Althea Rogers

Amelia pointed towards the boys and back at me again. To indicate Damien. I sighed before looking on his way and he was incredibly mouthwatering as always. Starting from his wet hair look and those perfectly sculptured upper body of his.

My God, how can someone be so perfect?

"I'm....not sure."

"Yeah right, keep saying that and let that blondie have him instead." My face snapped in full frown towards them and I saw this blonde in bikini, trying to make up a conversation with them. She also had another friend of hers and they were talking something.

In the next few minutes, the boys were helping out the girls to stand by the water falls with each holding one another.

What the fuck?!

My expression was cloned to Amelia as her nose almost flared out of jealousy because my brother seemed to be holding one of them too.

We saw every single dirty chances the girls attempted on them and at one point, we lost it. We asked to join them even though me and Amelia weren't a big fan of standing over the falls. Amelia pretended to be struggling for Atlas to hold her and she firmly took a spot beside him while I did my best to stand in between the blondie and Damien, blocking her perfect view of him.

Instantly, the girls were plastered with unpleasant sneers and they left. Which gave me and Amelia a victorious smirk.

The water falls were very strong from above and I felt like I'm getting swallowed into the water when suddenly came to my rescue in a shocking way. Damien had me caging in between the wall rock behind and his hard body.

"You okay?"

I gulped, realizing how close our faces were brushing against each other and one wrong move, our lips would be touching. My breathing were heavy and Damien had his eyes lingering on mine with a dot of concern. Soon his gaze drifted downward to my lips and a second passed before he quickly drifted away.

Resulting on the sudden force of him shifting off, my body loses it stability and I was about to trip forward when he caught me by my waist while pulling me into the water. I'm sure if he would have missed it, I would be swarming by injuries due to my clumsiness. But he once again came to save me like a knight in the shining armour.

We swam up to the surface together and he was still holding me by my waist.

"You nearly got me a heart attack, princess. No more letting you near the falls again." I giggled, listening to his whine.

"I'm sorry." My apology came out in quiet.

He let me go afterwards and led me near the shore. Saying no more to swimming, I thought to only dip my legs in the water so I tried to take my seat on a big rock by the ashore. It was indeed so huge as it got difficult for me to climb on. Just at that moment, I had another unexpected racing of heartbeats when Damien gently grabbed me by my hips and carried me to sit me up on the rock.

"All settled in?" He asked with a hint of wink and I nodded with no hesitation while seeing him, diving away from me to the others.

Does this man has any idea of what's he doing to me? God, I'm a goner. The way he showed me that my bulbous weight meant nothing was aesthetically pleasing. It was as if I'm a light feather when I weighed thrice in digits.

So if Damien doesn't really have issues regarding my bodyweight, will he accept me as I am? What if it'd be a right time for me to confess my feelings before I decide on what to do with my future? What if it's too soon? What if Amelia's right on saying that Damien might have feelings for me?

Yet I could say that one thing was sure from what I experienced, the more I wait to confess, the more I'm lacking out chances on him. Just like what happened today with that blond and luckily I was here. But I can't always guard him like this to keep those bimbos away. Especially when there's a goddamn colony out there, waiting to pounce on this fine man anytime.

I should really do something. I think that it would be the best if I make the first move.

*****

It's been three days since we went to the water falls and Amelia's been bugging me to spill whatever happened that day. She swore she saw us kissing and I wished it was the truth but I denied so she got curious of what really happened.

I have been busy with my arrangements with school as my graduation is right around the corner and so I didn't really get the time to spend with Lia.

Today's the day for my graduation dress shopping and Lia accompanied me to the mall. Atlas volunteered to drop us there as it was one the same way to his workplace and as soon as we landed, her bugging me about what happened on the water falls begin.

I laughed at her impatience and started narrating her from A to Z while we walked our way inside the mall.

"Ooo, that's the sexual tension." She made that sound of awe-ness right after I told her the part where Damien's held me up twice.

"No, it is not. I was being clumsy and I only embarrassed myself."

"Well at least you got him staring at your lips for a moment. That says a lot of him wanting to kiss you." She told and it got me thinking. Was he really staring at my lips to kiss me?

"I don't know, Lia. Maybe you're right but I'm not sure." I let her know and we reached the first boutique to check on some dresses.

She sighed before saying, "All I'm trying to say is that you both really have that chemistry....and I saw it with my own eyes that day. Even your brother does....well, apart from him whining about his little sister romancing with his best friend."

I giggled for her mention at the end. Thus, whatever she said made sense.

"It's never too late to tell him, hun. If you want it, you should go for it." I nodded my head at her in lost of words because she was right.

Damien is the real chick magnet and I have no strength nor beauty to win him back if any of those model like bimbos take him away. But so many "what ifs" are still lingering in my head and my fear of rejection wasn't helping the situation either.

"Earth to Althea!" It was Lia's light scream and I was back to reality when I notice her already talking to the sales lady in the newest boutique here.

Hmm, I don't usually go here for my size but let's see what this place has.

"Get your head out of Damien and let's focus on shopping for now, shall we?" She suggested while whispering close to me after I speed walk towards her and I complied.

"In her size?" The sales lady asked with a sly look.

"Yes."

