Chapter 510: Conflicting Emotions
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Damien looked down at the little girl in his arms whose body trembled as sniffles began to be heard.
"Shh… It's going to be fine. I'm right here." He whispered when he felt her fingers clutch his shirt.
Yvonne had been holding in her fear but after hearing his comforting words, she let go of her emotions, bringing in tears that flowed without restraint.
The other four boys were stunned to behold this sight before them.
Howard and Taylor had been arguing in silence through their eyes and Jax had been watching this show from behind.
None of them had noticed the arrow coming in the direction of the little girl until they found someone rushing past them.
Their eyes turned in that direction and found that it was Damien who had dashed ahead but that wasn't what had attracted their attention.
The arrow which was almost close to Yvonne's head made them freeze in their positions.
Even Topher who was following Damien felt his heart stop when he noticed that his friend would not be able to reach the child in time to save her.
Thankfully, the child did not need saving as she had done so herself.
She evaded the arrow which missed her forehead by a hair's breadth, letting them breathe a sigh of relief.
While the four boys remained in the same position, Damien had reached the girl just before she could collapse.
He too fell to his knees which allowed the girl to fall onto him without injuring herself.
Witnessing this, Howard felt a strange sense of deja vu at that very moment.
'She cried in his arms when she first met him as well.' He recalled the tea party where he had accidentally shoved her aside and Damien had rescued her.
He did not know that she had met Damien before that event at a cafe so, according to him, this was when his baby sister had first met the young boy.
Back then too, she had wept in his arms and even today she had done the same.
'I should keep them away from each other.' He decided after reaching the conclusion that his sister wept each time she got too close to him.
There was also an irksome feeling arising in his heart when he saw her clinging to Damien's shirt as she buried her face in his chest.
'Certainly have to keep them away from each other!' He narrowed his eyes at Damien who was shamelessly sitting there with his sister so close to him.
Taylor and Jax too had frowns on their faces.
They were happy to see that the little girl had not injured herself but this sight was becoming an eyesore to them.
'How long does he want to cling onto the Boss?' Jax scowled with an annoyed expression appearing on his face.
'Looks like my warning last time wasn't taken seriously.' Taylor clenched his fists while recalling the short conversation he had with Damien back at Topher's birthday party last year.
Finally, Topher was stunned to see his best friend showing such a gentle expression on his face.
Right now, Damien's face oozed with concern and care as he tried to cajole the sobbing child in his arms.
This had never happened before and the red-headed heir of the Tanner family was trying to figure out the meaning behind his actions.
Similarly, the boy who was displaying these expressions was also feeling conflicting emotions in his heart.
The child was not someone he was close to, nor were they acquainted enough for him to speak so informally with her.
Yet the words of comfort he had said earlier had spilled out of his mouth before he could even grasp what he was saying.
A movement made on instinct was what he could describe it as but no matter how much he mulled over it, he could not decipher where this instinct had arisen from.
His chest felt damp due to her tears but he did not feel irritated or disgusted like he usually would.
Instead, all he did was pat her back to make her stop shedding tears.
The one who was crying was also not in a proper state of mind.
Her face was buried in Damien's chest so no one had noticed the changes appearing on her face but she most certainly was surprised.
'What did he just say?' Yvonne's eyes widened after hearing the statement he had made earlier in order to get her to stop crying.
His words were gentle and they were meant to cajole her but her mind had traveled to a distant memory she had buried in her mind.
The memory which bubbled up in her mind as she sobbed in Damien's arms belonged to one which she had seen in a dream a long time ago.
The man who held her during the thunderstorm where she was trembling in fright was the memory that had resurfaced after hearing his words.
{I'm here…}
He had said similar words and the tone of concern present back then was the same that she had heard coming from Damien today.
'Were those words from… the same person?' A baffling question arose in her heart to which she did not have any satisfactory explanations.
However, before she could dive deeper into that thought, she heard a voice coming from above.
"How long do you plan on crying? You've already soaked my shirt." Damien's lazy voice was heard, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Just earlier, she had been wondering whether the man she had seen in that dream and Damien had any connection to each other.
