AN: Thanks again! All you wonderful followers how about you leave me a review? Even if its just 'hey bro i like your story' haha. I'm super excited about things moving forward with Layla and Damon, hope you are too! I felt the quote below is a good one for Layla. Enjoy!
Chapter 10
"Memory is a tenuous thing. . . .
flickering glimpses, blue
and white, like ancient,
decomposing 16mm film.
Happiness escapes
me there, where faces
are vague and yesterday
seems to come tied
up in ribbons of pain.
Happiness? I look for it instead
in today, where memory
is something I can still
touch, still rely on.
I find it in the smiles
of new friends, the hope
blossoming inside.
My happiest memories
have no place in the
past; they are those
I have yet to create."
― Ellen Hopkins, Impulse
Layla's POV
It's a strange thing how one minute you can be so absorbed in every detail of a moment, hyper aware of every touch, every breath, and the next be spiraling into the darkness of unconsciousness.
The last thing I remembered was Damon pulling away from my neck with an audible final gulp. His eyes were quickly losing their blood colored luster, returning to crystalline blue. His fangs were retreating back into his gums. A little blood dripped from his lower lip and I had the incredible urge to lick it off. There he was inches from me looking vulnerable and more beautiful than he'd ever been, all I had to do was crush my lips to his again and be lost in ecstasy and oblivion. My body had different ideas though, black spots dotted my vision and I was suddenly very cold. I felt myself slump then warm arms cradling me like they had so many times before.
That brings me to now. Waking up in the now familiar bedroom of the elder Salvatore brother. I peek through my lashes at Damon, he's sitting at the small table in the corner of his room. Usual drink in hand, he's obviously deep in thought. He's tracing his lips with a finger; I wish it was me touching his lips. I must make some sound to give away my consciousness, or maybe he just feels my eyes on him. He saunters over to me and takes a seat on the edge of his bed.
"You feeling ok? I think I took too much." He sounds gentler than usual. I move to sit up against the headboard and my vision blurs for a moment.
I put a hand to my head and close my eyes. I hear a strange squish of a sound. My eyes crack open to see Damon biting into his wrist. He holds his bleeding arm to my lips. "Here. You'll feel better if you drink." I have a mind to say no but the pleading look in his eyes keeps me from speaking. I take a gulp of his blood, it's oddly not disgusting. His eyes urge me on and I drink a little more forcefully. He's right; I do feel better, almost instantly. My head is clear. I must have blood on my lips because he reaches out with his thumb and sweeps away the mess.
He's uncharacteristically silent. I don't know what to say either. What is there to say? He killed a man for touching me; called me his, made out with me in a dark alleyway, and drank from me. Kind of hard subject matter to breach at the moment. Harder still, I willingly, hell happily kissed him back, wanted more when two minutes before that I was punching him for snapping a mans neck. I don't think either of us was exactly stable. We might be the meaning of dysfunctional relationship.
His sigh sounds through the room because of the silence. His blue eyes meet my green. He seems to be searching for something in my gaze.
"I do stupid things when I'm upset or angry. I was feeling confused and then I saw that guy with you, I may have had a quick moment of jealousy, and I reacted in a way I probably shouldn't have." It comes out slowly; it seems hard for him to say this. May have felt jealous? You think? A sudden fit of giggle escapes my mouth. He's staring at me like I'm crazy.
"Has anyone ever told you you're really shitty at apologizing?" His face relaxes and a small smile graces his lips.
"Actually, yes. I don't really do apologies." I nod my head and beam at him. Why am I suddenly not scared of whatever this is with him? I should be furious and disgusted with him. I've never exactly been normal I guess.
My phone rings loudly on the floor. Damon grabs it and hands it to me. "Elena and Judgeypire have been calling you non stop." I take a deep breath and answer.
"Hello?"
"Oh thank God you're ok! You are ok aren't you?" Elena must have her phone on speaker; both she and Caroline are speaking.
"I'm fine. Sorry I haven't answered. I crashed for a little bit when I got home, long night and all." Damon's smirking again, I'm glad. He pulls my feet out from under the sheet and rests them on his lap.
"I understand. I can't believe that stupid creep! How'd you get home?" It's confusing hearing them both talk. Damon takes one of my feet in his hands and begins to rub. Oh jeez, I love massages. He's definitely sucking up. I didn't realize my feet hurt until he's pressing firmly into the arch of one. Guess dancing and very high heels will do that to you.
"Stupid creep brought me home." His eyes flash in amusement and he continues to rub. This whole situation is bizarre. What's even going on here?
"Are you kidding me!? What did he do, knock you unconscious and throw you in the trunk?" Caroline's voice is pretty shrill when she's angry and yelling. Damon just looks more and more amused.
"Something like that."
He switches feet and I sigh in content. I should not be happy right now! I shouldn't let him touch me! But it feels so good. I want those talented hands everywhere. The thought makes heat rise to my cheeks. He must notice because now he's looking at me questioningly.
"Well we'll let you rest. I'm sorry tonight ended up being a disaster. I mean we took you there to get your mind off of that asshole and he just appears and ruins everything! Who knows you could have ended up going home with that nice guy and then you would have completely forgotten all about Damon! Uhg!" Oh God, really Caroline? I should have told them that I'm right next to him.