"Hmm, I don't know about that. We only provide for someone....smaller in size." She said while motioning her hands over my figure.

"Hello but you can at least check first before telling us that." Lia sounded a little stern.

"Miss, I'm sure we have beautiful dresses in your size but in hers....we don't have any. Look, I don't mind if you still want to try anything on her but you should pay for the dress if she rips it off." She said scornfully.

"I'm done talking to you. Call me the manager now!" Lia fumed and I held onto her arm.

"Lia, let's just leave." I calmed her down.

I can understand that if she don't have dresses in my size but she could be a little bit more respectful. Still it is not right to make a scene here as I'm sure that this boutique is a piece of rot and it's a complete waste of time quarrelling with an ill-mannered being.

"No, that's not how she should be speaking to a customer. It's a new boutique even so this is not the way they should be treating their customers. Learn about manners and respect, woman!" Lia threw words of daggers one by one and the lady went frightened for a minute.

I put all my efforts in prying Lia out of there and she momentarily stopped to take a picture of the banner from the boutique while shouting a promise to post a report about her in online.

"My God, Lia....come on." I finally succeeded on pulling her away from that situation and she cooled down.

"That is a big no for her to discriminate you like that. Like, how dare she? I should go back and teach-" She started to walk back on direction of the boutique again but I got the upper hand by holding her in place.

"No, no. We aren't going back there again." I told her and she took a deep breath in.

"It's not new for me, you know. When you're big and fat, some people might always be mean about it. There's one boutique here that I would always shop regularly, I think we better go there."

"Thea, you're just going to watch and let them bully you like that?" Lia bristled out the question and I shook my head.

"No, what I mean is....there's no use on fighting those people. People like them will never change so the best is to be away from someone like them." I let her know and she seems unconvinced but didn't say anything further.

Sometimes it's okay to ignore these kind of discriminate-r, even though it hurts.

"Damien should have been here." She huffed before we started walking as I led her to the boutique I was talking about and it got me back to the times when Damien used to get on fights for me. He got sent to the principal multiple times because of my bullies and sometimes Atlas would be his duo.

Damien was always there to protect me with my brother and he had never failed to make me feel ease in places.

*****

It's almost evening when we decided to leave after some window shopping as well. I finally got the right dress and it fits me like a second skin. Just like I said, this boutique serves all my needs in golden plate.

The most important thing was that there was no commotion as the ladies here are so sweet and kind enough to assist us.

We were about to leave and Lia called my brother to know whether he could possibly pick us up but he told us that he would be leaving work late today. He suggested to call Damien instead because he's workplace is near around here either and we agreed.

Lia made me do the calling and he picked up on the first ring. "Hey, princess. Are you okay?" I don't know whether it's because of the way he calls me or the way his voice sounded so deep even though he's concerned but it ruptured my body with shooting tingles.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder and she mumbled silently. "Stop drooling and say something already."

I glared at her before answering him, "Yes, I'm all right. It's just....me and Amelia came to shop in the Axena Mall and Atlas dropped us when we arrived. But unfortunately he can't pick us up so I just want to know if....you will be able to give us a lift back home, maybe?"

"Sure can do, princess. I will be there in five minutes." He said without any hesitation.

"Oh....okay then. We are in the pick up area, near the main lobby. We will wait here for you." I told him with a wide smile spreading over my lips and we hung up.

"So he's coming, eh?" I nodded at her and she said that she could read our conversation through my facial expression.

Just like he said, he appeared in his black Mustang and Amelia intentionally climbed to the back seat to make me sit on the front beside him. He looked handsome as always and I got nervous for no reason. Since I'm taking the whole seat by my big bottom, everytime when Damien geared up and down the manual transmission lever, his fingers would be brushing my thighs. Even in a tight jeans with my skin covered, I could feel the ignition of heat rummaging through my body.

Just imagining him as my boyfriend and while he is driving like this, the same hand on the gear handle will be sliding over to my thigh. Squeezing it, like I have seen in the TikTok trends the girls used to post on their boyfriends doing so.

Thea, oh, Thea....when that would happen to you?

"So how did the shopping goes?" He asked, breaking the silence and also my desiring daydream on him.

"All good, we bought a beautiful dress for Thea to wear on her graduation ceremony. Window shopped most of the times so everything went well, expect for the mean skunk from the first shop." Lia grunted at the talk of the rude sales lady and I really don't want this topic to be known again. Especially to Damien.

Topics like this would only trigger my fear of him projecting myself and even though he hates it when people bully me about my weight, I tend to think that he might see me the same way. Well obviously I'm a big girl but I don't want him to listen to that particular statement in open. I can't hide my appearance but at least I don't want to brag that I'm fat and people seemed to be bothered about it in front of him.

"Mean what?" He got curious of the word she addressed the lady as he directed his gaze towards me and Lia through the rear mirror.

"I-It was nothing. It's just this salesperson having a bad day and taking it out on us." I cut myself in before Lia could open up and I peered around to give a little shake on my head, signalling Lia not to say it.

"You sure you guys were all right?" He asked and I assured him that we did great.

Damien looked unsatisfied but he didn't say or ask anything further. I nearly breathed out in relief as the topic went off and we were enveloped in silence throughout the ride back home.