Secrets of His World - Chapter 2

Please comment. I would like to have at least 10 on this one before I post the next chapter :] I love getting advice too, so if you have any about the story then you can tell me! Thanks!
~Ginger

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When Emily awoke to the peek of sun shining through her window she realized she was still wrapped in Damien’s arms. She smiled to herself and laid her hand on his, which was tightly secured around her waist. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, and though she knew he was gay and didn’t share her feelings she couldn’t help but bask in the joy of being held in his arms.

Emily hadn’t known Damien was awake until he twined her fingers through his. Her heart started racing and she tried to keep her breath from coming faster.

"Are you awake, yet?" Damien whispered on the back of her neck.

She considered whether or not to tell him she was awake. Her better judgment got to her and she nodded, afraid that her voice would give away the joy of being held by him.

He pulled his fingers out of hers and slid his hand to her left side and kept it there for a moment. Emily’s heart sank a little, but started beating hard at the same time. Sure, he had pulled away, but he still kept his hand on her waist. She could still feel his breath on her neck, tickling it a little.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"6:25. What time did you want up for school?" Emily whispered back.

"Now, I guess. I can’t sleep anymore."

"Yeah, me neither."

Although they had both decided to get ready for school because they couldn’t sleep, neither one left the bed. Damien’s hand still laid rested on Emily’s waist. She decided to take a chance and rolled over to her other side. She was now facing Damien. She opened her eyes slowly to find Damien watching her face, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"Morning?" he said, turning it into a question.

Emily giggled a little. "Morning," she replied.

Damien smiled at her and then brushed the curl lying on her cheek back. The instant he touched her cheek she closed her eyes.

"Y-you kissed me on t-the forehead last night," she stuttered.

"Yeah…?" he said, leaving an unspoken question in the air.

Emily felt herself blush. She looked down at Damien’s chest while she spoke.

"It was nice. Thanks. Not just for kissing me on the forehead, but for sleeping with me, too."

She felt, more than heard, him chuckle. She looked up to see his beautiful green eyes smiling at her. She smiled back at him. They laid in silence for a few minutes and just looked at each other.

Emily could feel herself falling deeper and deeper for Damien with each second that went by. She wished, just this once, that he wasn’t gay. She wished he would lean over and kiss her.

As if reading her mind, but playing with her at the same time, he leaned closer. He was so close to her now that she could feel his breath on her mouth and the tip of his nose touching her own. Her heart started racing and the skin where his hand had laid earlier tingled.

She closed her eyes and waited, only to be disappointed. Damien had pulled away and was setting up now. But before he got off the bed he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"I’m going to run over to the house and get me some clothes," he said before leaving Emily laying in bed, alone.

Emily sighed and then sat up in bed. So close, she thought. I always get so close and then he pulls away. She knew she shouldn’t be upset about it. He was gay, so what? Maybe if he knew how she really felt about him he would tell her he felt the same way.

Or maybe he’ll run away, part of her mind whispered. Of course he wouldn’t feel the same way; he likes guys, not girls. She knew she would never admit to anyone, especially Damien, that she was in love with him. Most of the time she tried to convince herself she wasn’t. But she couldn’t deny what her heart wanted.

Day by day she would be his friend, and only that. She could never be anything more. And she knew deep down that being his best friend meant more than anything. If she told him she was in love with him it would only be awkward, even if he were to feel the same way.

Emily looked over at the clock and jumped out of bed. It was 6:37 and she still needed a shower before school. So, she grabbed her a pair of shorts and a lime green t-shirt and headed for the shower.

* * *
"Could you have worn a brighter shirt?" Damien muttered when Emily had taken a seat by him in their Literature class.

"I want Erin to notice me today, so I figured why not wear a bright shirt that stands out," she told him.

Damien shook his head but said nothing more. Erin walked into class then.

Erin was tall and muscular. He had blonde hair that was almost as white as snow. His hair was shaggy and covered most of his forehead. He also had beautiful green eyes. Sometimes his eyes reminded Emily of Damien’s. Erin had a way of moving, too, that reminded Emily of a graceful dancer.

Erin was a substitute teacher for Emily’s Literature class for the rest of her senior year. Mr. Barlow had had a car wreck and was in a coma. Emily knew that she shouldn’t like the sub, but he was only twenty-two years old and very, very gorgeous.

He always looked at Emily like he liked her. He also told her not to call him Mr. Pennet, but to call him Erin. Emily had thought he was cute the first time he walked into class and her feelings for him grew and grew every day she was near him.

She had stayed after class one time to ask about her term paper and he had kept her after later than expected to discuss other things. They were personal things and had made her think he liked her. He also kept touching her hands, sometimes even holding them.