Though right now, she shook her head and discarded that very thought from her mind.
The man in her dream was gentle and his voice conveyed his care and concern for the woman yet this young boy had neither of those.
He was just the same Damien she knew all too well, cynical, sarcastic, and poison-tongued.
Separating herself from his embrace, Yvonne raised her head and glared at him.
"Thank you for breaking my fall." She did not forget to express her gratitude even after he had made fun of her just now.
If he had not thrown himself between her and the ground then she might have injured herself.
Thus, she was grateful for what he had done without fearing that he might hurt himself in the process.
He had also comforted her but that lasted for a brief moment before he went back to his usual behavior.
Damien shook his head and sighed when he noticed that she had reverted to her normal state as well after he had spoken up.
He then helped her up before he too stood upright once again.
Howard and Taylor along with Jax rushed to look at her while Topher was left, staring at his best friend with disbelief filled in his eyes.
"Was that necessary?" Topher whispered into Damien's ears.
He had been surprised to see Damien treating Yvonne with such care but in the next moment, the same young boy had spoken harsh words to the weeping child.
This had stunned him speechless once again until he could find his words after the girl had separated herself from his friend.
The boy with forest-green eyes glanced at the girl who had stopped wailing and was wiping her face clean with the clean handkerchief that Howard had handed to her.
A nod was all Topher got in response when he turned toward his friend.
'She stopped crying, didn't she?' Damien's thoughts were clear on his face.
Those dark eyes glittered for a second before they faded away along with the smirk that had graced his face.
Topher was surprised when he grasped the trick that his friend had played.
When consoling her had not worked, he played the role of the bad guy just to divert her mind which had worked its magic immediately.
Yvonne was no longer crying and she even regained enough vitality to glare at him before she returned to what she was doing.
"I will never understand what's going on in this brain of yours!" Topher groaned at his friend who was becoming a bigger enigma as each day passed by.
'You do not have a brain big enough to achieve that.' Damien sneered as he shot him a fleeting glimpse.
His eyes only blinked at his friend but that one glance was enough for Topher to make out the disgust and mockery hidden in those eyes.
This made the young master of the Tanner family sulk and look away lest he was mocked any further.
"You! Watch where you practice!" He then yelled at the squires who had arrived at their position to check on the child.
Yvonne too looked up and found two trembling squires whose faces were pale due to what might have happened.
According to their assumptions, the girl had slipped and fallen backward which had indirectly saved her life.
They could not thank the gods enough that she had slipped.
If something were to happen to her then it would have been their heads on the line.
"Master Topher, it was I who walked without paying attention." Yvonne voiced out her retort as she had entered the practice field without watching where she went.
She had been distracted which led her to step into the path of the arrow which was being aimed at the target.
Everyone shook their heads when she accepted the blame for what had happened but there was one who nodded his head, agreeing with what she had just said.
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Damien looked down at the little girl in his arms whose body trembled as sniffles began to be heard.
"Shh… It's going to be fine. I'm right here." He whispered when he felt her fingers clutch his shirt.
Yvonne had been holding in her fear but after hearing his comforting words, she let go of her emotions, bringing in tears that flowed without restraint.
The other four boys were stunned to behold this sight before them.
Howard and Taylor had been arguing in silence through their eyes and Jax had been watching this show from behind.
None of them had noticed the arrow coming in the direction of the little girl until they found someone rushing past them.
Their eyes turned in that direction and found that it was Damien who had dashed ahead but that wasn't what had attracted their attention.
The arrow which was almost close to Yvonne's head made them freeze in their positions.
Even Topher who was following Damien felt his heart stop when he noticed that his friend would not be able to reach the child in time to save her.
Thankfully, the child did not need saving as she had done so herself.
She evaded the arrow which missed her forehead by a hair's breadth, letting them breathe a sigh of relief.
While the four boys remained in the same position, Damien had reached the girl just before she could collapse.
He too fell to his knees which allowed the girl to fall onto him without injuring herself.
Witnessing this, Howard felt a strange sense of deja vu at that very moment.
'She cried in his arms when she first met him as well.' He recalled the tea party where he had accidentally shoved her aside and Damien had rescued her.
