© Copyright 2011
All work is property of Leah Crichton, any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal.

Disparate: (dis-pie-rate)

fundamentally distinct, or different in kind

composed of dissimilar or opposing elements

I was face-down on my bed, soaking my pillows with salty tears—the ones that Snickers couldn’t manage to kiss away—when I heard the rocks against my window. I stood up, wiped my face with my sleeve, and walked over to it. Damien stood in the front yard below with a crooked smile on his face and his hand behind his back. I tried to open the window, but it stuck. Orion had done it a thousand times before now. It shouldn’t have been so difficult. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was able to force it.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi.”

He withdrew his hand from its hiding spot, producing a bright red rose. “Are you busy?”

I smiled. His gesture, his presence was a welcome diversion. “Now?” It was a stupid question; of course he meant now. He was standing in my front yard tossing rocks at my window.

“Yes, right this very moment, love.”

 “I’ll be right out.” Grabbing my jacket from my desk chair, I threw it on and started climbing out the window. It wasn’t until I had one leg over the windowsill that I remembered I could have used the front door. This was more adventurous for sure, but a little dim-witted. I was stuck.

“Jump,” Damien said. “I won’t let you fall.”

I looked at him and considered my very limited options. I must have looked like a fool; what a show I was putting on, half in, half out the window. I was pretty sure I could hear Damien suppressing laughter. “Come on, just jump. I promise I won’t let you fall.”

“I have trust issues.” 

His smile grew wide as his shoulders shook with laughter. “You can trust me. I promise.” I didn’t have any choice at the moment, so I closed my eyes and jumped. True to his word, Damien caught me. “You sure know how to make an entrance.”

“I try to be unforgettable.”

“Ah yes, well, you are.” He placed me on my feet and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Shall we?”

I looked back at the house. My mom wasn’t home and Luke wouldn’t even notice I was gone since he wasn’t speaking to me. “Sure,” I agreed. “I'd love to.”

“Where could we go that would make you happy?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“That makes it easy,” he said. “Off to far, far away.”  

I got in the car and rolled down the window, not caring where we went. As long as he would take me away from this place and give me an escape, I was happy.

I eased into the seat and let him drive, winding through the streets of Vancouver until just after dark, he pulled into a crowded parkade. Damien tucked his keys in his pocket and opened my door.

He took my hand in his. “Hungry, love?” 

“Yeah, I could definitely eat.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. Maybe I didn’t eat at all.

Hand in hand we walked through a crowded marketplace until we reached the water, where he headed to a restaurant that looked like it had come right out of a movie set. It was called Seaview and, exactly as its name suggested, all the seating was beside the ocean. Tables were set for  two and lavishly adorned in silky fabric and dim candles. “Wow,” I said as he pulled my chair out, “This place is great.”

“You think it is great now, wait until you taste the food. Absolutely phenomenal.”

I ordered sun dried tomato pasta with grilled chicken while Damien opted for steak and potatoes. When the food came, I was so hungry that it took all my resolve not to dive right in and devour it. True to what he said, the food was incredible. He watched me with such intensity, I felt as though he was analyzing my every movement. I stopped, paranoid that maybe I was shoveling my food into my mouth like some feral creature. “What?” I asked him.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really. I can see now why Orion is so possessive of you.”

“Oh?” I attempted to sound casual. I hadn’t really noticed Orion was possessive. Protective? Definitely. Possessive? Not so much.

“Yes, you truly are a captivating little creature, Ireland.” Damien wound his thin fingers around the stem of his water glass and took a long sip.

“Um. Thanks, I think.” No one had ever called me a creature before. “Hey, what’s the deal with you and Orion?” He had opened the door for this conversation, and I wasn’t about give up the opportunity.

“What deal?” 

“You know what deal, Damien. Why do you hate each other so much? What did Orion ever do to you? I want to know.”

“What did he ever do to me? He was born. Good enough for you?”

“No, it’s not good enough for me.” I was suddenly very angry. It seemed to be nothing short of impossible for anyone to give me a straight answer around here, which was ridiculous.

