Chapter Nine
Damian slowly walked back home. Angela's words had pierced his heart and brought him to his senses.
"She hates me," he mumbled incoherently to himself.
When his dad had threatened him to break off all ties with Angela, he hadn't taken him seriously. Damian had sworn that he would still connect with Angela on the sly, without his dad's knowledge.
But his dad had become almost impossible. He went to his hospital less, he stayed at home more, he abused him verbally in his stupor. Damian was forced to stay away from him and live with Xavion at his house for a month.
When he had returned, he found that his dad had fought with uncle Gerry and he had sent Angela away to California.
His world was devastated. He had no one to love him. He started his drug exploits with Xavion, both broken with their broken families, both craving for love and guidance. These escapades brought more wrath upon them. As they grew older, girls started flocking to them and they hooked onto them more. His dad gave up on him and started staying away from home.
Damian wanted to get Angela out of his head, so he started engaging with girls who were interested in him. He didn't know if he would ever see Angela again in this life. For three years, he waited for her to come back. He shifted his bedroom and watched her balcony for hours. But she never came back.
The girls that he engaged with didn't help him forget Angela at all. He was pissed off with his life. His depression had become too much for him to control. Even Xavion was tired of handling him. He had become impossible.
When Angela came back suddenly, Damian was stunned to see her. He immediately stopped his escapades with other girls. He thought seeing him talking to them would make Angela jealous but it had the opposite effect actually. She started hating the very sight of him. He could take in anything that life meted out to him, but not Angela's hatred. He needed her love. It was the essence of his very existence.
He sat like a statue for hours, not knowing what to do, how to get her to love him again. Her words stung him and he couldn't think straight. Should he give up his life? Placing his hands on his face, he lay down and sobbed his heart out.
Xavion came to his room and was surprised to see his best friend's condition.
"What's wrong bro?" He asked with worry.
Damian told him everything that Angela said to him. Xavion sighed after hearing it. Damian had Angela but he had no one.
"I can't continue like this Xav. I'll drop everything and pursue Angela like before, " swore Damian. Xavion nodded in understanding.
"Yes, make it your mission to win her. Tell her why you started these things in the first place. I'm sure she'll forgive you eventually, " said Xavion.
Damian found a new hope in his otherwise bleak life. Yes, he would make it his mission and pursue Angela, put all his efforts into this mission till she again started loving him like before.
"Yes you're right. I'll do that. By hook or by crook I'm winning her over, bro, I've decided, " said a determined Damian.
Xavion went home and Damian sat near his window to watch Angela's house while he thought of a plan to win her over.
Angela decided that dinner would be the best time to talk to her family about her shift.
"Dad, I've been selected at the university of Austin. I'll go tomorrow to complete the admission formalities," she informed her dad.
"Congratulations, princess. I'm proud of you," appreciated her dad. Her brothers too congratulated her.
"I'll give you the money to be deposited, " said her dad and she nodded.
"Dad, college would start in a fortnight. Can I go and live with my best friend Steffi for a few days?" She asked hesitantly, expecting a blasting.
"Why do you need to go and live with her? Meet her everyday and catch up," said Adam with a displeased look on his face.
"Please dad," she pleaded, ignoring Adam's comment.
"Where does she live?" Asked her dad.
Angela informed him the address and he thought for sometime. "How long are you planning to stay there?" He asked.
Angela couldn't say that she wasn't planning to return, "Till college reopened?" She said.
"Ok, enjoy," said her dad, patting her head lovingly and walking away from the table. Her brothers glared at her. She just stuck out her tongue at them and cleared the table. After a few days of shifting, she would talk to her family again.
The next morning, Angela happily trotted off to the university to complete the admission formalities. As she got down from the bus in front of her university, she had the eerie feeling of being followed. She turned around and looked everywhere but couldn't find anyone peculiar only a silver Lexus LS stood at a distance. She didn't think much and walked into the campus. After forty minutes, she completed all formalities and happily trotted off to Steffi's apartment. She had to give her the good news that her family had approved and she would soon shift.
She again had the same eerie feeling of being stalked. She turned around but didn't see anyone apart from the silver Lexus LS that she saw before. Was that car following her? But why should it? She didn't know anyone who would follow her.
She walked faster but the car swerved and parked right in front of her and blocked her way. She stepped back and was about to run back when the door opened and Damian emerged from the driver's seat.
She stopped in her tracks. It was Damian who was following her around? Blood boiled in her veins and she turned to face him with scowl on her face. He kept striding towards her, determination etched on his face. She was confused. What did he want?
He came close to her. "I need to talk to you, Angel," he said earnestly. Angela was taken aback by his direct statement. There was no teasing, no dirty talk. What was he upto? Would he take revenge for what she said to him last evening?
"I have nothing to say to you, Damian," she spoke rudely, wanting to just escape from him.
"Maybe. But I have and I will. Come with me on a drive. It's important, " he insisted.
"Why don't you go on a drive with your whores? Stop bothering me. I don't want anything to do with you, " she said vehemently as she tried to walk away.
Damian walked closer to her and caught her hand. Her eyes widened with surprise at his sudden behaviour. He picked her up on his shoulder and started walking towards his car. Angela tried to break free. She panicked, not able to escape the wicked Damian. What had gotten into him? Why was he behaving like a caveman?
"Put me down as*hole," she screamed. But he carried her to his car and deposited her onto the passenger seat. Angela tried to escape but the door was locked. Damian unlocked and came into his car.
"I don't want to talk to you. Can't you get it in your head?" She yelled.
"But I want to. I've left everything Angel," he confessed softly. "No drugs, no random women. Please give me a chance, Angel," he pleaded.
"No Damian, I don't know you anymore and I don't trust you," said Angela, not believing a word he said. He sighed and started his engine.
"Where are you taking me? Unlock this now, " she said trying to unlock the car door.
"No. I won't let you go before you hear me out," he stated, driving off.
Angela looked at him, his face grim, his jaws set in determination. She knew he was stubborn and would do whatever he wanted to.
"Stop the car and tell me what you have to say," she said, impatiently.
But Damian drove on not paying any attention to what she said. Angela was frustrated by his behaviour. She looked around where he was driving her to and couldn't comprehend anything at all.
He took her to a park at the back of the university and parked his car. They got down from his car and he led her to the park, holding her hand in a vice-like grip and pulling her along.
Angela didn't protest further. He was stubborn as a mule and would do anything to make her hear him out. He led her to some stone benches and made her sit. He sat down beside her.
"You're hurting me Damian, " she said softly.
Damian left her hand and sighed. His hands covered his face and he stayed like that for a few minutes. Angela didn't know how to react so she sat quietly waiting for him to calm down and speak to her.
"I need you Angel," he whispered to himself but Angela heard him clearly.