HELD WITHOUT HANDS
Aurora's Pov
The sound from the air conditioner did little to calm my nerves as I adjusted the blanket to cover my dad properly as he shivered under the not so thick linen, groaning in pain.
"It'll be fine, Dad," I whispered, giving him a kiss on his forehead and a reassuring pat. Some days, caring for him felt like a heavyweight on my shoulders, like a chore that pulled me down daily, but I refused to let it show. Not to him, not to anyone.
It was just for a while, just till I got this job.
Damon had insisted we go out tonight, and I'd finally agreed. A little distraction, I thought to myself, I'd let myself enjoy tonight and tomorrow again....
He didn't know about the skipped hospital visits or the bills that were heavy like bricks on my chest. I couldn't let him. He already worries about so much.
I was dressed in a black backless gown flowing to the floor, I made sure it fitted perfectly. I wanted every part of my perfect body, highlighted properly. My stilettos shining and clicking as I walked, green clutch in hand to pair with my green heels.
Damon met me at the door, smiling easily, his grey eyes taking in my outfit. "You look…" he paused, with a smirk at the corner of his lips, "seriously intimidating tonight."
I rolled my eyes at him, with a soft chuckle . "Intimidating? Me?" I adjusted my bag. "I just don't want anyone to spill soup on my dress".
"Ahem" I pretended to clear my throat.
"Right," he said, you could tell he was amused. "Because the real threat is soup. Not the beauty or lightning of this place." He said as we entered the restaurant.
The space was lively, different people in nice outfits, glasses ticking, soft music playing, waiters walking by with trays of food that smelled heavenly.
It was indeed a beautiful restaurant, with a nice white and gold interior, it looked like a palace.
"Wow" I muttered as Damon led the way to our table.
"So, what are we having tonight?" he asked, scanning the menu briefly before looking at me..
I scanned through the menu and decided, "The salmon," pointing at the menu "But maybe the risotto too. I can share." I said with a playful wink
"Sharing is cheating," he joked , though I could see the faint smile in his eyes. "You always cheat."
"I'd call it a strategy," I replied, smirking
"Besides, isn't it cheaper?."
Damon laughed, shaking his head.
"Alright, strategy it is," he said and turned towards the beautiful lady standing to take our orders, "Two orders of salmon and risotto."
We chatted about trivial things, his work, a new project in the city, some ridiculous networking gala he had attended, whilst we were eating.
I smiled, nodded, laughed when necessary. I didn't talk about my father, the bills, the exhaustion. It wasn't that I didn't trust Damon; I just didn't want to burden him.
Then he appeared.
The atmosphere at the restaurant changed. Heads turned, whispers floated. Phones everywhere. Flash after flash lit the space as everyone tried to capture him. It was as though a celebrity had entered, not like I know celebrities.
But I barely noticed any of it at first. I was staring at the door, my attention drawn to something I couldn't place my head around.
He was tall, had broad shoulders, handsomely dressed, he had black pants on, grey shirt, ironed perfectly, top buttons slightly undone, the shirt hugged his skin so perfectly.
There was a gold stud in one ear, glowy and hard to miss, and the calm, almost bored way he carried himself made my stomach fluster. He looked like danger, power, his presence made the air heavy.
People hovered around him, but I noticed he didn't even spare them a glance.
He looked through them, as if the crowd were invisible to him.
There was a sharpness in his stares, a kind of disgust. My heart thumped. Something about him screamed… warning.
Damon leaned closer, voice low. "Do you see him?"
"Yeah," I said uninterested, keeping my eyes on my plate.
"Not staring huh?," Damon said, intrigued.
"Everyone else is losing their minds, and you're just… eating."
"I'm hungry," I said simply, then shrugged. "And would you have me glare at some random man, when I have a good looking, and sexy man right in front of me?" I said with a flirty smile
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are impossible"
"Hehe," I giggled.
Damon studied me, eyes narrowing. "You're not even curious?"
"And why would I be?," I said firmly.
"And don't read too much into it. I've had enough curiosity to last a lifetime." I said jokingly
He smiled, though I could see a little spark of curiosity in his eyes
"Fairs," he said.
We focused back on our food, talking about the risotto, the salmon, how the chef might have prepared it, even teasing each other about who would steal from whose plate. Our conversation was normal and playful as always, not minding the tension the stranger brought into the restaurant"
Damon's hand brushed against mine slightly as he was about to grab the bottle of wine. It was not intentional but it held a reassurance, i didn't realize was needed, I felt the comfort of it and couldn't help but feel safe.
We were done, we stood up to leave.
I walked beside Damon, heels tapping in rhythm, clutch in hand.
And boom I bumped into him.
"Oh! Sorry," I said immediately, stepping back.
I looked up briefly. Grey eyes, a tall physique, the commanding presence up close. The scent hit me, it was intoxicating yet dangerous. I quickly turned away, shifting my attention to my purse that dropped, trying to get my mind off the scent and the tension in the air.
My fragrance lingered subtly, and somehow, it felt like he noticed.
He stopped beside me, jaw tight. Everyone else stopped and stared. Cameras flashed, people whispered, some glared at me and some were amazed. I didn't care.
Still, as I walked past, there was a spark of awareness, a pull, that made my heart thump. He was like a magnet, dangerous.
And for reasons I couldn't put my head around, I felt a shiver down my spine, a shiver of… recognition.
Damon glanced at me, curiosity in his expression. "Who is he?" he asked, though his eyes glued to the man behind me.
"I don't know," I said quietly, straightening my gown and firmly holding my purse
"And I don't care. Let's just… keep moving." I said almost stuttering.
I could feel the atmosphere darken around us as we exited.
He didn't run after me. He didn't speak. But somehow, the trail of presence, the scent, stayed with me.
I exhaled softly, looking at Damon. He smiled faintly, still studying me, surprised, as though he wondered why I wasn't reacting like everyone else.
And in that moment, I realized: even if I was an average, struggling girl ,taking care of a sick father, I carried something that even a stranger noticed, something beyond appearances.
I just didn't know just yet, what it was, or how dangerous it might be.