Chapter Thirty Three

My life was normal after that day. I just lived with the fact that my mum was still alive and safe. She might not be well, but I believed we were going to meet someday. I can't find her now, I don't have to try because I'll only get hurt if I do.

Studying with Damien was everything I had imagined and more. I wouldn't say I grabbed all that he taught me, but he was the best teacher anyone could have. We were always together and I did my best to hide the dark part of me from him. I study the bible once in a while. He reminds me to do that every day. That helped me a lot. I found a God, a bigger God, and I was ready to stick to him till the end, if not for anything but the fact that Damien cherishes him just as much. My dad's molestations were already a part of my life, so it didn't bother me too much. I wrote more songs with Damien. We made few records. Three days before our final exams, school closed very early and we were asked to vacate the school. Neither my dad nor his driver was around to pick me up and Damien suggested that I ride home with him, since we were literally neighbors. After so much thought, I followed him, breaking one of my dad's rules. I must have been very lost in the moment. Or maybe I wasn't even thinking, I just wanted to be around him, nothing else mattered. I didn't think that I might get seen by someone. Or when my dad arrives at school and he doesn't see me there he'll get worried and flog the hell out of me. It was Damien's Charm, maybe.

I just believed that it was still very early and my dad would be at work, so no one would see us.

We rode on his bike to our estate. He stopped at the front of his house and checked his digital wristwatch.

"You should come have lunch at my house today. My mum will be glad to see you."

I couldn't say no. I've never been allowed to visit anyone and every of his advances felt like an adventure. Even my subconscious agreed with me, ' it's just two pm, Jude won't be back until five, c'mon Paige'

"Sure"I said. "I'd love to."

It was a modern detached house. There was a dog at the gate. He barked on seeing me, we both ignored it. As soon as the door opened, I saw a little boy on a wheelchair, his face glued to the TV, in the living room.

"Brother Dame!" The boy, I recognized immediately as Damien's younger brother, Kal, shrieked on seeing him. Damien hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. The young boy gave a saliva-dropping smile as he gestured towards me. Damien whispered something in his ear and he waved at me.

"Hey, I'm Kal." He said in his babyish accent.

"Hi Kal. Nice to meet you."I softly caressed his cheeks. Just then, a blonde woman joined us at the living room. 

"Damien, you're back so early."She wasn't staring at her son but me. She had this unending smile on her face. She looked exceptionally beautiful and I could tell who Damien resembled -- his mum, even their hair was the same!

"Aw look who we have here."She walked to me. "Paige? Right?"She embraced me. I didn't anticipate such kindness and I was kind of in a state of shock for a moment.

"Yes ma'am. And you're Damien's mum. He looks a lot like you."I felt like I'd said too much.

"Yeah. I get that a lot."She winked at me.

"Mum, she's having lunch with us today..."

"Oh yes, I prepared lunch already. Paige, make yourself comfortable. "She dashed out of the living room.

I took a quick glance at Damien, he was smiling, jerk!

"Paige."It was Kal who called me. "Damien said you play games. Will you play with me today?"

Damien didn't let me respond. "C'mon Kal, it's her first day in our house. Besides..."

"I'd like to play with Kal. "I knelt before his wheelchair. "So Kal, what game would you like to play?"

"Avengers!"He wailed playfully.

"But that would be after lunch. Come on everyone, let's munch this lunch before it gets cold!"They laughed. I could not help but notice the aura of happiness in this family. It was my first time seeing his mum, though I've seen his dad a lot of times, during their morning exercise. I fell in love with her immediately. I also wonder if Annabelle Steele would have been like that. After lunch, I played games with Kal, even Damien joined in. I beat Kal in the first set of rounds. He was determined to win, so he wouldn't let us stop. I lost track of time. I was having the day of my life. Damien's IQ really must be a hundred percent. I thought I'd be better at games. I could not beat him to it, neither of us could. As for Kal, at some point I forgot that he was physically and mentally challenged, he was just too lively to be sick. I guessed immediately that he was the 'life' of the family. Little wonder Damien's so obsessed with his family.

At exactly ten minutes to five, Damien reminded me of the time I almost died. Damien saw how disoriented I became and insisted he'd follow me to my house to explain to my dad. I tried all I could to stop him but he told his mum and she also insisted. I could not argue with her. I only prayed Jude Kam wouldn't be home but he was.

"Paige! You now have guts!"Jude yelled as the door creaked. He was on his laptop. I wished so hard that Damien didn't hear but he did. He entered the house and answered him. 

"She was at my place. The school closed early and there was no one to pick her up,"Damien said.

Jude raised his head, his eyes widened in shock. I was frozen in place. This is more trouble than I've ever thought of.

"And who are you?"

"Oh, my bad."Damien smiled. "I'm Damien, Paige's classmate."He extended his hand for a shake but Jude ignored it.

"She was at your house?"

"Yes."

Jude looked over at me. "It's okay. Thanks for keeping her safe. Go can go now."

"Okay."Damien waved at me and left.

I suddenly felt alone again. One look at my dad's face, I knew I was done for.