15

"VALENTINO! What exactly are you saying? YOU KNEW IT HAD TO BE HER! And you didn't bother telling me?" I busted out laughing when Valentino said it this afternoon. After the failed coffee, Val and I returned to the house. He tried to persuade me that he wanted me to find out for myself, so he didn't tell me.

"Damon I wanted you to discover it for yourself! At the very least, you now know who she is! At least she's no longer a mystery to you!" As a matter of fact, Valentino stated.

"Yeah, and you don't have to worry about it too much, Damon! You are now familiar with her. This allows you to get to know her better and strengthen your bond with her. If that's what you're looking for?" Lawrence calmed me down.

"That's not the point, Lawrence" I said, raising my hands in the air.

"Then what is?"

"I wanted her to accept me as I am. Not in my situation. Not the Damon she remembers as a member of one of the biggest businessman. But Damon who...who..."

"Who what, Niall?"

"Who..who likes her.." I hardly spoke above a whisper. Lawrence's lips curved into a big grin as a result of this.

"DO YOU LIKE HER?! DAMON! I KNEW!"

Louis squeaked like a child on Christmas.

However, I didn't... I don't think I was supposed to pick up on Valentino's whisper. I gave him a worried look, but he only smiled.

"Where are Dominique and Landon?"

Valentino inquired.

"Yeah, where are they?" I also included.

Before Lawrence could respond, the door opened, showing the two young men we had just imagined.

"Hey, buddy! What have you two been up to?" I inquired, my smile fading as Landon's troubled expression entered my view.

"Hey.. What happened?" the three of us approached him, alarmed.

"I can't do this...Dominique?" Landon whispered as he ran up the stairs to his room.

"Whats wrong?" We all asked, only to be met with a modest, yet mournful, sideways nod.

"Landon and Leah.." He murmured.

"Yeah, but what about them?" Valentino inquired, his jaw agape.

"They broke up.." His expression shifted to something completely inscrutable.

"Oh, my God." I murmured something.

Harry took off his beanie and ran his hand over his unkempt hair. Lawrence gasped and coveredhis mouth.

"I'll check on him." I said.

"No, don't do it." Allow him to be alone. He needs some alone time right now."

"Do you know why? Dom, do you know why?" Lawrence inquired.

"Not at all. He called and asked me to come pick him up. I did. He then told me. All I know is that it is their decision.

They chose to put a stop to it once and for all.'

••••••••

I went to check on Landon last night, but he was sleeping. It grieved me to see him in this state. I couldn't see why; their relationship was proceeding at a steady speed, so why was it necessary to break it? How could you get the courage to put an end to something so lovely? Is that what happens after you've known someone for a long time? Not anyone else but that specific girl. Is that what occurs when you finally get the girl of your dreams? Is that what occurs when you finally find the person you love? That after a while, they just aren't as special? I couldn't get this thought out of my head.

I brought my attention back to the trolley, strolling down the lane as Valentino popped in basically anything that came in his reach.

"VAL! Lawrence set a limit for us! Also, a list!" I burst out laughing.

"When did Lawrence start bossing us around?" Valentino stated while scanning a pack of pads and tossing it into the trolley.

"VAL! That's a pad pack! Why did you ever need them?!

"I don't know.." He wandered off, and I tried to approach him with an overloaded cart and a pack of pads stuck on top.

"Are we done yet?' I inquired, attempting to control it as it flowed in every way.

"Nope!" He just stated, "I'm still facing the front, and I'm still having difficulty keeping the tram straight."

However, as I continued walking, I spotted a girl down the aisle having difficulty reaching the top shelf. I halted the tram as Valentino moved to the next row to assist her.

"Do you need assistance, love?" I inquired as I reached for the top shelf, clutching a package of clothing soap in my hands and carrying it to her small basket. My eyes widened in surprise as I realised the vast gap between our trolleys. Despite the fact that she was a girl, my tram was overloaded.

"Thanks," she whispered, and my gaze was drawn to her face, where my gaze was caught with the familiar hazel-grey eyes, and I saw her do the same.

"Uh... Hey." I said.

'Oh um. Hi!" She smiled, and her eyes were drawn to my trolley, but I wasn't startled. Then it hit me: the pack of pads protruding from the ground. She looked at me strangely at the end.

"Are you going to get those?" She inquired, pointing to them. "uh... no... no!" my tongue rolled in my mouth.

"Then... Can I?"

'Ye-yeah! Take a chance!"

"Good!" she said as she took up the pack and placed it in her basket. I don't have to go all the way down anymore!"

I just stared at her as she humbly smiled while fixing her clothes.

Valentino's voice from the next row interrupted us.

'Listen, I... Uh. I must go! "Ill see you around?" I said.

"Um, yeah!" Me too.'I'll see you later.'

She replied and proceeded to the next row or even the counter. As I moved into the next row, I noticed Valentino was overburdened with meaningless items.

