Chapter 48 - The Feelings She Never Wanted
Lisa
I blinked in shock but Damon continued as if he hadn’t just subtly dropped a bomb in my lap. I emptied my wine glass in one gulp and made a quick signal for a refill. Several glasses later, I managed to convince myself that I was hallucinating. Damon had never said those words, my mind was just playing games on me because deep down, I wanted to hear those words, badly.
“Are you okay?” Damon leaned in to ask me with a concerned expression on his face.
“No.” I shook my head. “Can we go home now? I need to rest.” I said.
He dropped his glass and conceded. Soon enough we were out of the hall and the next minute, we were back in our condo. Without a word, I scurried over to my room and locked the door. I lay in bed and fell asleep staring at the ceiling and asking myself,
“Did he really say that?”
“Did he mean it?”
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"I don’t want to leave Paris." I told Damon the next morning.
He blinked. "What?" Staring at me as if I’d suddenly grown 16 extra heads. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m serious. I really like it here.”
“And since when have you been thinking about this? When did you change your mind?”
“‘’Dunno.” I shrugged. “I’m not sure when exactly but I just realised I really like it here and I don’t want to leave.” Making eye contact with Damon, I added, “Yet.“
”We came together, Lisa, There’s no way I’m leaving without you.”
"That was then. A lot has changed now. You can leave without me. It doesn’t matter."
He went quiet for a long time. Too long. Too quiet. And then he asked, “Is this about earlier? Is this because of what I said?”
“What? No! Well, okay, maybe just a little but it’s more than that, honestly. This trip has been eye-opening for me. It’s been like a total awakening. I’ve become a whole new person and I don’t want to go back to my former self. I want to explore the depth of this new-found version of me. I want to start over, a fresh start.”
"Lisa..." Rubbing his hands across his face, he seemed to be at a loss for words.
And then he exhaled. “Fine.”
“Fine?” I blinked in confusion.
“Yes. It’s fine. You can stay back.”
“Just like that?” I asked. It all sounded too good to be true.
“Of course. If you want to stay longer, feel free to be my guest. But I’m staying too.”
“You’re staying? Here? With me?” He nodded in responses to all my questions. “But…don’t you have CEO duties to attend to or something?” I asked.
“A work and no play makes Damon…” he didn’t finish.
“Are you for real?”
"I don’t say things I don't mean, Princess."
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The rest of the time we spent in Paris was even more pleasant than the earlier days before the Gala. Damon was so sweet and intent on spoiling me rotten. Breakfast was in bed almost everyday with a delicious menu of fruits, the best croissants, and very rich coffee. Afternoon ended with hands full with shopping bags and the evenings. That was the best part? Romantic rendezvous with the one and only Damon Blacknight.
Every day was full of surprises. Day after day, Damon kept finding new ways to impress me. For the first time in a long time I got to live life and enjoy living life. Without worrying about any bills.
This was a typical afternoon. I was in the kitchen baking while Damon sat across from me. I pretended not to notice how Damon's eyes followed the action as I licked a small amount of sugar off my thumb.
"I would like to visit the city at night, just to see. I want to see it."
His mouth twitched, "Why?"
I gave a shrug. "Dunno. I just think that Paris should be viewed in its most favorable light."
And with that, Damon treated me to a surprise boat excursion along the Seine that evening. The Eiffel Tower sparkled in the distance as the city shone all around us. My hair was blowing in the breeze as I leaned against the railing. Although it ought to have been cliche, it felt...perfect at the time.
Damon took a step forward and spoke softly. "Having fun?" I turned to face him, suddenly acutely conscious of their proximity. “Yeah,” my voice shook, “I think I am.”
He didn’t say anything, but his gaze lingered, the air between us thick with unspoken words. I swallowed, looking away.
I had many planks for Paris, a bucket list full of plans for Paris, but one thing that never made It to that list was, ‘love.’ I had absolutely no intention to fall in love in Paris. Somehow, though, something changed between the late-night walks and the early croissants, the sly looks and the giggles. Like the way Damon's hand always found my little back in a throng or the way he appeared to remember my coffee order without me ever speaking it aloud, it was subtle rather than loud or dramatic. It was the way I managed to catch him observing me when he thinks I'm not looking. When he smiles—like really smiles—my heart skips that rare, unguarded type of smile that seemed to belong only to me.
The cadence of our days had become ours.
Then there were the unexpected moments, when everything seemed to slow down and I could only feel him. Like the afternoon we were caught in the storm and fled to a small bookstore's canopy for shelter. Damon's fingertips had lingered at my jawline a bit too long as he brushed wet hair out of my face. Or the evening he had found me on the balcony, deep in contemplation, and silently stood next to me, draping his jacket over my shoulders.
I was falling. Slowly, but falling.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn't want to stop myself from falling.
In fact, I don't want to stop falling.
I don't want to land.
Ever.