Secrets
Damian came down the last step with his hand dragging down the handrail. “Where is everybody?” he asked, after he scanned the empty living room. The interior
was set in a warm glow, a set of three lamps had finally allowed me to see his living space. I chose not to answer him and curled up on his couch more, pulling a sandy beige pillow over my chest like it was a stuffed animal. “Your friends,” Damian clarified, only seconds after he stepped into the living room.
“The front,” I answered him casually, while I let my eyes scan his appearance. “You changed.”
“I was cold.” He dragged his hand down his woolen jumper, a dark midnight blue shade that went well with his tanned skin. “Fall is nearly over.”
I gave him a look then, a silent question as to why he was allowing so much space between us. It was obvious that we were attracted to one another, the tension at the dinner table was enough for my friends to put two and two together. There was a reason Ben and his boyfriend were out smoking their cigarettes, and it was only because I practically begged Ashley to leave that she was forced to stand outside in the cold with them.
Damian foolishly looked around the room as if he expected one of my friends to show up. It was clear he was putting up a guard. “Are they coming back?” he questioned with a strange tenor to his voice.
“They are out smoking.”
“Oh.”
“I don’t smoke,” I clarified, just in case he could not reach that natural conclusion. “You can sit, you know.”
He rubbed his hands together nervously, and then strode towards me with determination. He took a seat on his couch, ensuring there was enough space before he settled his hands over his lap. An awkward silence fell over us. I didn’t want to force a conversation from him, so I decided to wait.
I will wait until he says something, I decided, looking to the wall furthest from me where a lamp illuminated a full bookcase. There were no personal belongings though, as a matter of fact the room felt sparse the longer I examined it. I began to wonder if this was a temporary home for Damian, or if it was a mere reflection of his strange personality.
“The salmon was good,” Damian piped up out of the blue. “Did you like it?”
“I did.”
He fidgeted nervously on the couch, letting his finger rub over his silver ring. “It’s getting late,” he surmised, a sure sign that he wanted me to leave. “Nearly dark.”
“You scared of the dark, Damian?” He never answered me, only fidgeting in his seat more. “Is something the matter?”
“Not feeling good,” he muttered. “Probably turn in early for the night.”
I let go of the pillow, feeling like a fool for entertaining that he felt some affection for me. There was a spark, I knew, but maybe it was nothing more than that. It was just my imagination. “Are you cold?” he suddenly asked, once he watched me toss
the pillow to the end of the couch. “No.”
“I could get you some blankets,” he offered. “Your friends must be cold out there too. There was frost this morning, did you see?”
“No.”
He lowered his head, while his lips twitched awkwardly.
A fool, I decided, and then rose to my feet.
“Sara!” he called out, realizing I was ready to go. “I’m not acting myself,” he explained. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“I just don’t feel good,” he muttered with a hand over his stomach. “Like I’m coming down with something.”
“It’s not the food,” I assured him, since we had the exact same meal.
“I really should go to bed.” He rose to his feet slowly, staggering forward as if his entire body was in pain. “Maybe some Advil,” he deliberated aloud. “It’s going to be a long night.”
“Let me help you.” I positioned my body next to him, grabbing a hold of his arm to string it over my shoulders. He fell into my body naturally, letting his hand cover a portion of my arm as he kept a strong hold over me. He staggered forward, making me wonder what kind of sickness could have suddenly come over him. I could hear his teeth chattering, like he had the chills, and his face was becoming paler by the minute. “You have the flu maybe?”
“Huh?” he uttered, while his eyes became hazy.
“Flu.”
“Flu,” he mouthed out, as though he couldn’t concentrate on the word.
“Damian, you are unwell. You want me to take you somewhere? Do they have a health clinic around here?”
“Nothing for miles,” he told me. “Closest town is …” He paused once he had to raise up a leg to go over the first step. “… miles away.” He gripped onto the handrail and let out a deep shudder. “I can’t go upstairs.”
“Nonsense.”
“No,” he whimpered. “Let me stay on the couch.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” He replied quickly with a short nod of his head. “It’s…” He stopped himself and simply shut his eyes with pain. “I think you should just leave me.”
“But it’s not contagious,” I assured him. “Besides, I can’t leave you this way. Let me get you something to drink. You have herbal tea?”
“Mint,” he wheezed, and then placed a foot down as a firm warning he had no intention to climb the stairs this evening. “I’m cold.”
“It is a cold night,” I surmised, and then rubbed my hand down his lower spine to cheer him up. “I’ll take you to the couch.”
“Thanks.”
He let me rotate him around, and then we slowly made our way to the couch where he could rest. I left him to boil the kettle for some tea, and then went to the front door to tell my friends they could come back inside.
“Think something died,” Ben piped up, the second he walked through the door. “Vultures everywhere.”
“Most likely.”
“So,” he grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me into him, “the two of you made out yet?”
“Damian is sick.”
“He chickened out?”
“No, he is really sick. I think he needs a doctor.”
Ben let go of my hand and strode down the hallway, leaving me to wait in front of the doorway for his sister and Taylor. Taylor stepped through first, his clothing reeking the most of cigarette smoke out of the three of them. He unexpectedly hugged me, kissing the side of my cheek playfully before he let me go. “You had fun, Sara?”
“No.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me playfully and then shook his head in disagreement. “Lies.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Out there for ten minutes and nothing happened?”
“He’s sick,” I explained, and then flickered my gaze to the moving shadow that Ashley had created as the last of the sunlight fell over a portion of her small, roundish figure. She stepped through the doorway with a lethargic look to her, offering me a lazy smile that told me she was still in a good mood.
“He’s sick,” I told her, before she could even ask me the dreaded question. “Nothing happened.”
“The way the two of you were making eyes at each other over dinner, and then I hear this?”
“I don’t know.” My shoulders raised up with a careless shrug. “I really don’t know what happened.”
“How bad is he?”
“Come see,” I suggested, and then led the way into the living room where Ben was already lingering. He covered his mouth with his hand as he took note how much Damian’s teeth were chattering in front of us. “Ben!” I called out. “The kettle probably boiled by now. Go in the kitchen and see if you can find some mint tea. Taylor, keep an eye on him.” I took a hold of Ashley’s sleeve and added, “you are coming with me.”
We crept up the staircase, entering the small hallway that was completely dark. I felt my way through the darkness, walking down the short hallway till I reached a single door. The knob opened easily for me and I found the light switch to turn it on.
His bedroom was just as scarce as downstairs, though I found it odd that his window was wide open. I walked forward to shut it, while Ashley let her hand drag over a smoky grey blanket that had a busy pattern over it.
“His room is so empty,” I observed, noticing there was only a bed and an open closet in line of my sight. “Talk about being minimalistic.”
“And you like this guy,” Ashley teased. “I guess you can say this room lacks a feminine touch.”
“I can’t believe nothing happened downstairs,” I moaned. “I mean, did you see the way he was looking at me earlier?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh,” I grunted. “We finally have alone time and then he suddenly gets sick.” I lifted the blanket Ashley was inspecting earlier and threw his pillow atop it. “His blanket is warm.”
“It looks hand sewn,” she noted.