He did not know that she had met Damien before that event at a cafe so, according to him, this was when his baby sister had first met the young boy.
Back then too, she had wept in his arms and even today she had done the same.
'I should keep them away from each other.' He decided after reaching the conclusion that his sister wept each time she got too close to him.
There was also an irksome feeling arising in his heart when he saw her clinging to Damien's shirt as she buried her face in his chest.
'Certainly have to keep them away from each other!' He narrowed his eyes at Damien who was shamelessly sitting there with his sister so close to him.
Taylor and Jax too had frowns on their faces.
They were happy to see that the little girl had not injured herself but this sight was becoming an eyesore to them.
'How long does he want to cling onto the Boss?' Jax scowled with an annoyed expression appearing on his face.
'Looks like my warning last time wasn't taken seriously.' Taylor clenched his fists while recalling the short conversation he had with Damien back at Topher's birthday party last year.
Finally, Topher was stunned to see his best friend showing such a gentle expression on his face.
Right now, Damien's face oozed with concern and care as he tried to cajole the sobbing child in his arms.
This had never happened before and the red-headed heir of the Tanner family was trying to figure out the meaning behind his actions.
Similarly, the boy who was displaying these expressions was also feeling conflicting emotions in his heart.
The child was not someone he was close to, nor were they acquainted enough for him to speak so informally with her.
Yet the words of comfort he had said earlier had spilled out of his mouth before he could even grasp what he was saying.
A movement made on instinct was what he could describe it as but no matter how much he mulled over it, he could not decipher where this instinct had arisen from.
His chest felt damp due to her tears but he did not feel irritated or disgusted like he usually would.
Instead, all he did was pat her back to make her stop shedding tears.
The one who was crying was also not in a proper state of mind.
Her face was buried in Damien's chest so no one had noticed the changes appearing on her face but she most certainly was surprised.
'What did he just say?' Yvonne's eyes widened after hearing the statement he had made earlier in order to get her to stop crying.
His words were gentle and they were meant to cajole her but her mind had traveled to a distant memory she had buried in her mind.
The memory which bubbled up in her mind as she sobbed in Damien's arms belonged to one which she had seen in a dream a long time ago.
The man who held her during the thunderstorm where she was trembling in fright was the memory that had resurfaced after hearing his words.
{I'm here…}
He had said similar words and the tone of concern present back then was the same that she had heard coming from Damien today.
'Were those words from… the same person?' A baffling question arose in her heart to which she did not have any satisfactory explanations.
However, before she could dive deeper into that thought, she heard a voice coming from above.
"How long do you plan on crying? You've already soaked my shirt." Damien's lazy voice was heard, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Just earlier, she had been wondering whether the man she had seen in that dream and Damien had any connection to each other.
Though right now, she shook her head and discarded that very thought from her mind.
The man in her dream was gentle and his voice conveyed his care and concern for the woman yet this young boy had neither of those.
He was just the same Damien she knew all too well, cynical, sarcastic, and poison-tongued.
Separating herself from his embrace, Yvonne raised her head and glared at him.
"Thank you for breaking my fall." She did not forget to express her gratitude even after he had made fun of her just now.
If he had not thrown himself between her and the ground then she might have injured herself.
Thus, she was grateful for what he had done without fearing that he might hurt himself in the process.
He had also comforted her but that lasted for a brief moment before he went back to his usual behavior.
Damien shook his head and sighed when he noticed that she had reverted to her normal state as well after he had spoken up.
He then helped her up before he too stood upright once again.
Howard and Taylor along with Jax rushed to look at her while Topher was left, staring at his best friend with disbelief filled in his eyes.
"Was that necessary?" Topher whispered into Damien's ears.
He had been surprised to see Damien treating Yvonne with such care but in the next moment, the same young boy had spoken harsh words to the weeping child.
This had stunned him speechless once again until he could find his words after the girl had separated herself from his friend.
The boy with forest-green eyes glanced at the girl who had stopped wailing and was wiping her face clean with the clean handkerchief that Howard had handed to her.
A nod was all Topher got in response when he turned toward his friend.
