Caught in Darkness

My lips were only mere centimeters away from his when two things happened, and those two things changed everything.

The moon slipped itself behind a passing cloud, hiding the one source of light we'd had enter the room. A sudden darkness washed over us, causing goosebumps to rise up on my skin. But in the next second, the door to the room jerked open and that was when Leo and I sprang apart.

My eyes swerved to meet the surprised ones of Damien. Had he seen us? Did he know what could've happened if he hadn't walked in? My heart pounded guiltily against my chest, the way a child's would if they were found doing something they were ordered not to.

Damien didn't say anything, his eyes flickering from my face to Leo's. Leo had a less suspicious look on his face, the one of utter calmness. He'd worn the mask once more. Only a few seconds ago, a battle of emotions had broken out in those beautiful blue eyes of his but now they were filled with an innocence that would be wrong to doubt.

I tried to be the same way and took in a quiet breath, calming my features. The light from outside the room was bright enough to show Damien's face and he looked completely taken aback by what he'd seen. 

He must have seen it. 

Turning away, he whispered softly, "The others are waiting."

And then he left the doorway, leaving the door wide open without a glance back at us. 

Leo and I stood in silence for a while. My mind raced through the events of the last few minutes and I couldn't believe myself. Leo and I had almost kissed! And we probablywould have if it hadn't been for Damien's interruption. Where would that have led us?

It was very unlike me to almost kiss a boy who I'd known for...four days? Is that really it? Yet I couldn't deny the connection I'd felt between us, and it left me craving for more. Leo had his way of captivating me and I felt like I couldn't shake myself out of the experience. 

My chest pained as Leo said softly, maintaining a safe distance, "They're waiting for us."

I met his gaze. This time, no concern. It was clouded with confusion that he hadn't been willing to let out in Damien's presence. But with me...he showed it openly. Was that a good thing?

I followed him out of the room and back into the hallway after we closed the windows. I yearned to hold his hand the way he'd held mine before as we squished our way through the jam-packed rooms and out the front door. 

The others were there: Amy and Nick, Damien and Katie. By the expressions on their faces, I believed that Damien hadn't told them about what had almost happened between Leo and I. He seemed to be avoiding even looking at the two of us... what was going on?

"So the other three are taking off," Nick said, somewhat solemnly as he eyed Amy. She grinned and stood up on her toes, kissing him on the cheek. "You'll be fine." Then turning to me, "And you still have to give me your number!"

"Um..." Why couldn't I snap myself out of it?

She waited patiently, her forehead creasing with my growing silence. Numbers not coming to mind, I said, "You can ask Leo or Damien for it." 

"Okay," she said with a smile, then gave me a hug. "I'll see you soon May!"

Hugging her back, I took a step away and watched her walk off with Nick to a car. Damien and Katie joined them both, and I assumed they were going home together. Just before Damien seated himself into the drivers seat, he glanced once more at me and Leo. 

I couldn't make out the expression on his face but a dark shadow had crossed through it...

And inside, I started to think I'd betrayed him. 

As Leo drove me back home, I started to feel suffocated. Both my hands were interlaced with each other, twisting uncomfortably on my lap as I eyed Leo trying to make sure he didn't catch me. 

I wasn't shy. But I was quite scared of the situation I'd placed myself in. My emotions were all over the place and I didn't even know what to make out of them. A part of me felt hugely guilty after seeing Damien's reaction to all this. But why should I care? He has Katie Collins - Mrs. Boring Drama Queen. And so what if I'd almost kissed Leo? It had nothing to do with Damien!

Yet...

I shouldn't have such intentions towards a guy I'd only met a few days ago. But a part of me disagreed with that. When I'd told Leo about everything, he'd completely understood. And he'd been the one to hear it. That held a special place for him in my life. Why did I have to blame myself for that?

Before I could indulge myself further into any more confusing thoughts, Leo pulled up in front of my house and turned off the engine. I didn't get out.

We both sat in silence, not looking at each other and not daring to say a word. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. 

"Makayla..." He whispered my name softly and I looked at him. He was looking at me intently, confusion and doubt on his face. Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself before speaking once more. "I'm sorry."

He was about to say something more but I interrupted him, "It's not your fault." He watched me with a hint of surprise on his face. Had he expected me to resent him? "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I-"

"Leo you were there for me when I needed someone. If at all, you helped me a great deal. I'm still pondering over how to thank you for that." 

