**ROSEANA**
"Are you sure your head doesn't hurt anymore?" Damon asked. His constant questions have practically made my ears ring. He wouldn't stop asking how I was doing. He insists on me staying in bed and taking a nap.
"I'm fine, Damon; my illness is only a fever, and I'm fine already," I gently said. My voice is calm, albeit slightly annoyed.
I can see him in my peripheral vision, casting sidelong glances at me. I ignored him and proceeded to the dining area. He had insisted on feeding me on the bed, but I declined. I'm not disabled enough to do so. It was merely a headache; I didn't lose my limbs such that I couldn't feed myself.
"Where are you going?" he asked as I walked past the dining table.
"Huh?" I asked, perplexed. When I looked at him, my expression matched his. His brows are wrinkled as he stares at me.
I said, "I was going to get some water."
He gave a nod. He came to me and got a pitcher of water, which he then brought to the table. He then turned to face me. Damon drew the chair, looked at me, and beckoned me to sit. I remained where I was. My gaze is fixed on him.
He's behaving strangely. I mean, I'm not sure what happened abruptly to him, but he seemed to change. Is it because of the way he looks at me? When he stares at me, his eyes are calm. When he spoke to me, his voice was gentle, as if he were speaking to a kid. He was behaving differently than he had earlier.
He was like this after his helper left. Martinez seemed to take Damon's rage away, and he was back in a pleasant mood when the man left. "You're such a hard-headed person, Roseana," he grumbled. He walked close to me. I avoided him slightly because I felt he was about to grab my arm tightly. Seeing how I acted, I noted how his brow furrowed. He was also a little stunned. I was surprised when he reached my elbow and gently guided me to the seat.
I acted normal despite feeling like my temperature soared when I felt his skin on mine. I couldn't figure out what was causing my heart to beat so loudly. I'm not sure if it's because I'm afraid of his hurting me or because of his warm, calloused hand on my flesh.
His usual manly scent invaded my nostrils with a dash of elegance and a homey scent. For a week, I longed to smell his perfume. Without him, the house felt lonely. It was cold and silent.
I'm not sure what happened around me; all I remember is his warm touch on my shoulder, which caused me to feel what appeared to be a sudden spark. My heartbeat became increasingly rapid.
I'm not sure how I got to the chair and sat down. My gaze was on him. Damon is now busily putting food on my plate, which he has never done before.
"Do you want some soup?" he offered. I heard what he said, but my attention was drawn to his red lips, which appeared more appealing than the food on the table. Damon gazed at me as he waited for my response. He asked again when I didn't respond. If these were normal situations, he would have been annoyed with me for not responding to him, but he is no longer.
I nodded distractedly. He poured some soup for me. He also offered me a drink of milk.
"Let's eat," he grumbled. When Damon smiled, I almost fell out of my chair. His gorgeous porcelain teeth greeted me. I was astounded to see him smiling at me. I realized why he rarely smiled. Women will most likely throng around him.
I ate in silence, perplexed by what had happened. Why did he suddenly become so kind after he nearly killed Martinez because he was so angry? Speaking of that man, I don't see him around. Maybe the man left.
"Did something good happen?" I inquired after a few minutes. I couldn't help but be interested. His acts are out of the ordinary. He is not like this at all. He is not the type of person who would look after someone. He never speaks kindly to anyone, and he never smiles for no reason.
He is being so exceptionally nice today that I am beginning to suspect something is wrong.
Damon looks at me and asks, "What?"
I mumbled, "You seemed to be in a good mood today." I set my utensils on my plate and gave him my undivided attention.
"Well, nothing much really happened."
"You were angry not long ago, and now you have a smile on your face," I observed flatly.
The man shrugged, unconcerned by my obvious distrust in him. He drank his coffee after reaching for it. His candle-shaped fingers gripped the mug, which appeared to be too small in his grasp. He wasn't bothered by the hot coffee. I was the one who was concerned that his tongue would be burned.
I can smell the heavy caffeine in his coffee from where I am. He prefers it black and bitter.
He lowered his cup of coffee and fixed his gaze on me. When he spotted me staring at him, I panicked a little. I swiftly turned away from him.
When I heard Damon's soft chuckle, heat crept up my cheeks. He's probably laughing at how stupid I was for gaping at him.
He whispered, "It felt good to be home." My gaze returned to his. Maybe he spotted my puzzled expression and spoke again.
"I'm glad to be home again, and that's why I'm in a good mood," he explained.
What he said made my face crumble. This guy is a natural talker. He certainly knew how to approach women. I'd probably believe him if I didn't know any better.
"You're glad to be home again, but you didn't go home for a week," I rolled my eyes at him.
He laughed as a result of what I said. He gave me an amused glance.
"Feisty," he grumbled. His eyes were fixed on mine. His lips had formed a smile.
"I just need to clear my head before going home. My company almost lost a big project, which is why I was irritated when we talked, and I was also concerned because you just vanished without leaving a trace."
When I heard what he said, I was speechless. I know his excuses don't justify his behavior, but somehow it make me feel better.
"I don't want you to vanish unexpectedly; I thought you were abducted by the men after you," he added. Guilt consumes me. I only now understand that I am mostly to blame for how he acted before. He must have been concerned.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I was just so excited to meet with my friend that I forgot to tell you." I'd like to say that I couldn't let him know I was going to meet a friend because I didn't have a copy of his phone number and just Martinez's number was in my contacts, but I didn't. I knew better than to mention his assistant's name in front of him.
"That's okay. It was me who acted berserk and a jerk. That will not happen again, he assured. I could only nod at him. He never apologized for what he did, but his admitting his mistakes was more than enough for me. I knew how much courage it took for him to admit his mistakes. In the short time that I have known him, I know he is not the type to apologize to anyone. But he just did it to me."That's okay. it was me who acted berserk and a jerk. That will not happen again.” He assured. I can only nod at him.
We were engulfed in a long, awkward silence. I said exactly what I intended to say. I'm at a loss for words. I reach uncomfortably for the glass of milk, but I drop it by accident. When the glass shattered on the ground, it made a loud noise. The broken glass was scattered all over the place.
"Ouch!" I grumbled. I winced when I felt the shattered glass pierce my skin.
"Fuck!"