Songs Mentioned (in order):
Foreigner- I Wanna Know What Love Is
Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes- The Time of My Life
Richard Marx- Right Here Waiting
Berlin- Take My Breath Away

This chapter is dedicated to pparbie again for being such a supportive person and telling her class and friends about my freaking story! I love you so much, you're amazing and I hope we can be friends lol !!

Damien's POV

I cock my head. "What's wrong? Did I take too long?" I crawl on the bed and lean in to kiss her. She turns my face away and pushes my phone against my chest. I frown as it falls on the bed.

"What?" She doesn't answer. Instead, she pulls the covers over her head. I open my phone to see my messages with Jane on the screen.

Fuck.

"Hope, that happened a long time ago," I try to reason with her. The messages are showing from last year. Why she scrolled all the way up for something to fight about, I have no idea.

She pulls back the blanket and glares at me. "Long time ago? She just called thanking you for something you were up to the other day. What's that about?" Her voice is harsher than I've ever heard.

"If she called, then she's doing it on purpose. She knows I'm away with you." Is she seriously going to believe a stupid horny ass girl?

"How would she know that? Do you tell her everything about us?" The hurt in her eyes are unmistakable.

"She came by, I told you. She saw the suitcase and I explained. Nothing happened, I swear."

She bites her lips, her eyes glistening. "How did you even meet her?"

"Some stupid party. But Hope, nothing happened," I insist. It was actually a bit more complicated than that. At one of Carlos' party two years ago, I pulled a girl into a room, when I caught Jane's then-boyfriend punched her. I pulled him off of her and after I beat him senseless, he ran out and never showed his face again. We became friends, and later on, friends with benefits. We never spoke about it ever since that night, so it's not my place to tell Hope about it.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Check the messages, Hope!" My voice begins to rise. Is she serious right now? "They're almost a year ago! I don't text her about those kind of things anymore! It isn't a big deal!"

"Big deal? Look at the way you speak to each other. Everything is about sex! How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?"

"You shouldn't feel the need to compete. I'm with you, not her."

"She gives you what you want and I don't," Her voice cracks.

I sigh in frustration and speak slowly. "I love you, not her."

"Does she know that?" She snaps. "Because apparently she's in love with you and you never bothered to mention that." She must've read too much.

"Why does it matter, huh?" I try to keep my voice level as to not wake her parents up.

She only glares at me before laying back down and closing her eyes. For some reason, Makayla's voice comes to mind about how happy I make her. I can't help but feel guilty now, despite the fact that it's Hope who's misreading the entire situation.

"Whatever," I mumble in annoyance, moving to lay down on the bed. I push the blanket over to her and she wraps it around her body. I turn my back to her and close my eyes, willing myself to sleep.

***

I startle awake to the sound of screams. It takes a few seconds to realize its coming from Hope.

"Hope! Hope!" I hiss, panicking as I try to shake her awake. The blanket is on the floor and she's writhing frantically. It's not the best way to wake up a person from a nightmare, but I can't think of any other options right now.

I continue to shake her until she abruptly sits up in a fit of gasps. Her eyes are wild as they search around the room, sweat matting her hair to her head. "It's okay. It's okay." My mind is still panicking and reeling from the suddenness.

Her eyes shift to mine before it shuts, and she turn her body away from me. "Hey, come here." I pull her against me. She struggles for a second before giving in, her shoulders shaking as she turns back and wraps her arms around my neck.

My heart is still pounding in fear and I hope she doesn't notice. I lay back down so she's laying on top of me and begin to stroke her hair. "It's just a nightmare," I say breathlessly. What am I supposed to do in this situation? How am I supposed to help her?

She sobs against my chest, the muffled sound of her cries aching mine in return. I stroke her hair in uncertainty and continue to hold her until she eventually pulls away, sniffing and wiping her face. "Sorry for waking you up," She whispers.

I cup her face in my hands, hating how miserable she looks. "Come with me, okay?" She shakes her head and averts her gaze. "I'll carry you if you refuse."

She glares at me, but allows me to take her hand and guide her out the door and through the patio. Four agents are posted there and I glare at the nearest one when we take a seat on the bench. He quickly turns around, giving us very limited privacy. I vaguely wonder what sort of secrets they keep every day just from eavesdropping.

"You're blaming yourself," I say in a sort of whisper. Her eyes are filled with guilt and tears as she looks up at me before averting away.

"How would you know?" She asks quietly.

"Because I know you. Hey, look at me." She shakes her head. "Look at me." I get a glare instead.

"You said she was murdered," I mutter softly. "How can it possibly be your fault?"

Her lip trembles and she looks up with anguish eyes and a strangled voice. "I'm the one that told her to take a shortcut. If it wasn't for me, we... we wouldn't have been there."

I intertwine my hands in hers. "It's impossible to predict that sort of outcome. We make a lot of decisions every single day. If we knew the results of those decisions, you think we'd make the same choices?" She fixes her gaze on our hands and starts playing with it.

