321 Sleepover

Katherine's arms were draped on Damien's neck as she hugged him back. Her fingers stroking and threading his hair in a very soothing manner. She wouldn't know how it must feel like for him being in this mess and learning about everything in one night, not to mention learning about his mother after three decades. He must be having a really hard time.

He buried his face on her shoulder, she was no longer feverish but she felt warm and comfortable to touch. Her natural scent was everything he could have asked for and it soothed him. This woman was beautiful… yet she was flawed. Despite that fact, he still saw her as the most beautiful woman.

"Do you hate me?" she wondered, her voice was soft and sad. She was still uncertain about the two of them but she just couldn't help herself and know what he thought of her.

Without lifting his head, he spoke against her shoulder, "How could I?" 

"I did many terrible things…"

"So did I," he remarked and mentally shrugged. It didn't matter to him.

His simple answer was enough for Katherine and when she pressed herself against him more, he tightened his grip.

"I'm sorry about your mom," she softly comforted, heavy-hearted because of his discovery about his mother. 

She always saw him as this big man capable of conquering the business world but when it came to his mother, he looked vulnerable. Her heart ached for Damien and she wished that he didn't have to suffer like this. It was unfair that he was going through this pain all because of the decisions that were made many years ago.

Katherine had no right to blame Amelia and she wouldn't know how it really was to be a mother but she didn't have to be one to empathize with her. For the short period of time that she knew Amelia, she could see that even though she made mistakes when she was young, she definitely regretted not being part of Damien's life.

He didn't know how to respond to her, so he could only apologize to her too, "I'm sorry I followed you earlier."

"Those two aren't the same thing. Though I'm still mad about you following me, what I kept from you was a big secret."

"Still… I should have waited and trusted you since I already told you I would. It's just… I saw you were going out even though you were still sick. I was worried something would happen."

When she didn't respond, Damien lifted his head and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Katherine…"

"Hmmm?"

"I…"

Katherine's stomach growled heavily, interrupting what he was about to say. He chuckled and released her from his embrace. "Nothing. Let's go feed that monster in your stomach."

She pursed her lips into a thin line, embarrassed by what happened. He was just about to say something and now she ruined it — the monster in her stomach ruined it.

She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his kiss. It was a different kind of gesture and probably not a romantic one. Because that kiss made her feel like he was trying to absorb whatever negative feeling she was having at the moment.

He was the one she was supposed to comfort after having the conversation with his mother and yet there he was, trying to bring her comfort instead. He was being her onyx… just like how she wanted to be his.

…

Katherine didn't bother to bring her food in the dining room and just ate in the kitchen island counter where Damien brought her a stool to sit on as she didn't want to sit on the breakfast bar. She was so hungry that she could eat a horse but her tongue just didn't have the appetite. The bitterness in her tongue caused her to limit her food intake.

Damien stood to her right, watching her eat her food while Amelia was finishing her tea — at the same time that she was observing her son eyeing Katherine the entire time. It was interesting for her to see him very affectionate towards Katherine.

Katherine, who was halfway through her meal, suddenly looked up to Amelia and inquired, "Where's Edward?"

Amelia straightened up and put away her cup of tea, washing it in the sink as she answered, "He's back at your old apartment. I hope it's okay that he stays there for the meantime?"

"It's fine…"

Damien arched a brow at Katherine. "That was your apartment? You stayed there?"

She nodded briefly and when he didn't look away, she shrugged at him, not knowing what else to say about her shabby place.

He decided to let go of that for now and turned to Amelia asking, "What do you want from Edward?"

"I just need to ask him some things… I haven't talked to him much yet. I'll do that first thing tomorrow morning." Amelia emptied the pot of tea and washed it as well. She had a lot of things in mind but she chose to set it aside for now. Wiping her hands with a dry kitchen towel, she told the two, "It's getting late. I need to get up early tomorrow. I'll retreat to my room first."

"Oh, okay… Thanks for dinner," Katherine said.

Amelia smiled at Katherine and when she passed by Damien, she hesitantly placed a hand on his upper arm and gave it a squeeze.

Damien was not used to interacting with his mother yet and he didn't know exactly how to respond to her, so all he could do was give her a small, polite bow.

When Amelia entered her bedroom, Damien was left alone with Katherine who was still eating her food. The two of them looked at each other without saying anything but somehow already knew what the other was thinking – Amelia and Damien's interaction was a bit awkward.

"Finish your food so you can go back to bed," he told her. He was quiet the entire time as he accompanied Katherine while she ate but after his mother left, all he could think of was her dismissive answer when he asked about Edward, the man who once worked for the Parks. His gut feeling was telling him that there was so much more than that man and his connection with Amelia. He had to know what it was.

Katherine finished her food and went back to her bedroom with Damien following behind her. "You don't have to tuck me in, Damien. I am fine." She went straight to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush.

Just when she started brushing her teeth, she looked over to him and saw him starting to take off his clothes. "W-What are you doing?" she stuttered with the toothbrush in her mouth.

"I'm staying over," he answered confidently.

"No, you're not," she gulped and swore that she swallowed a bit of toothpaste. She hurriedly finished brushing her teeth and rinsed her mouth. "What are you talking about? Why are you staying?"

Damien ignored her and he turned around, grabbing a shirt and joggers from a paper bag on the floor of the walk-in closet and without saying anything, he stripped his pants off him. The action made Katherine's eyes grow wide — she had to turn around. "What are you doing?" Her heart raced as she heard shuffling noises behind her.

The next thing she knew, Damien was walking past her and headed straight to her bed. He dove in and mumbled, "I'm so tired. Let's sleep."