He knows what he's doing is wrong and yet he continues to play with my emotions.

"Don't call me that, Don't lie to me.."

"Why not? It's true," He whispered into my ear and I shake my head, feeling the guilt rise inside of me as think of Scarlet. I push him away.

Finally, I can somewhat breathe right.

The butterflies are still there though.

"Don't do that." I stare at the ground.

"Do What?" I felt his hand on my chin as he lifts my head up, staring into my eyes and I stare back into his hazel ones.

"I'm going to kill the fucker who hurt you," He touched my bruised cheek and for some reason, I didn't flinch.

I feel like bursting into tears right now.

He's playing with my feelings and Scarlet's. He has no idea how he makes my heart feel and I hate it. I hate loving him when I know I can't have him.

I push him away again.

"Stop playing with mine and my best friends feelings! You're dating her for God's sake!" I whisper yelled at him.

"Stop being flirty!" I stomp my foot.

Before he could get a word out, I push past him out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.

Scarlet was still sound asleep.

I make my way over to her and sigh, "Oh Scar. your boyfriends an ass."

"What'd he do this time?" I scream and fall onto my butt. Scarlet sits up and laughs.

"Aw, the way you fell was cute," She said in between laughs as I pout at her and get up.

"Not funny. You scared the nerd out of me!"

What?

The nerd?!

"Seriously, what'd he do?" I scratch my head nervously.

What do I say?

"Oh, he just scared me in the bathroom that's all," I hate lying to my best friend.

"Typical Damon," She chuckles and rolls her eyes.

"Scar?" I sit next to her.

"Yes?"

"Are you happy? You know, with Damon."

"Of course. He makes me really happy, it's hard to explain," A big grin formed on her face at the thought of Damon.

"I-I think I love him," She whispered to me and my eyes grow wide.

Love?

Oh.

"Really?" She nods her head.

"But, I don't think he loves me back.." She sighed.

"Why do you say that?" My mind filling with curiosity.

"Sometimes I feel like someone else is always on his mind. Like sometimes I would catch him staring into space, Just blushing and smiling." I raise my eyebrows shocked.

Is Damon cheating on Scarlet? Who could he be thinking of that's making him BLUSH?!

Seriously Damon has never once In his lifetime blushed.

Well, except for that time when we were five.

Thinking back to that memory, I bite back my smile.

"I'm positive he was thinking of you," I try cheering her up.

It's weird talking about this.

I'm sitting here with my best friend while she tells me she's in love with the same guy I've crushed on for 7 years straight.

But I have to remind myself to always be happy for her.

Because I know if it was the other way around, she'd do the same.

Talking about this breaks my heart.

It makes me feel like I've completely lost Damon.

Mentally lost him.

I lost him when he started changing in 7th grade.

I miss old Damon.

I have a weird feeling. knowing Damon was a player and probably has not gotten over his player ways, I'm suspicious.

                                *   *   *   *   *   *

Mom decided I should take the day off because of what happened yesterday. I wasn't complaining, a day without having to be tortured by Joslin and her posey I'll take it.

I think Harley's still mad at me. I hate when he upset with me. Damon— no surprise, he's still here. he basically lives here.

If he's not home he's either here, or at basketball practice with Harley. his mom knows he's here though.

Scarlett has been trying to take my mind off of that scary event from yesterday and I'm grateful for her.

"I don't think I can do this," I pace back and forth across my room.

"He's your brother Minnie, he can't hate you forever," Scarlett grabbed my shoulders. I breathe in and out, nodding my head.

"Ok, I can do this. if I die get Shawn Mendes to sing at my funeral," I point a finger at her as she laughs.

"Sure thing."

I slowly walk down the hall toward Harley's door, getting nervous by the second.

"He's your brother. he can't hurt you," I tell myself.

"Oh, who am I kidding? this is Harley you are talking about, the same guy who punched a kid because he reminded the teacher about homework!" I sigh and knock on his door.

I can hear video games playing in the background and some yelling.

Boys.

The door opens revealing Damon with no shirt on.

If only you could touch them.

You know you want to.

I do.. but I can't.

I shake my head and stand there awkwardly, remembering the incident in the bathroom this morning.