His eyes lingered on my lips for a moment and I couldn't help but add before thinking, "Probably not in that way." 

Funny how I cracked a joke on our almost kissing scenario and it wasn't awkward at all. Leo grinned, helping me to relax slightly against the seat. I was glad he didn't resent me.

"That was close huh?" He asked, thinking back. I smiled. "Yeah it was."

My hand tightened unnaturally, longing to finish that kiss. What was wrong with me - I did not know. But inside of me, a little part wished that Damien hadn't intruded. 

"But Makayla...I still mean what I said to you back there."

His blue eyes penetrated mine with an honesty that had my heart beat starting to quicken again. "What do you mean?"

He turned in his seat so he was completely facing me, one of his hands meeting mine and giving it a light squeeze. "You should trust me." And there it was again, that electricity. Where it had come from - I had no idea. 

But I sat still and frozen in my seat, not daring to make a move forward. Leo however leaned closer to me till it felt like I was once again re-living what had happened in that beautiful night moment we'd shared. Except instead of directing himself to my lips, he kissed me softly on the cheek. 

A blush rose up, causing Leo to chuckle as he sat himself back down. But he didn't make any remarks at my reddish state and said in that perfectly cool way of his, "You should really get going to bed now." 

"Fine," I said, sounding reluctant which seemed to please him as I got out of the car. He didn't start up the engine until I was right in front of the door. Turning back, I gave him a little wave and he grinned and waved back before speeding  away.

After having changed into my night wear and snuggled into bed, my mind revolved around the events that had just taken place.

What. A. Night. 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

I slept well that night. Surprisingly well. After a long time, I'd had a good and nice dreamless sleep but that doesn't mean I thought any less of the events that had taken place in the party. I woke up the next morning at ten, surprisingly late for Makayla Summers. 

After brushing my teeth, taking a shower and changing into black knee-length jeans and a plain white t-shirt, I headed out my room with a rather wide smile on my face. Meeting my dad in the kitchen, I greeted him cheerfully before sitting down on the chair.

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline in surprise as he turned to look at me, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's going on Makayla?"

"What?" I asked, innocently.

"You know what," he grunted, moving forward to give me my plate of Sunday-morning pancakes and maple syrup. "Joyful smile and greeting, sleeping in on a Sunday when you normally go to church...something is up."

I'd forgotten church! A part of me felt guilty and made a mental note to go for a night mass tonight. The other however, just nodded and grinned sheepishly, "I had a good time at the party dad."

"Did you now?" He asked, an equally sly grin making its way to his face. "So that boy, Leo, treated you well?"

Too well, you'd never have imagined. Suppressing the words, I took a bite out of my breakfast and didn't say anything. But my dad looked amused nonetheless. He hadn't seen me like this in a while, and I hadn't been this way in a while either.

I had Leo to thank for that.

But like any other day...something else was out to bring down my mood. Or should I say someone else. 

I spent most of the day moving from my room to the living room. I'd finished all my assignments and so had nothing much to do in that area of a typical weekend. I was either listening to music, going online and checking my email, or watching televison.

Dad, as usual, spent most of his time in his study. But I didn't have any obligations towards that, not today anyways. 

While munching on a Nutella-sandwich, I opened up my Facebook at one point and noticed a new friend request. And I wasn't at all surprised by the name that popped up: Leo Harper. I took a good minutes to stare at his profile pic. It wasn't even him...or it didn't look like him.

He was hiding behind the shadows on the wall he was leaning against outside in the street (I believed it was school), caused by the setting sun. His blonde hair had a brownish tint and his eyes a little more or less intimidating as he gazed at the camera intensely. 

Deciding not to spend too much thought on it, I accepted his friend request. Before I could send him a message though, I heard two loud knocks on the door. My father yelled "Are you going to get it?" 

"Sure!" I yelled back before bouncing down the stairs with unusual enthusiasm. Smiling, I opened the door widely to only have myself engulfed in sheer surprise once more. 

"Damien?"

Shock shook me slightly as my jaw dropped open, staring at the boy on my doorstep. And not because most girls would if a rather attractive boy showed up without informing them at their house, looking like that. It was as if he'd dressed to please.

He was wearing a t-shirt that brought out the toned and muscular features of his chest with casual black jeans. Oh, and he was wearing Ray-Bans that concealed his green eyes, looking like a teen version of James Bond. Yet I didn't have to see the emotion in his eyes to know what he was thinking.

"You forgot?"

