Full Of Thanks

Ashley walked out of the bathroom closing the door gently behind her. She couldn't come up with anything while in the bathroom so she decided she would just do anything that comes to her mind.

Damon was sitting on the edge of the bed when she came out.

"The bathroom is really nice." She said nervously.

Damon didn't say anything.

"I saw you used my phone to get to Natalie. Thanks for the help, I'm grateful and I really didn't mean what I said earlier." She told him and he only nodded.

Really? He was back to nodding?

"It's fine," he then replied shortly.

"If you don't mind may I know why you keep helping me?" She asked him changing the topic.

The first time, he stepped in when she was hurt by some unknown men. The second time was at the petting zoo, when she got scared of a rabbit. So funny. The third time was when he drove her home because the bus workers had closed for the day and now was the fourth time. It couldn't be just a coincidence. It was more than that.

Was he really following her as Natalie thought? Was she safe?

"It is hard to explain this but you can trust me when I tell you I mean no harm." He told her plainly, his voice as cold as his aura, which didn't convince her but almost got her scared.

"You follow me don't you? I mean how else would you always know when I need help. Did God perhaps send you to me?" She asked the last part unconsciously.

Damon wanted to laugh she noticed.

"It's a very long story on how to explain this but nobody sent me. You could just say it's for your safety."

Ashley looked at at him skeptically. If there was something to explain then it meant he was helping her for a reason. And if nobody sent him what was about her that made him take interest in helping her, for her safety. What safety?

"Am I in danger? What do you know about me?"

Damon sighed. "You really want to know what I know about you?"

Ashley nodded.

Just then, her stomach made a loud noise and she put a hand on it. She then realized she was really starving. Now, when she wanted to hear something crucial her stomach had to interrupt. She would have to leave at the end of the day. Ashley sighed.

"You know what? Leave that for now. Would you want to eat something?"

Ashley didn't expect him to offer her food.

"Ah... I'm fine thanks." She said but the thing growled again making her a look like a liar.

Damon looked at her knowingly. "I don't think so."

"Come with me." He said and stood up to walk to the door.

Ashley followed him without saying anything again. She was relieved that he didn't bring up the talk of her leaving again.

They walked out of the room and Ashley took note of everything around her. Outside the room was beautiful. They walked through a long corridor before reaching the large glittery and long stair case to go down stairs. The railings were gold and cold against her skin as she held them.

When they got to the bottom, Ashley gaped at the view in front of her. She was in a mansion, she depicted and it was so huge. The ceiling was so high above her head.

There was an elevator she noticed at the side of the hall they were in and she wondered why it was there. Why would you still need an elevator inside a house? But after the long walk she had done coming down the stairs she felt it was useful.

They walked through the small hall before getting to the palor. The walls were all painted grey. He and Sephirah had something in common, Ashley thought. They both loved that color, she guessed. When they got to the palor, Ashley looked around. There were four beautiful sofas arranged in the very wide room with a small glass table in the middle that had a little bowl of fruits on it.

There were also paintings hung on the walls that were similar to the ones she had seen in Sephirah's house. Maybe they loved arts alot. There was a very large plasma TV hanging on the wall too with speakers above a cupboard. Beautiful light bulbs were placed everywhere. Not everything here was black, there were touches of white and red. The curtains at the windows were white and they were opened and folded to the side.

Ashley wondered just how rich he was. The house was lavishly furnished and so clean. Ashley didn't know if he lived alone. The place was too big for just one person to live in and keep it clean. Did he have servants?

Ashley followed as they walked up four wide steps that were at the end of the palor and came into a different room that had sliding doors made of glass. It was the dining room.

The dining table was placed in the middle of the room and had up to ten chairs. Four chairs on each side then one chair at each end. The table was set already and just after Ashley finished looking around the room, a man walked in. He was probably in his late forties.

"Good morning master, breakfast is ready should I serve you now?" The man asked Damon. Ashley guessed he was the butler.

"You may serve."

After the butler left the room, Damon gestured for Ashley to sit. So she took a seat on the first of the four on her side while Damon sat at the first end of the table on her left.

After a while of waiting in silence, the man came back pushing the food in a trolley. When he got to the table he set the dishes on the table and left.

There was a lot to choose from everything that was served. The smell of the food was so inviting that immediately the butler left, without waiting for any go ahead, Ashley dished some rice into her plate and began to eat hungrily. She ate some vegetables too then she went for the grilled meat, eating like she was the only one in the room.

Damon watched her silently but Ashley was too busy to notice him. When she was full, she calmed down and collected herself. She gulped down the water in her glass cup and looked up at Damon who was still staring at her, probably surprised by her way of eating. He had almost finished his own food.

