"Why don't you have dinner with me instead."
She suddenly heard from behind her and her heart jumped to her throat. Ashley stood where she was, frozen for a minute.
How did he get in? She tried to remember if she had left the door open but she clearly remembered locking the door after Natalie left.
How long had he been standing there? It couldn't have been that long since she didn't feel anything.
Slowly, Ashley turned around to face him. And then spent another minute staring at him, before she tried to find her voice.
"How... How did... you... get in?" She stammered.
"I materialized myself in." He said and put his hands in his pockets, like it was a no big deal.
Materialize? Right, she had read in books too that these creatures can appear and disappear. The man in her dreams had done it once.
But was he sneaking up on her now? Not fair invading her privacy!
"Why didn't you just come like a normal person and knock?" She asked but shouldn't have. He was no normal person.
"I didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh you didn't mean to? What if I was just coming out of the bathroom naked and you just suddenly 'materialized' yourself in?" She asked, using her index and middle fingers to show a quotation sign for the materialize she said.
"This is called invading my privacy! It's not right!" She snapped furiously and turned away from him. She was too annoyed to notice the smirk playing on his lips.
Ashley opened a cupboard and took out a pot. She went to the sink, rinsed it and opened the tap over it to fill it with water. Damon hadn't replied her and she felt uncomfortable. She wondered if he was still there.
"Why are you here?" She asked calming down a bit, without turning to face him.
When she didn't get a reply, she turned around and good Lord did she bump into him. He was standing so close to her, their bodies were touching slightly. He was also tall, her head was only reaching his chest.
What was he trying to do, intimidate her? She wanted to move back but the kitchen sink prevented her from doing so. Great. Now she was trapped.
"I like it when you're furious." He leaned in and told her while staring into her eyes with an evil grin.
Ashley bent her body backwards. What was all this? What did he mean by that?
She saw him lean in even more and she wondered what he was doing. He had his eyes on her face and he leaned in until she felt his hot breath against her cheeks. His breath was nothing like the cold he was emitting and she got goosebumps as his breath fanned her face.
Her gaze fell on his lips that were slightly parted and her cheeks turned red. He was not going to kiss her, was he? Her mind told her to push him away but her hands were not responding. From the corner of her eye, she saw him raise his right hand and her heartbeat quickened. She closed her eyes shamelessly then she waited and waited but nothing happened.
Confused, she slowly opened her eyes and saw him standing straight. He had moved and was not too close to her.
What did he just do? She thought he was going to hold her.
He gave a knowing grin and then asked, "why were you closing your eyes? I was just going to close the tap behind you."
What?! The tap? Right.
"What were you thinking?" He asked and her cheeks flushed again in embarrassment.
How could he ask that? She cleared her throat and tried to walk away from him. He just made her lose her appetite and she had nothing to say to him.
"You're coming with me today." He said stepping in her way and blocking her from leaving, suddenly looking so serious.
God, as much as she didn't want nightmares, she didn't want things like this too. Clearly, he knew how to tease her and he had looks that could make one sin.
She needed help.
She remembered that she needed to talk to him about this too. There were questions she had to ask.
"Can I ask a few questions?"
They left the kitchen and sat down to talk.
"How long do I have to stay with you?" She started.
Damon seemed thoughtful. "I can't say exactly." He told her.
Great, she sighed feeling disappointed. He didn't even know.
"But do you think it'll take a very long time or not?" She asked again.
"It depends. The main people after me are not here yet. I'm not sure how long before they show up."
Woah, they're not even here yet? The one that came to her was what then? And also, "Where are they?" She asked.
"They are still in my world. Where we come from."
Hell? That was where she heard that demons were supposed to be. This was all insane.
She was already starting to feel stressed out. She shook her head.
"I would have to pack somethings." She told him and stood up.
"Go ahead." He replied.
She went to her cupboard and carried the small travelling bag that was on top of it. Then she opened the cupboard and started to bring our her clothes, arranging them neatly inside the bag.
She felt his eyes on her through out so she decided to say something.
"If I may ask, why are these people after you?" She asked.
It took a while before he responded. "Ashley, that is a lot to explain. Let's just say they're angry at me."
"Angry at you? If that's the case then why am I involved?"
"Like I said it is a lot to explain and at the right time, you will get the answers."
'The right time', Ashley repeated in her head. There was a lot more to everything happening, she thought.
She kept quiet and finished arranging her clothes. She took her backpack, the personal stuff she had taken with her were still unpacked and they were all she needed so there was no need repacking that. She packed her shoes and slippers also. Then she was ready to leave.
Ashley turned to Damon and let him know she was done packing her things. She looked around the house one more time before she followed Damon who had gestured for her to follow him.
It was finally happening, she panicked. She was following this man to his home! Where she would see him all the time, and have to deal with the torture of his presence.
Worst thing was that they didn't know for how long she would be there. Ashley didn't think she would still be sane after a week of staying with him there. She didn't want to do this, but she had to.
She didn't really understand everything but she didn't want to get hurt by anyone. She tried to convince herself that following this man might keep her from danger, and no nightmares hopefully. There was no need to worry.
Ashley followed him outside and was surprised.
"You brought your car?" And he still couldn't just knock. She had thought that since he "materialized" as he said, he definitely didn't bring his car but she was wrong. He actually did bring his car.
He wore that annoying grin again and God knows how much she wanted to punch him. Not like the punch would hurt him one bit though, she would still be the one hurt. He looked so strong.
This man would just finish frustrating her. She really wished Natalie was here now, to tell her that she would be fine again.
She locked the door and stood for a while looking at it. She would be back, hopefully soon.
Ashley didn't want to cry. She quickly walked to the car where Damon already was and hesitantly put her things in the boot before getting in and off they went, to her new though temporary home.