"Muffin?"

Butterflies.

"I'm here to talk to Harley," I ignore his gaze.

"Well, who is it?" I hear Harley's voice as Damon opens the door wider.

Harley looks up meeting my eyes. His gaze soon falls on my bruised cheek and I look at the ground.

"C-Can we talk?"

"Sure," I shoot my head up to look at him.

Did Harley Scott just say yes without any problem?

Am I still sleep?

Did I actually die?

"Can you give us a minute, bro?" He looks at Damon and they exchange some weird look as if they're communicating with their face.

Hey, that's Scarlet and I's thing.

"Yeah," Before Damon walks out, he puts his hand on my back then trails it down slowly to my waist. I close my eyes, my heartbeat racing.

I immediately melt at his touch.

"Good luck muffin," He whispered in my ear making me shiver. He then leaves, shutting the door.

I watch as the door closes and catch my breath.

He really knows how to make me forget how to breathe.

Turning back around, I look at Harley who hasn't noticed anything that just happened. He was to busy playing that annoying ass game.

I sigh and sit next to him on his bed.

"Are you—"

"Dammit, I died!" He groaned.

"As I was saying. are you still—"

"Shit!" I rolled my eyes, grabbing the controller and throwing across the room as it hits a pillow.

"What the hell?!"

He yelled and I got up quickly. I never thought my own brother could actually scare the shit out of me.

"What do you want?!"

"To talk. I hate that you hate me! You're my brother, I love you but if you still hate me for what I did yesterday then fine. because I told you the truth!" I raise my voice and stomp my foot at him, breathing in and out.

"Bullshit, Hermione. You let some dumbass hit all over you! And now look!" He yelled back while getting in my face.

"You're weak. You let people make you weak, that's all you do!" I stare at him in disbelief, watching the rage in his eyes.

"Thanks for talk brother. tell me something I don't know," With that being said, I storm out of his room walking back to mine only to find Damon and Scarlett making out.

Ew.

They pull away and Scarlet's face turns red. Damon just stares at me and ignore him.

"Sorry about that. how'd it go?" Scarlet walked over to me.

"I feel like I'm losing my brother more and more to t-that—"

"Shh, I know," Scar pulls me into her arms and I cry on her shoulder.

"How about we have a pool day? Just you, me and Damon," She pulled away and smiled.

In a bikini? In front of Damon?

Nope. No. Negative.

"I don't want to third wheel."

"Invite Brett!" She squealed.

"What?" Damon popped up quickly.

"Scar no—"

"Call him now before I do."

"But I don't want him to see my face," I rubbed my arm nervously.

Scarlet folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at me.

"Fine," I sigh in annoyance and pull out my phone as I hear Damon groan and storm out.

* * * * * *

I slowly walk out of my bathroom, trying to hide my body.

"It's ugly isn't it?" I frown and scarlet squealed.

She's gotta stop doing that.

My ears can't take the pain.

"Are you kidding? Seriously become a model when your older, and I can be your designer." She smiled and hugged me.

"Me? A model? Please, I look like a potato."

"Fine, potato the boys are waiting for us."  She rolled her eyes in a playful manner and runs out of my bedroom.

I stand there not knowing what to do.

Should I follow behind scarlet?

I'd rather stay here and crawl into a ball, fully clothed while watching tv.

I've never worn a bikini in front of a boy before.

When our family would go on vacation and visit the beach, I either get in the water with my clothes on or I just don't get in at all.

I'm pretty sure I look like a saggy potato that was the only one left in the sack.

Sighing, grabbing my towel and make my way downstairs and into the back yard where I see Scarlet sitting on Damon's lap and Brett on his phone.

"Hey," I mumbled shyly to Brett. He looks up from his phone and eyes me from head to toe.

"Wow," Is all he said to make me blush.

"I'm ugly I know."

"Don't Minnie. you're beautiful," I slightly smile at his words but deep down inside I know it's not true.

"And my face?"

"Still beautiful," He smiled and I blush.

Turning around, I catch Damon staring at my body from head to toe. I stop in my tracks and wrap my arms around my chest.

Like that's gonna stop him from staring.

