Chapter 64 4:00 am
THIRD PERSON’S POV.
Serena had set an alarm but she was awake long before the alarm rang. She sat at the vanity table pretending to read a book.
It was three thirty a.m at the moment and she wanted to see the exact time Damian would get up from bed. She wanted to be sure she didn’t just imagine Damian’s conversation with Oscar that night.
Three chapters later, the sound of Damian shuffling in bed sent Serena’s eyes shooting up. He was mumbling something, at first Serena thought he was talking to her so she moved closer to him, only to see his eyes still closed. He was sleep talking.
He started to wriggle in the bed, as if trying to break free of something. “No, I don’t want to.” He kept muttering under his breath.
When Serena peeked into his face the look of anguish on it made her want to shake him awake.
He began to sweat profusely in a perfectly air conditioned room.
In the corner, Serena’s phone began to light up. The silent alarm she had set was going off.
03:55 am.
Serena flung back to her side of the bed, sliding under the covers smoothly. She turned her back to Damon and shut her eyes tightly.”
Damian’s wriggling stopped and within moments he was yawning and stretching awake.
That’s when the ringing started.
Shit!
Serena had forgotten to turn off the alarm so it had snoozed for five minutes. On the vanity table, her phone vibrated loudly and the screen lit up the dark room with an alarm boldly labeled ‘Damian waking up watch.’
If Damian saw that, what the hell was going to be her explanation? she thought.
Damian rubbed his eye, swinging his head side to side trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. He spotted the light on the dressing table but before he could step out of bed Serena was already running to pick the phone up.
“Sorry,” she half yelled. “I forgot to turn of my alarm.
She picked the phone up and fumbled with it for a moment before finally getting the alarm off.
“Why do you have a 4:00 am alarm all of a sudden?” Damian asked.
“Ehmm,”’she stammered, “it’s my….prayer time.”
She cleared her throat, “yeah, it’s my prayer time.”
Damian looked at her confused, “since when do you pray?”
“I take my religious journey very seriously l, illl have you know.”
“Right.” He mumbled, getting out of bed. “I’ll give you your privacy to pray.” He chuckled, shrugging the covers off his body.
He was shirtless.
Shit.
Serena’s breath caught in her throat, she didn’t know whether to look away or keep staring but the way the deep V shape of his waistline traveled into his pants as he stretched his hands made her choose the latter.
“You don’t have to leave for my prayers.” She coughed, trying to steady her voice.
“Oh it’s okay, I have to hit the gym anyways. And Oscar will be here shortly.”
“Oscar?” She asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” he walked to her and patted her head, "it's okay, you go to sleep after your… prayers.” He said already slipping out of the room.
So she was right, she hadn’t just imagined Damian and Oscar’s conversation, something really did happen to Damian, something that still traumatizes him till this day.
She turned on her phone screen and swiped to messages.
She tapped on Trisha’s number:
SERENA:I WAS RIGHT, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO DAMIAN. NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT.
She hit send. And then after giving it another thought, she sent a second message.
SERENA: I THINK OSCAR IS ALSO CONNECTED.
Trisha was neatly folded in bed, looking from her posture and the ambiance of the room you could tell she was intentional about the placements.
Her humidifier hummed in the background, and her meg that still had a cast on, rest on a silk pillow while the rest of her body parts remained hidden under the fur covers that she lay under.
When she heard the knock on her door she cussed softly under her breath.
“Why can’t they let me sleep,” she groaned. “First they blast my phone with messages and now they are banging down the door.”
She carefully shrugged the sheets off her and made her way off the bed. “I can’t wait to go back to my own house.” She muttered under her breath, walking to the door.
“Oscar what are you doing here,” she gasped when she opened the door.
“I told you I was going to come see you,” He said.
“And I told you not to,” she cut him off.
“Does that mean you are not going to let me in?” He whispered with a mischievous smile on his face. “As he waved a box of chocolate at her.”
She stepped aside, “fine, come in,”
“Thank you mi lady.” He said, handing her the box of candy.
“What do you want?” She asked him pointedly.
“I wanted to see you and make sure you were fine.”
“That’s cap.” She responded.
He laughed, “No, it’s not.”
“You have an appointment with Damian and you decided to check in on me.”
“Why do you always question my actions?”
“I just dislike bullshitters, especially when they appear at my door at ungodly hours.” Trisha said.
“You better get used to seeing my face in the morning.”
Trisha shook her head. “I am not even going to ask what that means.” She walked back to the bed and sat, “Now, tell me why you are meeting with Damian so early in the morning.”
“He organized a surprise for Serena and wanted me to deliver it.”
“What surprise?” She asked excitedly.
“Well the surprise is actually for you and Serena.”
“Really?” Her smile grew wilder, “Now you have to tell me.”
“No way.” You will find out the same time Serena does.”
“Oh, C’mon. That’s not fair.”
He pinched the bridge of her nose, “patience little one.” He said, climbing in bed next to her.
“I have a few minutes before Damian finishes from the gym, now do you want to waste them asking me to tell you something you know I won’t or…”
He got under the sheets and spread his arms, “do you want to spend them croaking up in the warmth of my perfectly sculpted body?” He winked.
Trisha didn't think twice, she shifted her way into his arms, welling her good leg under him and letting the warmth from his body beat up her internal organs.
Hours later, Damian was done training in the gym and was now going through his itinerary for the day. A cup of coffee sat beside him.
Oscar walked into the living room, holding a bunch of envelopes.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. No cuddles today?”
“Shhhh,” Damian hushed him. “Look, it was just a theory, okay? We’re not sure holding Serena all night is what made me sleep through the night.”
“And most of the morning,” Oscar added.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Let me ask you something, Damian,” Oscar said, taking a seat. “What time did you wake up today?”
“Four on the dot.”
“Hmmm,” Oscar mused. “And did you hold Serena in your sleep today?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Oscar clasped his hands loudly. “Voila,” he said. “There’s your answer.”
“Your theory is flawed, but that’s by the way,” Damian replied, his voice turning serious. “Were you able to secure their visas?”
“Yes, all four visas are right here,” Oscar said, tapping the side of the envelope he held.
“Good.” Damian stood from his chair. “Let’s go deliver the good news.”