I lean my forehead against hers. "You need to stop thinking like that, Hope. It'll only haunt you." She doesn't answer. "I told you if I knew who you were, I wouldn't have approached you."

She looks up with pain in her eyes and removes her hands from mine. I quickly grab it back. "Let me finish. It was true. But had I known the results, if I knew I'd love you this much, I wouldn't hesitate. You make me a better person, Hope." I'm surprised when my voice cracks. I don't know why I'm feeling so emotional.

She smiles but continues to play with my thumb. "Not to be a buzzkill," She says. "But how much did you like Jane?"

I shake my head in confusion. "What?"

"Just tell me."

"Are you always this random?" She gives me a pointed look. "To be honest, it was only sexual attraction. Trust me, if you get to know her, you wouldn't be worried at all."

She doesn't seem convinced. I sigh and get up from the bench. She peers up at me and frown. "I'm coming." I quickly grab my phone from the dresser and sit next to her, grabbing her hands with one of mine. I use my other hand to dial Jane's number.

The voice on the other line is groggy and annoyed. "Damien? Why are you calling me at 2 in the morning?" Hope looks up in surprise.

I put my finger on her lips, willing her to stay quiet. "Why'd you call me earlier?"

"I was bored. Is that why you called me?"

"Hope was saying we did something the other day?"

She snickers. "She's so fucking gullible. I was just messing around with her."

Hope grits her teeth. "Jane?" I say into the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Fuck off. Don't call me again." I hang up the phone and raise my brows at her. "Happy? Nothing happened."

She hides her smile and continues to play with my thumb. I back my thumb away and try to overlap it onto hers. And suddenly we're playing thumb war like two year olds.

"You're so childish," She accuses.

"You're the one who started it!" She laughs as I finally get the upper hand and press my thumb on top of hers. She yanks her hands away and bring my face closer to kiss me.

I eagerly return the gesture. She moves in and sits on my lap. Because of the agents most likely watching, it's easy not to get turned on. I fist her hair and deepen the kiss, eliciting a soft moan from her that makes my heart quicken. The sound of loud coughs break us apart. I glare at the agent.

"Something in my throat," He tries to explain before he walks further down.

"How do you not run away more often?" I wonder a bit too loud. She clamps her hand over my mouth. I bite it until she lets go and kisses me again.

I try to encourage her to go back to sleep but she tells me it's impossible. We decide to sit on the bench to watch the sunrise. Without meaning to, I fall asleep. I open my eyes to bright sunlight. My head is on Hope's lap and she's on my phone. "I hope I'm not in trouble again." I mutter.

She looks down at me and cups my cheek. "Nope. You just have good games."

I chuckle and sit up groggily. The agents posted outside aren't the same anymore. They must've changed shifts while I was asleep.

"Morning." I kiss her lips.

"Come on. Mom's about to make breakfast," She tells me. I head to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and shave. Hope insist she showers first, and I take the opportunity to find Makayla in the kitchen.

"Morning," I say in a low voice.

She looks up and smiles at me. The woman is way too cheerful this early in the morning. "How'd you guys sleep?"

"We slept fine." I'm sure Hope wouldn't appreciate me telling her about what happened last night.

"That's good. I'm about to make eggs, why don't you have a seat." She reaches for the pan but I quickly grab it.

"I got it." I remove the egg carton from the fridge and start frying them onto the pan. She takes out a separate pan and teaches me how to make french toast.

I attempt my own and accidentally burn some parts. "Sorry about that. I'll just have that one."

"What do you mean? It turned out better than mine." How can a mother be so nice like that? It's weird.

I didn't notice I was staring at her until she tilts her head and furrows her brows. "What is it?"

"N-Nothing." I plaster a smile on my face and ignore the feeling in my chest.

She pats my back before pulling out plates. I offer to serve and she obliges. I turn and am surprised to see Hope looking happier than she was earlier. I wink at her before heading back to work.

By the time I've set the plates, everyone is seated and I can't help but feel way too happy than I should be for just serving breakfast. It isn't a big deal, but it's thrilling nonetheless.

"For malady." I dramatically bow as I put a plate in front of Hope. She grins at me before directing her attention to her breakfast.

Unfortunately, I am seated next to the president today. He compliments my eggs, but assures me he knows I had help.

"Thanks, Jo," I say casually.

Hope pauses mid-eating and looks between us. Makayla hides an amused smile. The president glares at me. "My friends call me Jo. You will call me Joseph. In fact, I think you should call me Mr. President Joseph Henry Madison."

I scoff. "I thought we were best friends! I know you love me." I pat his back, almost spilling his tea. Makayla and Hope burst into laughter. The president scoffs and shakes his head, hiding a smile.

A warm feeling passes over me, and I can almost pretend I'm having breakfast with my family on vacation. But the thought leaves as quickly as it came.