I can feel the butterflies come alive in my stomach as I watch him bite down on his lip. He meets my eyes. There's something in them but I couldn't tell, Damon's good at hiding his emotions.

Sometimes he'd be so deep in thought, he doesn't even notice he's showing them.

That's one thing about Damon.

He doesn't share his feels.

They're completely shut down.

I bite down on my lip nervously as he sucks in a breath and grips the side of the chair tightly.

Finally, I look away and shake the feeling off.

I walk to the edge of the pool and dip my feet in the water, feeling the coldness on my toes. Taking my foot out, the breeze blows across my foot creating more coldness and it sends chills down my body.

Why did I agree to this?

I sit down on the edge, putting both of my legs into the water as Brett sits next to me doing the same.

"So did you really run into a pole?" I mentally sigh and nod my head.

"I've always been told I'm clumsy," I chuckle and so does Brett.

"Yeah, clumsy isn't the word," Scarlet sat down next to me.

"Don't bring up that s—"

"When were 14—"

"And she's telling the story!" I flop my hands to my sides.

"I, Hermione, Harley, and Damon all went to the zoo. Before we left we went to the see the flamingos by the pond..."

"God, help," I mumble covering my face with my hands bracing for the embarrassment.

"And she slipped on a gram cracker, falling into the pond with flamingos eating at her hair," Damon finishes the story and I groan as Scarlet laughs out loud.

"Yeah, a gram cracker that you dropped!" I point at him and fold my arms.

"Aw, poor princess." I roll my eyes, feeling butterflies in my stomach when he called me princess.

"Story still gets me!" Scarlet clapped her hands.

I look at Brett who's clearly trying to hold in his laughter.

"Just let it out," I roll my eyes as he starts laughing.

"I'm sorry Minnie. I couldn't help it."

"Yeah, and So couldn't everyone in the zoo," I mumble.

"Is the princess upset?" Damon folded his arms and fake pouted at me.

How does he make standing look hot?

"Shut it!"

"Embarrassment is your middle name."

"I hate you," I roll my eyes.

Actually, I love you.

"Right back at ya."

"When we were 12. There was a carnival in tow—"

"Kill me now!"

"Oh, that's a great story," Damon smirked.

As I stood up, Damon eyes me from head to toe making me shiver.

Stay in your cage butterflies.

"There was this guy in a bugs bunny suit. I called him over so we could get a picture, Hermione being the weirdo she is, turned around as he was approaching she—"

"Got scared, punched him, and feel into a hot dog cart," Damon finished the story and I blush of embarrassment.

Scarlet and Brett laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"To be fair, he was very giant and his beady eyes were staring into my soul," I shake my head and shiver at the memory.

"Bugs Bunny. You were afraid of a guy in a bugs bunny suit," Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh yeah? Wanna go there Mr. I had my first kiss?" His smirk disappears and now it's my turn to smirk.

"Don't tell—"

"Scarlet would love this story actually," I grin and turn towards her.

"What?"

"Your Boyfriend here blushes after all," She chuckles.

"No, Damon doesn't blush." She shakes her head in disbelief as Brett raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I never blush." Damon scoffed nervously.

"When we were five, Harley stole my Doritos and gossiped about it to dare oh Damon who was very sweet to replace them for me with a huge bag. Wait, here's the best part. I kissed him on the cheek as a way of saying thank you and he blushed really hard, then fainted," I fold my arms as Scarlet and Brett laughed. I smirk at Damon.

"It was wittle Damon's first kiss," I tease.

"We agreed to never tell anyone!"

"Yeah, well I must have missed that meeting," I fake pout as he glares in my direction. I wink and turn, facing a laughing Brett and Scarlet.

Where did that confidence come from?!

"Awe, day bae!"

I snicker. "Day bae?"

"How cute?" Brett snickered.

"Shut it ass wipe." He glared at Brett.

I then feel hands on waist picking me up as I gasp.

"Damon put me down!"

"Sorry muffin can't do that." He whispered in my ear and I whine out loud.

He then jumps into the water, while still holding me m. Once he lets me go, I lift myself from the water and gasp for air, shoving his bare chest as he chuckles.

"I hate you."

"Aw love you too," He joked.

Yeah, you have no idea.