'She stopped crying, didn't she?' Damien's thoughts were clear on his face.
Those dark eyes glittered for a second before they faded away along with the smirk that had graced his face.
Topher was surprised when he grasped the trick that his friend had played.
When consoling her had not worked, he played the role of the bad guy just to divert her mind which had worked its magic immediately.
Yvonne was no longer crying and she even regained enough vitality to glare at him before she returned to what she was doing.
"I will never understand what's going on in this brain of yours!" Topher groaned at his friend who was becoming a bigger enigma as each day passed by.
'You do not have a brain big enough to achieve that.' Damien sneered as he shot him a fleeting glimpse.
His eyes only blinked at his friend but that one glance was enough for Topher to make out the disgust and mockery hidden in those eyes.
This made the young master of the Tanner family sulk and look away lest he was mocked any further.
"You! Watch where you practice!" He then yelled at the squires who had arrived at their position to check on the child.
Yvonne too looked up and found two trembling squires whose faces were pale due to what might have happened.
According to their assumptions, the girl had slipped and fallen backward which had indirectly saved her life.
They could not thank the gods enough that she had slipped.
If something were to happen to her then it would have been their heads on the line.
"Master Topher, it was I who walked without paying attention." Yvonne voiced out her retort as she had entered the practice field without watching where she went.
She had been distracted which led her to step into the path of the arrow which was being aimed at the target.
Everyone shook their heads when she accepted the blame for what had happened but there was one who nodded his head, agreeing with what she had just said.
Damien looked down at the little girl in his arms whose body trembled as sniffles began to be heard."Shh It's going to be fine. I'm right here." He whispered when he felt her fingers clutch his shirt.Yvonne had been holding in her fear but after hearing his comforting words, she let go of her emotions, bringing in tears that flowed without restraint.The other four boys were stunned to behold this sight before them.Howard and Taylor had been arguing in silence through their eyes and Jax had been watching this show from behind.None of them had noticed the arrow coming in the direction of the little girl until they found someone rushing past them.Their eyes turned in that direction and found that it was Damien who had dashed ahead but that wasn't what had attracted their attention.The arrow which was almost close to Yvonne's head made them freeze in their positions.Even Topher who was following Damien felt his heart stop when he noticed that his friend would not be able to reach the child in time to save her.Thankfully, the child did not need saving as she had done so herself.She evaded the arrow which missed her forehead by a hair's breadth, letting them breathe a sigh of relief.While the four boys remained in the same position, Damien had reached the girl just before she could collapse.He too fell to his knees which allowed the girl to fall onto him without injuring herself.Witnessing this, Howard felt a strange sense of deja vu at that very moment.'She cried in his arms when she first met him as well.' He recalled the tea party where he had accidentally shoved her aside and Damien had rescued her.He did not know that she had met Damien before that event at a cafe so, according to him, this was when his baby sister had first met the young boy.Back then too, she had wept in his arms and even today she had done the same.'I should keep them away from each other.' He decided after reaching the conclusion that his sister wept each time she got too close to him.There was also an irksome feeling arising in his heart when he saw her clinging to Damien's shirt as she buried her face in his chest.'Certainly have to keep them away from each other!' He narrowed his eyes at Damien who was shamelessly sitting there with his sister so close to him.Taylor and Jax too had frowns on their faces.They were happy to see that the little girl had not injured herself but this sight was becoming an eyesore to them.'How long does he want to cling onto the Boss?' Jax scowled with an annoyed expression appearing on his face.'Looks like my warning last time wasn't taken seriously.' Taylor clenched his fists while recalling the short conversation he had with Damien back at Topher's birthday party last year.Finally, Topher was stunned to see his best friend showing such a gentle expression on his face.Right now, Damien's face oozed with concern and care as he tried to cajole the sobbing child in his arms.This had never happened before and the red-headed heir of the Tanner family was trying to figure out the meaning behind his actions.Similarly, the boy who was displaying these expressions was also feeling conflicting emotions in his heart.The child was not someone he was close to, nor were they acquainted enough for him to speak so informally with her.Yet the words of comfort he had said earlier had spilled out of his mouth before he could even