I sneak a look at him. He's stopped massaging my foot. His jaw is clenched. He makes a gesture for me to hand him my phone; I shake my head in protest. Next thing I know he's plucking it from my unwilling hand. I try to take it back to no avail. All he has to do is use one hand to keep me at arms length.
"Hello ladies." I hear Caroline shriek.
"Were you lurking that whole time!? You are such an asshole! Do you have any idea how lucky you are that we got that guys body out of there!? Elena is so upset she doesn't even want to talk to you!" Caroline is so loud! Now Damon's walking around his room rolling his eyes.
"Elena will get over it, she always does." He pours himself another drink
"Well she shouldn't! You are completely irredeemable!"
"Can you stop screeching like a banshee for two seconds?" Caroline huffs loudly.
"You need to keep your judgey little comments about me to yourself. I think Layla can decide for herself whether or not I'm 'completely irredeemable'. So no more little trips with the goal of getting her laid. And you're fucking insane if you think I wouldn't have hunted that guy down later and killed him if she would have gone home with him. So really blondie, he was dead the second he walked up to her. Get over it; move on with your neurotic life. Have a nice night! Bye!" He looks like he feels accomplished as he hangs up.
"Where the hell do you get off deciding what I do with my life!? If I wanted to go home with him or any other man for that matter I can! It's my choice! You don't get to kill people for talking to me!" What the fuck is his deal? I'm angry all over again
He must have expected my outburst. It seems like my yelling isn't fazing him. He sits back beside me on the bed. I glare at him and jump out of the bed. I move to walk out his door and back to my own room. I reach for the doorknob but hands are on my shoulders spinning me around. I go to yell but I'm pressed to the door with lips on mine again.
It's the same as before. I'm pulling him closer when I should be pushing him away. I'm moaning into his mouth when are tongues touch. He's gripping my hips forcefully, grinding into me. His erection is prominent and all I want to do is wrap my legs around his waist. It's over to soon, he pulls away. His eyes are burning into me with more lust than I can handle.
I let myself slide down the door until I'm sitting on the ground. I bury my face in my knees.
"Why do you keep doing that?" I sound weak and confused.
"You don't seem to mind." I peek up at him. His expression is unreadable. He huffs and reaches for me. He cradles me against his chest and sets me back down on his bed. I have spent way too much time in this mans bed.
He lies next to me. His eyes are way too intense. I can't hold his gaze.
"What am I to you Damon? A few days ago you were making out with multiple women in the living room and then tonight you show up and do all this. I really can't handle being toyed with." He doesn't say a word so I continue. "I moved here with ever intention of making friends and moving on from the past. I told myself I wouldn't get involved with another man. Then I met you and you just kept digging into my life, you kept saving me, comforting me, I couldn't help but develop feelings for you. I would have never said anything about it but then I saw you with those girls and it hurt. I cleared my head and came back I would have pretended nothing ever happened but you showed up tonight. Then you kiss me and it feels so right and I hate it! I hate it because I'm nothing to you Damon, I'm interesting, I'm someone new, and that's it. Maybe you're attracted to me but I'm not the kind of girl that you can just sleep with then toss to the side." I take a deep breath and look him in the eyes again. A million different emotions are flashing across his face.
"So, what are you saying Layla?" My name rolls of his tongue and my heart flutters. Jesus Christ!
"I'm saying that you can't fuck with me. You can't kill every guy I talk to. I'm already broken; I won't be able to keep myself together if you keep confusing the hell out of me. You can't kiss me and call me yours when I'm already falling for you Damon!" I instantly cover my mouth, I did not mean to say that last part. His eyes widen in surprise. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
His gaze turns heated. He reaches out and caresses my cheek with thee back of his hand. My eyes flutter at the sensation. His voice is low and seductive.
"You are mine." I'm done for, end game. Now I couldn't tear my eyes away from his if someone paid me. "I can touch you, kiss you, fuck you, anytime I please." My mouth goes dry, I think my heart might burst out of my chest. "And something tells me you'll let me do anything I want to you."
He pulls me close to him. Fingers ghost over my leg, making goose bumps rise on my skin. "Damon?" My voice escapes me breathily. He continues his path up my leg, inching my tights dress up when he reaches it. His eyebrow arches in questioning. "Please don't hurt me." His hand stops on my thigh and his expression softens.
"I won't make any promises I can't keep." My stomach drops.
He pulls my face to his and kisses me softly, sweetly. "I do promise to try to do everything in my power to not fuck this up." I'm confused. Fuck what up? He must notice my confusion. "I'm not toying with you. I care about you Layla. I can't go back now, not after kissing you. There's no way I can keep my hands off you now." This can't really be happening can it? "I'm probably going to fuck up. I'm irrational and overprotective and jealous. I let my anger get the best of me; I act without thinking things through. It wont be easy." He's talking fast now, not looking me in the eyes. "But I swear I'll take care of you, I won't let anyone hurt you. Just be patient with me. I've never done this. I've never had anything real." Is he saying he wants to be with me? My mind is racing. How did we get here? "So…don't hurt me either." He looks young, scared, beautiful. I don't know the extent of the pain he's had to endure. I want to know everything. I want him. I want this chance for something real too.
I take his face in my hands. "I promise I won't hurt you Damon." I think there's tears in my eyes. I wasn't expecting any of this. I close the small distance between us. Our lips mold together perfectly.
I want these new feeling to erase all of the bad in my life, in his life. I want to make new memories, good ones. Maybe all we need to achieve happiness is each other.