When we're done and I have taken my shower, I peek my head out of the bathroom and ask Hope for my clothes. It reminds me of a situation I never want to speak or think about. I vaguely wonder what Zach would've said about it. He's still being a little bitch about our argument and refuses to hang out with my friends if I'm coming. Something about not wanting to get hurt for my "stupid decisions."

"Why don't you come out and get it yourself?" She's on the bed, her head between a book.

"Pervert," I mutter before stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. I narrow my eyes at her as she peeks her head out from the book and drags her eyes down my body.

"Hmm," She notes. I can tell she's smiling behind her book. I roll my eyes and throw the towel at her before getting dressed. It's not like she hasn't seen me naked or anything.

"You're in a good mood," I say, eyeing her suspiciously. I sit on the bed besides her.

"You like my mom, don't you?" There's no judgement in her eyes. She seems pretty happy about it.

I shrug in a casual attempt. "She's pretty cool, I guess."

She raises an eyebrow. "You guess? Is that why you literally ran to brush your teeth and forced me to take my shower first?"

I scoff. "I did no such thing." She gives me a pointed look. "I was being a gentlemen!"

"Admit it."

She's the mother I wish I had. "What do you want me to say?"

"Say you like her."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, I like her. She's cool. Why are you making a big deal?"

"I'm not."

I nod. "Yeah you are. You're being weird."

"You're the one being weird," She says.

"Whatever."

Our first stop was Flying Horse Carousel in Oaks Bluff. I'm beginning to wonder if leaning into our childish sides were a constant theme in our relationship. I had to admit it was fun. After a few rides on the carousel, Hope insisted she grab a brass ring to earn a free ride. When she failed repeatedly, I casually won the ride for her, feeling cocky as she jumped excitedly and hug me. I don't think I'll ever get used to going out and having fun with a girl romantically.

We spend the rest of the afternoon eating pastries from bakeries and walking alongside the beach. It was peaceful, as was the rest of the week. I would spend the morning jogging with Hope and her parents and spend the rest of the day alone with her. Hope makes sure she drives in the rented jeeps and makes trips around the island.

We visit alpacas, explore the lighthouse and Japanese garden in Edgartown, watch more sunsets, take pictures with tourists under Hope's demands, and grab pastries from the famous Vineyard bakery.

On our last night, we enter the house to see Hope's parents dancing with a glass of wine. I frown at them as I head to the bedroom, but Joseph isn't having it.

"I wanna know what love is!" He belts out as he grabs my hand and leads to me to center of the living room. I cringe as he takes his wife's hand and start dancing. "I want you to show me!"

The music is loud and Hope is laughing as we watch them. The singer belts out the lyrics and Jo chimes in.

I wanna know what life is
I know you can show me

I shake my head at them and try to sneak away but Makayla grabs my hand and beckons me forward. She takes my hand and start swaying our hands to the music. Hope, free from the assault, is watching in glee. I continue to dance with Makayla, reluctantly laughing as she sings along to the old music. I start fumbling over the words as she urges me to sing.

The song changes and a soft melody pours through the speakers. Makayla nudges me towards Hope.

So I'll tell you something
This could be love because
I've had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before

I stand there awkwardly. Hope, accompanied with a wide grin, curtsies before placing her hand in mine. I take her other hand and start swaying to the music, feeling embarrassed in the presence of her parents. Not to mention agents who I bet are secretly watching.

The song changes to an even slower song and Hope seems to recognize it as she sings along. She starts dancing and I can't help but laugh.

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever?
Wherever you go, whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I pull her closer to me by her waist and lean my head on top of hers, our bodies swaying in momentum. Being here like this, dancing to love songs that explains it better than I ever can, I feel content and whole. More than I've ever been in my entire life and most surely in the next.

"Ah. This song was the highlight of our prom," Joseph explains as the song changes. "Where everyone actually clamped their mouth shut and danced." Makayla nods and her eyes seems bright and distant, perhaps recalling the simpler times.

Watching, I keep waiting, still anticipating love
Never hesitating to become the fated ones
Turning and returning to some secret place to find
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say
My love, take my breath away

I look down at Hope and frown when I notice her cheeks are wet. I lean my forehead against hers. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing."

I swiftly turn her so my back is to her parents as we continue to dance. I lift her chin up. "What is it?"

"I'm just happy." Her eyes are bright liquids and I can't help but feel a hiccup of emotion before I clear my throat.

My love for Hope right here, right now, almost leaves me breathless. I can travel the entire span of the Earth and the other planets beyond, and I still wouldn't find a love like this. There is no other, simply. She is me, and I am her.

"You're so dramatic," I whisper. She smiles and leans her head against my chest. I close my eyes and rest my chin on her head, wishing I can be this happy forever.

For once in my life, I feel like I finally belong, in the arms of the only woman I'll ever love.

*****

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