"What are you doing, Val?" I asked, sighing deeply.

"First and foremost, help me!" I reached up and grabbed whatever he had before hurling it into the tram.

"Do you think we really need all of this?"

I inquired, pointing to the carpet cleaner, soy sauce, 5 bottles of ketchup, 2 bottles of salad dressing, too much chicken, a frying pan, pressure cooker, and whatever else I could think of.

"Oh my goodness, Damon... Let us go to the counter..." He grumbled and continued walking.

"At the very least, help me in carrying it to the counter!" "I doubt I'll make it!" I yelled only to get no answer from him.

A girl nearby noticed me and said, "Hey! "Oh, Damon?" She agreed.

"That's it! That's the name!" I returned her smile.

"Is it okay if I take a picture with you?" She asks, hesitantly, while fumbling with her phone.

"Sure thing, love!" I wrapped my arm around her waist and snapped the photo after she unlocked the camera.

"What's your name, babe?" I enquired.

"Sapphira, it is!" She smiled, and once again, that name left me hanging.

"Oh, what a lovely name you have there, just like you!"

She laughed, "Ha! Thanks! That doesn't happen very often..." She grinned and waved me farewell. I imitated her movements and went to the counter.

Each counter had long queues, and it appeared like we would have to wait.

After some time, our turn arrived, and at the desk was a young lady approximately our age. She looked at us, smiled, and clenched her hands.

We both laughed. "A picture...?" She inquired.

"Haha! "Certainly, love!" We stood on opposite sides of her and snapped the photo. She finally served us, and I felt terrible for the person in front of us. When I turned around to see who it was, my gaze was once again met by the hazel-grey eyes. I instantly smiled, but the smile faded as I noticed she wasn't looking at me; instead, she was fighting back tears that threatened to spill.

What had happened so suddenly, I wondered?

She finally recognised me and swiftly wiped the few tears that had escaped.

"Hi." I said hello once more.

"Oh um. Hi. Hi.." She smiled through her tears, but I was too stupid to realise she was in pain.

"Wow. That's quite a collection you have there." She laughed.

"Quite a lot," Valentino said, noticing her, "hey Nyx!"

"Hello, Valentino, So you're both in charge of the shopping. I see..How did you get all of that?" She inquired, amusedly staring at the stuff.

"Oh Aria, I tell you! Damon, the man we have here, is a shopaholic! He absolutely tossed in whatever he could find!" Valentino stated this while pointing at me.

My eyes widened in shock as I said, "ME-"

"Yup! You! You know, Nyx, I told him that all of this was pointless, but he...? He didn't care to listen to me. Take a look at that. Look at that, it's a carpet cleaner in our house, which is made of wood and tiles! Oh my goodness, Damon!" He shook his head sideways, surprised that I didn't get a chance to defend myself since Nyx couldn't stop laughing before I could. I looked at her, pleased to see her in this state.

She had one of the most beautiful laughs I'd ever heard. Subtle, yet squeaky, its like she wants you to laugh along with her.

"Really, Damon?" she asked as she drew to an end. If that's the case, we should go somewhere together! I'm confident you'll enjoy it!" With another laugh, she said.

The girl at the desk had finished with our items and had them bagged in the trolley at this point, and it was her turn to say, 'We have to go! Nyx, Am sorry! "Will we see you soon?" Valentino yelled.

"Of course.. Anytime.." She laughed.

We exited the store and made our way to the car.

"She's one cute girl," Valentino said, smiling and staring at him.

"What? Not in that way, idiot! I understand your sentiments for her! Relax, please." He burst out laughing.

I felt the same way.

We arrived home and finished unpacking and stacking everything before Louis could notice.

"Our cleaner will arrive today. "What the hell?!" Lawrence burst into the kitchen, his eyes wild with surprise.

"What happened to the list I gave you?" He inquired, still stunned. We exchanged uneasy glances before dropping the food pack on the ground.

"Uh...uh...I'm not sure. Ask Val!"

"No! Ask Damon!"

'What? Why me?"

"Yes, because I gave it to you!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Yeah, I di-"

"Boy! Shush! Whatever! "What is this?"

Lawrence cut in, staring at the mess.

"I'm not sure..." Valentino murmured barely above a whisper, drawing a frown from me.

"Ugh! Just stack it immediately. It's my fault I sent you two! I said that our cleaner should be here shortly. I have no idea who it is. It's around 12 p.m."

stated Lawrence.

"What? Really? That is fantastic!" Said Valentino

"Where are you going?" I asked, getting up and walking out of the kitchen.

"To take some rest," He shot back.

"And what about this?"

"The cleaner can do it!" His voice was distant.

"Alright!" I yelled back, pulling myself out of the muck. Lawrence walked out of the kitchen.

When the doorbell rang, I assumed it was the cleaner. I ignored the ring and walked to my room, where I heard Lawrence open the door.

"Hello!" A familiar voice spoke out.