One of the best things about Erin, too, was that he was kin to Damien. That's one reason why his eyes reminded her of Damien's. And that’s also one reason why Damien had said he would ask Erin if he liked Emily; Damien and Erin were cousins. They were close friends when they were kids until Erin’s mother had moved them half way across the world. So Erin and his mother had lived by themselves in Ireland for eight years.

Erin had moved back to the neighborhood when he was eighteen and had gone to college to become a teacher. Now, he was teaching Emily’s Literature class until the end of the year and would probably teach the class next year, too.

"Today I figured we could move on from lesson 12 and go to 24, which if you would all open your books you would find that it is a short script for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Act 2 Scene 2: The Balcony. Each one of you will take a turn to speak the part. We will probably work on this for two weeks or so. Do I have any volunteers?" Erin said to the whole class.

He looked at Emily and smiled. She couldn’t help but return it. Then, slowly, she raised her hand.

"Miss Lovett is offering to go first, would any gentleman like to assist her?"

When no one raised their hands Emily nudged Damien. He was looking at her and trying to tell her she was crazy. Finally Emily gave up on trying to get him to raise his hand and looked at Erin and shrugged.

"Alright, then, I guess I will be Emily’s partner. Please come hither," Erin said while outstretching his hand.

She took it and walked to the front of the class with him. Her heart was racing, but not from touching or talking to Erin(mostly). She had always had stage fright and being in front of the class about to perform made her sick at her stomach.

She swallowed hard and looked at Erin as he started his lines:

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!…"

Everything he said died out after that. Emily couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. She was looking into his eyes and getting lost. Then he finished with the lines:

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!"

Emily just stared at him. Her heart was now racing because of him. He was a good actor. Emily had lost her breath and was trying to get it back without gasping; that would be embarrassing.

"Ay me!" Erin whispered when Emily just stood there staring.

"Ay me!" Emily breathed. Erin laughed at her and some of the class joined in.

Emily blushed a little and then took her seat. Oh god, I bet I looked stupid, she thought.

"That was good, Miss Lovett. Maybe next time you should do it with Damien," Erin told her.

Next time? her mind shouted. There isn’t going to be a next time.

"I thought that was it for me. No one else volunteered except me and I got up there despite my stage fright and I still have to go again?" Emily said incredulously.

"See me after class Emily and we’ll talk about it then." He smiled at her.

"Fine," she said stubbornly.

She knew that it was just an excuse to see her after class, but she was not going to get up in front of class and do that again. She had had enough the first time.

She spent the rest of the class watching other people go up and perform the scene. Every now and then she would look over to see Erin watching her with a smile on his face. Sometimes she would smile back and other times she wouldn’t.

When the bell rang Emily gathered her things. She was about to go up to Erin’s desk when a tall blonde woman walked in. She was wearing a red suit with three inch heels. Emily watched as she walked over to Erin and kissed him on the lips.

She was so shocked that she stood there watching him for a second. Emily had thought he was single. It doesn’t matter now, she told herself. She could tell just by looking at the girl that she was nice. At least he has someone good.

"Emily, this is Beth, my fiancée," Erin said to Emily.

"Hi, Beth. I’m Emily," she said, extending her hand to shake the other girls.

She reached out and took Emily’s hand. They smiled at each other and then Emily turned to Erin.

"You said you wanted to see me after class?" she asked Erin.

"Yes. I was going to introduce my favorite student to my fiancée and I wanted to tell you that you don’t have to do another performance if you don’t want to, but Damien didn’t do his today and I’m sure he would rather have you as a partner."

"Oh…" Emily sighed. "That’s okay. I’ll probably end up being his partner anyway. Although I shouldn’t. I can’t believe he bailed on me when I needed him as a partner!"

Erin laughed. "Well, Damien isn’t one for getting in front of a lot of people. But you know that. I was also wanting to know if you would like to hang out with Beth for a while. She’s from Ireland and she doesn’t know her way around here so I was hoping maybe you could assist her. I’ve given her some cash to go shopping and I made sure I had enough for you to get something if you wanted to."

"Aw! That’s so sweet! I’d love to show you around," Emily said to Beth. "I could take you to some of the best stores around here. I think you’d like them."

"Thank you, Emily," Beth said with an accent.

"You’re welcome. So, when do we start?"

"Tomorrow if you’d like."

"Great! Meet me outside of the school at three. I’ll take you wherever you want to go and then I’ll take you to some of my favorite places," Emily said to Beth as she walked toward the door.

"Okay. Sounds like a date," she replied.

Emily laughed and Erin ran to the door to stop her. He got in front of her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thanks. You don’t know how much this means to me," he said to Emily.

"You’re welcome," she replied, laughing.

"You’re the best! Bye, and have a good day." He hugged Emily and walked back over to talk to Beth.

What she had for Erin was just another little attraction. It didn't mean anything. And though she didn't admit it, she really was kind of excited about showing Beth around. It's always good to make new friends, she told herself. She stood there for a second longer and then stoked off to go find Damien.