grasp what he was saying.A movement made on instinct was what he could describe it as but no matter how much he mulled over it, he could not decipher where this instinct had arisen from.His chest felt damp due to her tears but he did not feel irritated or disgusted like he usually would.Instead, all he did was pat her back to make her stop shedding tears.The one who was crying was also not in a proper state of mind.Her face was buried in Damien's chest so no one had noticed the changes appearing on her face but she most certainly was surprised.'What did he just say?' Yvonne's eyes widened after hearing the statement he had made earlier in order to get her to stop crying.His words were gentle and they were meant to cajole her but her mind had traveled to a distant memory she had buried in her mind.The memory which bubbled up in her mind as she sobbed in Damien's arms belonged to one which she had seen in a dream a long time ago.The man who held her during the thunderstorm where she was trembling in fright was the memory that had resurfaced after hearing his words.{I'm here} He had said similar words and the tone of concern present back then was the same that she had heard coming from Damien today.'Were those words from the same person?' A baffling question arose in her heart to which she did not have any satisfactory explanations.However, before she could dive deeper into that thought, she heard a voice coming from above."How long do you plan on crying? You've already soaked my shirt." Damien's lazy voice was heard, snapping her out of her thoughts.Just earlier, she had been wondering whether the man she had seen in that dream and Damien had any connection to each other.Though right now, she shook her head and discarded that very thought from her mind.The man in her dream was gentle and his voice conveyed his care and concern for the woman yet this young boy had neither of those.He was just the same Damien she knew all too well, cynical, sarcastic, and poison-tongued.Separating herself from his embrace, Yvonne raised her head and glared at him."Thank you for breaking my fall." She did not forget to express her gratitude even after he had made fun of her just now.If he had not thrown himself between her and the ground then she might have injured herself.Thus, she was grateful for what he had done without fearing that he might hurt himself in the process.He had also comforted her but that lasted for a brief moment before he went back to his usual behavior.Damien shook his head and sighed when he noticed that she had reverted to her normal state as well after he had spoken up.He then helped her up before he too stood upright once again.Howard and Taylor along with Jax rushed to look at her while Topher was left, staring at his best friend with disbelief filled in his eyes."Was that necessary?" Topher whispered into Damien's ears.He had been surprised to see Damien treating Yvonne with such care but in the next moment, the same young boy had spoken harsh words to the weeping child.This had stunned him speechless once again until he could find his words after the girl had separated herself from his friend.The boy with forest-green eyes glanced at the girl who had stopped wailing and was wiping her face clean with the clean handkerchief that Howard had handed to her.A nod was all Topher got in response when he turned toward his friend.'She stopped crying, didn't she?' Damien's thoughts were clear on his face.Those dark eyes glittered for a second before they faded away along with the smirk that had graced his face.Topher was surprised when he grasped the trick that his friend had played.When consoling her had not worked, he played the role of the bad guy just to divert her mind which had worked its magic immediately.Yvonne was no longer crying and she even regained enough vitality to glare at him before she returned to what she was doing."I will never understand what's going on in this brain of yours!" Topher groaned at his friend who was becoming a bigger enigma as each day passed by.'You do not have a brain big enough to achieve that.' Damien sneered as he shot him a fleeting glimpse.His eyes only blinked at his friend but that one glance was enough for Topher to make out the disgust and mockery hidden in those eyes.This made the young master of the Tanner family sulk and look away lest he was mocked any further."You! Watch where you practice!" He then yelled at the squires who had arrived at their position to check on the child.Yvonne too looked up and found two trembling squires whose faces were pale due to what might have happened.According to their assumptions, the girl had slipped and fallen backward which had indirectly saved her life.They could not thank the gods enough that she had slipped.If something were to happen to her then it would have been their heads on the line."Master Topher, it was I who walked without paying attention." Yvonne voiced out her retort as she had entered the practice field without watching where she went.She had been distracted which led her to step into the path of the arrow which was being aimed at the target.Everyone shook their heads when she accepted the blame for what had happened but there was one who nodded his head, agreeing with what she had just said.
