“That’s probably a good idea.” He nodded. “I’m really sorry—I had no idea.”
“It’s fine.” I shrugged. “Maybe we can come back another time?”
“Yeah.” Damien walked back towards the door.
“Hey…” I followed Damien to the door but paused when I saw a picture of Damien with another woman—a woman that was proudly holding up an engagement ring.
“What is it?” He looked back at me, followed my gaze, and then I saw his entire demeanor change.
“Are you engaged to someone?” I picked up the picture and stared at it.
“No.” He took the picture from me and carefully put it back where it was. “Not anymore…”
I could tell that whoever was in the picture with Damien was important to him because he appeared to be fairly upset when we made it back to the car. It was obvious that if he was no longer with the woman in the photograph, then it wasn’t a relationship that ended on good terms.
For the second time, I started to feel like I had turned our date into a disaster—but my question was valid—and if he was still hung up on an ex, then I wasn’t sure if our relationship was going to work. I didn’t want to be someone’s rebound—that never worked out in the long run. If his heart belonged to someone else, then it wasn’t mine for the taking—even if I did like him. Damien drove straight back to Cafe Russe without saying much, and when he parked beside my car, I was trying to come to terms with the fact that it could be the last time I saw him.
“Thank you for the swimsuit and for dinner.” I reached for the door handle.
“Her name was Caroline.” Damien exhaled sharply. “She died five years ago…”
“What?” I felt my heart sinking into my stomach.
“We were supposed to go to our engagement party at my business associate’s house. We were getting ready to leave and help set up when I got called into work, so I was going to meet her there later.” I turned toward him, and I saw his expression twist into one that reflected nothing but pain. “It was raining. The roads were slick. Caroline never made it…”
“Oh my god.” My head snapped back in surprise. “Damien, I’m so sorry…”
I felt horrible for bringing up Caroline after I realized what happened to her. He wasn’t hung up on an ex—she was taken from him long before her time. I wanted to hug him, so I did the best I could in the confines of his car. He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I didn’t know Caroline, but the way he talked about her—the pain it caused him—it was obvious that he loved her.
I might have had pause if she was an ex-fiancé that he hadn’t gotten over but finding out that she died shortly after they were engaged gave me a different perspective. There was a reason that Damien was broken in some ways—why talking about his family hurt so much—his life had been filled with tragedy and a cruel twist of fate that was outside of his control. The fact he was still standing—the fact he could still smile—the fact that he could ever laugh—that was a testament to his inner resolve.
“I’ve tried to cling to those memories for far too long.” Damien sighed as I retreated back to my side of the car. “I haven’t really dated anyone—so I apologize for reacting the way that I did.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.” I shook my head back and forth. “Seriously, I understand that it’s painful. I wouldn’t have said anything if I realized what happened…”
“I was going to have to tell you about her eventually.” He looked down at the steering wheel. “I like you, Leigh—I really do. I will understand if this is too complicated.”
“It’s not too complicated.” I put my hand on his arm. “I really do appreciate your honesty.”
“You really are incredible.” Damien shook his head and exhaled sharply. “I’m pretty sure most women would have been halfway home by now…”
“Why don’t you tell me about her? If it’s not too painful…” I reached over and hit the button to turn on the air conditioner.
Damien was hesitant, but I got the feeling that he needed to talk about it—I had already opened the door—stepping through it wasn’t that much of a stretch. Once he finally started talking, it seemed like his entire demeanor changed. It wasn’t a weight that was on his shoulders—it was intertwined with his soul. The man he became was a direct result of his relationship with Caroline and the pain that was left behind when he lost her.
Damien told me how they met, how they fell in love, and the plans they had for the future before she was taken from him. It wasn’t difficult to hear him talk about her—the way he described her—the things they shared—it was quite beautiful. I had never known love like that, but I could understand how difficult it was to have it taken away. Damien didn’t deserve to lose touch with the man he was because of the tragedy.
“Thank you.” Damien squeezed my hand in his. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to talk about that with anyone.”
“Those memories are a part of who you are.” I looked up at him. “If you ever need to talk about it, I understand.”
The date was over, but the time we spent together was important. It allowed me to fully understand what I was getting into if our relationship continued to move forward—and I had no intention of putting a stop to it. Damien walked me to my car, which was literally a few feet away, and we shared a gentle kiss before I drove away. It didn’t have the same passion as our first one, but it was tender and sweet. We made plans to meet again the following night, which meant I had to spend the rest of my evening taking care of a few school assignments. I worked until my eyes were burning, and the coffee sitting beside my laptop was no longer effective.
It doesn’t look like Mom is coming home tonight. I guess it’s time for bed.
Chapter Eight
Damien