My temper amused him. “Oh, sweetheart, you are insanely cute when you are mad. I love it.”

“It’s not funny. It’s not cute. No one can seem to answer anything at all.”

“Alright.” He held up his hand, palm forward. “You’re right. I’ve not been fair. I know you feel very strongly about him. Listen, the reason I hate Orion so much is simple. He pretends to be someone he is not. I can’t stand people like that. He walks around like he is better than everyone else, when really he only uses people to get what he needs. No respect for him is all, and he knows it too. That’s why the feeling is mutual.”

That seemed like a reasonable answer, though not a super detailed one. “Oh. How long have you known him?”

“Too long. Listen, you are starting to give me an incredible complex here. Whenever you’re around me you seem to only want to talk about disagreeable things, like Orion. Come on now, let’s not say the O word anymore tonight. I propose that you just enjoy the evening with me.”

Guilt washed over me at his revelation. He was right; I only ever talked about Orion when I was with him. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

We finished dinner in silence and after he'd paid the bill he stretched out his hand. “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”

I hadn’t been fair to Damien. It was inconsiderate of me not to give him my attention when I was with him.

We walked along the docks, admiring all the floating houses. It was eerily quiet except for the sound of our footsteps and the calming waves of the water. The silence between Damien and me should have felt awkward but it wasn’t, it was only peaceful. He turned to face me and slid one arm behind my waist, holding the other hand up near his shoulder. “Dance with me again.”

“What, here?” My heart beat excitedly as I remembered the last time we danced. How comfortable it was, how romantic.

He yanked my body close as he had done before and, although it was bit barbaric, like he was trying to claim me, I didn't mind. “Yes my love, here.” He started to hum softly and sway in a perfect, gentle rhythm. This was the most romantic thing I had ever experienced in my short life. I was, in fact, sure it would rival many people’s romantic ventures. He pulled away slightly, so he was looking at me. “You are a wonderful girl. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different or make you feel any different.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “Thanks,” I said.

That was when he kissed me. He was good at it. It was gentle and effortless, but despite my subconscious scolding myself, I couldn’t help but compare it with Orion’s kiss, which made my body an inferno. Damien didn’t make my stomach flip or my knees weak, like Orion could with a brush of his hand. I wondered if maybe Damien was nervous, or if maybe Orion was far too knowledgeable in the art of kissing people. “I can see why he wants to keep you all to himself.” 

“Hey, I thought we weren’t going to talk about, what did you call him, the O word?”

“Oh no! We agreed, and now I’ve gone and ruined it. Forgive me, please.”

“If I must,” I sighed playfully.

“I insist that you do.”

“Well, I will consider it on one condition.”

“What would that be?”

“One more dance.” 

“One more dance with you is nowhere near enough.”

I rested my head on his shoulder, seeking the comfort of his arms and the soothing sounds of the water. I closed my eyes and, for the first time in days, thought that maybe everything would be okay. We stayed that way for a long time, then Damien stopped. “As much as the prospect of holding you in my arms all night appeals to me, I should get you home, love. It’s getting late.” He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. 

He was probably right. My mom would be home by now, and I had taken off without telling anyone.

The drive home was quiet. Damien pulled up to my house and leaned across me to open the door. “I had a wonderful time this evening.”

“I did, too. Thank you, Damien.”

He smiled. “Thank you, love. I hope to see you again soon.”

Before I lost my nerve, I leaned across the seat and kissed him. “Bye.”

I smiled at my courage and headed to the house. He may not have made my knees weak, but he was a welcome distraction to the misery I’d been feeling.

Seeking solitude, I made my way to my room. I didn’t want to see Luke or my mom or anyone right now, much less talk. I wanted to be alone to think about things, to gather my thoughts and figure out how to move on.

But I wouldn’t be.

Alone.

I pushed to door opened and there he was. Before I could scream, he was in front of me in a flash, his hand across my mouth to muffle me.