A.N: Sorry about the updates! Gah, it's just getting harder and harder for me to update! But don't worry, I'll finish the story. : D

I hope everyone will have a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year's!

Chapter's a little short, but I should have the next one up before New Year's hopefully.

Enjoy and comment!

Thank you!

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Chapter 14: Broken Heart

Serena lies in her bed tossing and turning restlessly. She couldn't go to sleep. Her heart wouldn't let her because her thoughts were stuck on a certain someone.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything... but I think it best if you stay in your own room tonight, and I in mine."

Was he angry with her? Why had he been so distant on the ride home? These questions were jut two of many that swirled in her mind like a destructive tornado. And now she couldn't sleep until she got the answers to her questions…

So there was only one thing she could do; and that was to get up and go ask him.

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Darien sat comfortably in his chair as he read The Count of Monte Cristo. He usually read whenever he couldn't sleep or was stressed. Books gave him a means of escape. He could instantly be transported into someone else's life, leaving all his problems behind for awhile as he read about someone else's problems. The only flaw of depending on books is that they end, and when a book ends you're back to your life, and back to having to deal and face your problems.

Something unexpected happened to Darien today. He noticed, for the first time, that he had feelings for a certain blonde headed girl. Not just feelings… very strong feelings. At first he was attracted to her. Then attraction changed into him caring and worrying constantly about her… and then from there his feelings kept developing and now it was nearly out of his control.

Darien had his reading glasses on, perched nicely on top of his nose as he turned the page. As he started to read the next page, his door suddenly swung violently open, a few seconds later Serena came bounding in.

Darien's eyebrows knitted together in worry. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she said," Are you mad at me?"

Darien frowned and closed the book and set it quickly aside. "No… why would you think I'm mad at you?" he wondered as he stood up, wearing nothing but his pajama pants that clung dangerously low on his hips.

Serena's hair was in a messy bun, some strands escaping the grasp of her hair-band. She wore a plaid patterned pair of pj's and a regular sleeping tank-top. "Cause you were sort of being a jerk tonight," she replied.

"I was not being a jerk," Darien repeated as he glanced at the clock, which blinked 2: 32 AM at him. "Serena… it's late, go to bed."

Serena shook her head stubbornly. "Why did you say 'I think it best if you stay in your own room tonight, and I in mine' ?"

"Because I do think it best that you stay in your room and I in mine," Darien answered, sounding exasperated as he took his glasses off and ran a hand tiredly across his face. "Look… we can't be making a habit of this, Serena… it isn't right."

Serena frowned," Why isn't it right? We weren't doing anything," she stated.

"It's the ethics of it," Darien responded, looking at her with his piercing blue eyes," and how do you think your parents will react if they just happen to stumble in with you sleeping in my bed?"

"They can't think anything of it because we weren't DOING anything! Not to mention you're never in bed with me! You're always somewhere else," Serena pointed out, looking a little flustered. He looked dead sexy, but she couldn't be bothered by that right at this moment.

Darien sighed heavily and crossed his arms. "Just go back to your room before either of us do or say something we'll regret later on."

"If you're mad about me talking to Ethan-"

"I'm not," Darien cut in at the mention of Ethan's name.

Serena paused and took a step closer to him daringly. "Then what is it? You've never acted like this before," she said as she reached a hand out to touch him, only to have him take a step away from her.

Darien looked angrily at the ground as his breathing began to quicken. "Serena, get out."

His sudden movement away from her stung her, as well as his words. He doesn't feel the same way, her thoughts attacked her, leaving her vulnerable. Serena fell silent as she stared at him through sorrowful eyes.

Darien looked back up at her, his face hard and stern. His eyes met with hers and he could see that he'd hurt her. He fisted his hands and tightened his jaw to keep himself from moving.

"How silly of me," Serena whispered quietly as she dropped her gaze, feeling the tears start to brim under her eyes, "to think that you might actually have feelings for me." She brought her right hand up and wiped at her eyes before any visible tears could escape. She laughed weakly," I'm so stupid to think that you could like an eighteen year old girl… of course you wouldn't, I mean you couldn't right? I'm an annoying little girl who still goes to high school and has everything handed to her on a silver platter, right? You didn't feel anything when we kissed, did you?" She looked up at him, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

Darien stood silent and still.

Serena sniffed and looked back down from his expressionless face. "No you didn't," she answered the question herself. "You're the one that pulled away from me… just like you're doing now."

She stood for another moment of heart-breaking silence before she spun around to walk away, sobbing. See what love does? Her conscious yelled, it makes you cry for no reason, and it hurts! You have no one to blame but yourself.

"Serena, wait," Darien said, still pivoted to where he'd been standing and making her freeze. "You don't… want someone like me," he said quietly, staring intently at the ground, his fists still balled up tightly. "I'm… I'm not right for you. I'm selfish and narrow-minded… You deserve better then me."

She let out a sob and ran out of his room. Her world became blurry as the tears let itself take over her.

Serena had always wondered what a broken heart felt like. Now, she knew.