Where were her manners?

"I didn't know you were so hungry." He told her and Ashley smiled awkwardly.

She didn't know what to reply him so she kept quiet. Ashley thought of asking him again if she was in any form of danger as he said he was helping her and he was not the enemy.

Speaking of enemies, she remembered the man in her dreams. He threatned to hurt her and she had been so scared to go home last night, scared to go to sleep because of the fear that he might come as he said. Which sounded more like a promise. But she didn't have any bad dreams at all last night. And thinking of it now the only time she slept without having bad dreams since she started having them was when she was in Sephirah's house.

Now was the second time and she was in Damon's house. Why was that?

"Damon," She started but realized that was the first time she called his name when talking to him. "You said something to Natalie about not being an enemy. I really want to know, am I in some kind of danger or something?"

Apart from the man in her dream whom she wasn't sure could come to her in real life, she wanted to know if there was anybody else that wanted to hurt her as well. She had a feeling that this man she was talking to knew alot.

Damon on the other hand was frozen as she called his name. He heard his name for the first time from her mouth at the bar but even then, she wasn't talking to him. Now, she looked at him and said his name and he froze. It sounded so different coming from her and wanted her to say it again. Thinking about it, even he has never mentioned her name when talking to her.

But he heard the question that followed his name and he came out of his frozen state. He was avoiding this question. How would he explain to her that she was really in danger. That the person in her dream was really a threat. He gazed into her beautiful hazel eyes which were filled with worry.

"If I told you that you were would you be scared?" He asked.

Ashley watched him for a moment. Was that a yes to her question? Of course she would be scared. Who wouldn't be?

True, she knew he meant her no harm and he said he was doing this for her safety but he was still a stranger to her. She wasn't sure if she could completely trust him.

"So I am in danger."

Damon chuckled, a sound he hadn't made in centuries.

She guessed correctly.

"Don't bother about it. Nothing bad would happen to you. You'll be fine."

Of course she would be. He was her guardian angel, wasn't he? She really wished his words would turn out true. Because the only danger she saw was from her dreams even though she was having trust issues with him here.

Ashley just nodded. She'll be fine.

"The food was delicious. Thanks." She admitted.

Damon nodded with a smile.

"Why do you just nod whenever I thank you?" She suddenly asked which surprised Damon.

She just couldn't take the nodding anymore.

"What should I do then?"

"Say something. You're welcome, anything."

Damon was really stunned at her behavior. The lady was something else.

"You're welcome." He said and she gave him a sweet smile.

"If you don't mind I'd like to take my leave now." Ashley told him. She really needed to take a bath and wash her hair.

"It's alright. I'll drive you home."

Ashley wanted to protest but she didn't. Let him help as much as he wants.

There was an unending silence in the car as they drove to Ashley's house. Both of them lost in their own thoughts. Ashley didn't even realize when the car stopped.

"We are here." Damon said after he had waited a few seconds, expecting her to get ready to leave the car.

"Oh.. right."

She opened the door of the car and got out.

"Thanks again and goodbye." She said giving him a wide smile after getting out of the car.

She had been giving him lots of thanks. Damon remembered when she had run after him just to thank him for saving her the first time. It made him smile inwardly. The lady didn't deserve all the bad treatment she had received.

"Have a good day." He said and gave her a nod then drove off.

Ashley sighed and looked at her small apartment before walking to the door. She was back home now. It was almost noon. She had to call Natalie but first she would take a very warm bath.

After bathing, washing her hair and drying it, Ashley called Natalie. The latter picked up after the second ring and screamed so loud that Ashley had to remove the phone from her ear.

"Natalie calm down I'm fine." Ashley assured.

"I didn't feel so okay leaving you with Damon last night but you fainted and he offered to help. Again."

"I'm okay now. Hey, don't take me out to drink again."

"I won't. I regretted taking you there last night." Natalie chuckled.

"How's work going?"

"It's been stressful but I'm sort of free now." Natalie said with a sigh.

"I'll be on time tomorrow I promise."

She heard Natalie sigh before speaking. "I'm sorry for scolding you all the times you came late to work Ash. I didn't know what you were dealing with and you still try to make it to work everyday".

Ashley smiled, "I don't have a problem with your scoldings Natalie. But apology accepted." She said and Natalie laughed.

"Alright a customer just walked in, I gotta go."

"Wait, you wanna meet up this evening?" Ashley asked.

"Sure. I'll see you after work bye babe."

"Bye"

Ashley dropped the phone and laid back on her mattress. There was nothing to do so she would just take a nap then wait for the evening before going to meet Natalie.