Taking off his shades, he looked down at me with disapproval. What had I forgotten? I wracked my brain for it.

"We were supposed to meet today for the project, remember?" His frown deepened as realization slapped me.  

"Oh! Right! I'm so sorry, I forgot!"

"I don't blame you," he muttered, entering the house as I stepped aside to let him in. Deciding not to question him on that, knowing exactly what he'd meant, I led him to the living room and urged him to sit down on one of the couches.

"I'll be right back," I said before hurrying up the stairs once more to inform my father of my visitor. Dad took it rather coolly, probably because he wasn't listening or didn't really care. He was engulfed in his work to tend to me and so I shut the door to his study, and joined Damien back downstairs.

He watched me enter the living room, the same way he'd watched me yesterday: like a hawk. Clearing my throat, I asked curiously, "How did you know where to find my house?"

"The address was in the student guide," he stated simply.

"Oh."

Of course. Anyone would know that.

"So do you want to get started on the project?"

What was it about him that had me completely aware of my surroundings? With Damien around, I felt extra jumpy and nervous and I couldn't get my mind off of what had happened yesterday with him walking in on me and Leo. Not like we had been doing anything wrong; if at all, it wasn't even Damien's business. But he seemed different today: more serious...and less flirty. It wasn't the Damien I knew and it really bothered me.

All my project-related files and documents were in my room so Damien followed me down the narrow hall and into the last door on the far left which opened up to my room. I could feel him only a few feet behind me and the fact that I was going to let him into my room made me feel queasy.

Nevertheless, I stopped by my dad's study beforehand. Opening it up a crack, I peeked through and whispered, "Dad? He's here."

"Leo?" My dad turned around with a wide-spreading grin on his face.

I clenched my jaw. Great time to bring him up dad, great time. "No. Damien." I didn't want to risk a peek at the expression on my guest's face and instead opened up the study wider as my dad stood up.

The two made their greetings, my dad smiling and shaking Damien's hand as Damien returned the gesture. "You have a nice home," he said.

"Thank you! So you're Makayla's classmate?"

Damien nodded, seeming to tense a little before asking in a fake teasing tone, "Has she never told you about me?"

"Makayla doesn't talk much about school with me," he said. "Yet, the boy yesterday must have been a treat."

I grimaced as my dad winked at me. This was really not going well. I could only hope Damien wouldn't murder me in my room. 

"We should really get started on that project," I insisted, tugging on Damien's sleeve and dragging him to my room. He didn't hold up much resistance either, I didn't have to ask to know why. When we entered, his eyes scanned the room in interest, going over the blank walls that I hadn't taken time in designing and finally resting on the screen of my laptop.

My laptop!

Jumping to it, I quickly closed the Facebook screen and turned guiltily to face Damien who watched me with a blank expression on his face.

"You certainly are doing your research on Leo aren't you?" He asked dully, as if it was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"I just befriended him, that's all," I said.

"So is that what you two were doing yesterday at the party? Being 'friendly' with each other?" He shot back, the temper rising in his voice.

I couldn't hold back the irritation in mine either and snapped back at him. "Well you seemed to be enjoying your time with Prom-Queen-to-be Katie Collins!"

His nostrils flared in anger as his hands drew into tight fists by his side. Green eyes narrowing, they almost seemed to darken as he glared at me. But I didn't let that hold me back as I went on, my voice rising with each second.

"And of course it's perfectly excusable for you to have forgotten to mention a girl who you've been seeing! Because, you know, the girl who you've been acting to be interested in doesn't have to know about the infamous Katie Collins. She won't care at all!"

"Makayla," he hissed, taking a step closer.

"Because Makayla is the stupid new girl who doesn't know a thing about Damien. She doesn't know why he yelled at her and practically threw her out of his house. She doesn't know why he's being so rude to her for the past few days. Oh. Right. And she has not the slightest idea why he's so interested in-"

And that's when he cut me off.

--------------------CHAPTER END---------------------

A/N: Muahahaha: yes. I am evil. Stop glaring at the screen. I know you guys secretly love these cliffhangers I leave you on. ;) Let me know down in the comments how much you liked this chapter and what you think is going to happen next. Also, please vote and share this story with your friends if you're enjoying it so far!

Also, I think I forgot to mention that May's dad is played by Benjamin Bratt. Remember him? That hottie from Ms. Congeniality (one of my fav movies ever). Yeah, he's a dad now. :P Here's  a pic to jog your memory!

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