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Darien collapsed on top of his bed, letting out an exhausted sigh as he felt the mattress envelope around him temporarily. This never should have happened, he thought to himself as he let his hands cover his face.

Did he want her?

More then anything.

Then why didn't he just tell her? Why didn't he just let himself be happy? Let both of them be happy…

Because he was selfish and determined. Selfish because he cared more about his job then he did almost anything else; and determined that in a relationship, you set yourself up to fall. At least his job guaranteed that things would only get better, but in a relationship, you enter it blind. While his job promised success, a relationship split in two different paths; one ending in heartache and pain, and the other ending in marital bliss. It was a gamble, and no one knows for sure if they'll win the jackpot.

This was not supposed to happen, Darien thought again as he dropped his hands from his face and stared blankly at the ceiling.

That's the funny thing about love though. It's never "supposed" to happen, it just does.

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Serena woke up the next morning feeling weak and exhausted, having spent most of the night crying in her pillow. Her mind immediately went to Darien. How was he going to act today? Like nothing had happened? If he acted like that, she didn't know if she could handle that…

There was a soft knock on the door, making Serena's thoughts scatter.

"Who is it?" she yelled tiredly, squeezing her pillow tightly.

"It's me," she heard Darien's voice come from behind the door.

Hearing his voice even hurt…

When Serena didn't respond, Darien said, "You're going to be late to school."

"I'm not going to school today," she answered.

"Oh, come on! You're going to have to see me eventually, I'm your bodyguard," Darien's voice said.

Serena frowned. "'Eventually' is the keyword! I don't have to see you today if I don't want too," she yelled.

"Don't be ridiculous," Darien grumbled.

"I can be ridiculous if I please," Serena argued back. "Now, leave me alone!"

Darien mumbled, "Fine," before falling silent.

Serena smiled to herself as if she'd won a game, but then quickly frowned when she remembered it was Darien. She huffed quietly and closed her eyes again, wanting the day to pass through sleep so she wouldn't have to think of him.

Suddenly, there was a click and her door swung wide open, revealing a nicely dressed Darien. He walked in leisurely and stuck a credit card in his pocket.

"The doors here are old," he said mostly to himself," not very hard to get open."

Serena shot up in bed, looking angry. "Get out of my room! That's breaking and entering," she yelled, pointing out the doorway.

"It's my job to watch you, so it doesn't matter," he responded cockily. "Now come on, go get dressed."

Serena glared at him then plopped back on her pillow, turning away from him.

Darien rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Serena… seriously, you can't skip school because of me."

"Who said I'm skipping because of you? I happen to feel very sick," she inquired cheekily, still facing in the opposite direction.

Darien raised an eyebrow amusedly. She was obviously mad and hurt by him, but she still had her stubborn wit. "You seemed fine at two in the morning… it's only been about five hours since then."

"I can become sick in five hours," she replied nonchalantly.

"I'm going to ask nicely once more… now well you please get up and get ready to go to school?"

Serena stays quiet.

"All right… you asked for it," Darien shrugged. Before Serena knew what was going on, Darien swept her up and threw her over his shoulders.

"Whaaaaa," She wailed, "Put me down!" she screamed as she struggled around, flailing her arms and legs about and hitting him. "I have a RIGHT to not go to school! Darien!"

Darien held onto her legs firmly as he made his way into her large bathroom.

"Where are you taking me?" Serena yelled loudly as she tried desperately to wiggle out of his grasp.

Darien didn't say anything but he headed towards the shower. He opened the glass door, put her in it and turned on the water; cold, cold water.

Serena gasped as the freezing water pelted down at her. She got up quickly and jumped out of the shower, gasping as she started to shiver. She was drenched, and her breathing quickened due to her being so cold.

Darien looked at her and shrugged with a smug smile, "I asked nicely but you didn't want to listen."

Serena glared at him as her breathing slowed down, water dripping off of her hair and soaked pajamas. "I…. -breathes- hate -breathes some more-…. you," she said menacingly.

"Huh… that's funny," Darien said as he cocked his head to the side, "According to last night-"

"Shut-up," Serena said menacingly, looking up at him with searing eyes. "I should have never said those things last night. It was a mistake and in the spur of the moment, but at least I had enough balls to tell you how I felt.

"As of right now, you do not get to have the privilege of speaking to me, let alone taunt me. You have no right to make fun of what I said last night just because you don't reciprocate my feelings. Now get the hell out of my room because I am not going to go to school today and you are the last person I want to see right now," she finished, her words cutting through Darien like a sharp knife; deep and painful. She stood shaking because of anger and because she was still dripping wet and cold. Her blonde hair looked darker wet as it plastered against her face and body.

Darien paused and took his gaze from her angry ones. He walked around her and quickly grabbed a towel that hung on the handle of the shower. He draped it around her shoulder as she stood still and shivering, waiting for him to leave.

"I never intended on hurting you, Serena," Darien whispered as he looked at the side of her face. "I'm sorry…" and with that he left her quietly to herself.

Once she knew he was gone, she fell to the floor and started weeping again.