The Devil Behind Me(46)

When a loud knock startled me, I jolted up from the steering wheel to see Daimon standing there. The look on his face showed me he wasn’t too pleased with me. The moment our eyes met, his face changed and he reached for the door to open it. It was locked, but still he tried, his efforts making the car shake.

“Open the fucking door, Addie,” he bellowed. I sat transfixed at how he looked at me. “The door!” he barked as he banged on it.

I pressed the button and he opened it with such force, the door nearly flung off. He reached inside and turned me to face him. He bent down in front of me and looked up at me.

“Why? Why are you crying?” he asked anxiously.

“It’s been a long day and I'm tired,” I said quietly.

“Bullshit,” he hissed. He reached for my face and I recoiled back. He took my face and turned it. He growled the moment he saw the marks. “Did he do this to you?” he asked as he gritted through his teeth. Daimon’s eyes went frigid and cold as he stared at me.

“No.”

“Addie, don’t fucking lie to me,” he said annoyed.

“He didn’t do this to me,” I said weakly. “I told you I had a hard day.” I half-smiled as I wiped my tears away.

“Why?” he asked, but I shook my head. “Addie, let me in!” he pleaded.

I stared down at him, watching this man. The tormentor of my life and he wanted me to let him in. I quickly wiped the last of my tears and stood up from the car seat. Daimon stood up and blocked my way.

“If it wasn’t your fucking ex then who hit you?” he demanded.

“No one of any consequence,” I said as I pushed past him and closed the car door.

“Addie,” he called out to me as I made my way to the diner. “Addie! Fuck!” he shouted.

I ignored him and entered the diner. He followed closely behind me, I could sense his presence and his unhappy disposition as I entered and began to work. Sofia had been busy, but nothing she couldn’t handle. I hated the smug little smile she gave me, like she was telling me she had everything under control and she could handle it all. Yeah, like I was just going to drop the Yale thing and let her rot in here, like Daddy and I did. I don’t fucking think so.

“Go home,” I barked at her.

“Why?” she asked, almost hurt because I hadn’t acknowledged her.

“Because,” I said taking an apron. Daimon had sat himself down in a small booth in the back of the diner and watched me closely.

“Addie? Your face.” She reached for me but I walked away from her.

“Home!” I insisted again.

“Addie, did he hit you?” she asked, as she followed me to the back of the diner.

“No! He would never hurt me,” I fired back. Not physically that is. Daimon stood up from where he sat and followed us.

“Then who?” she began to panic.

“Try her ex, your fun loving Frank,” Daimon hissed as he stood with his hands in his jean pockets. Sofia turned to face him and then me.

“Frank would never hurt her,” she fired back. Daimon only chuckled.

“How fucking long are you going to keep her in the dark about this?” he spat out to me.

“Daimon shut up already,” I hissed trying to keep my voice low enough so our customers wouldn’t hear us.

“In the dark about what?” she cried out.

“Sofia, go home. Dad needs you, so please just go home,” I pleaded with her.

“Why?” she almost sobbed. “What happened at his doctor’s appointment?” She looked at me, her eyes wide.

“The meds aren’t working.” My voice cracked and I was on the verge of tears.

“Addie?” she whispered.

“Take the car, it’s a few blocks down. Go be with Dad. I got this.” I smiled, attempting to reassure her.

She ran past me, took her jacket along with the car keys and left. Only Daimon and I stood in the back of the diner. I closed my eyes, the hard lump smoldering in my throat. I knelt down and began to cry again. “Fuck,” Daimon muttered as he slowly walked over to me, reached down, and wrapped his arms around me. I let him hold me only because I needed someone, anyone and that anyone was him. His warm embrace almost melting away the hard exterior I had built up all these years.

“Enough,” I said meekly, as I pushed him off me and began to walk away.

“Addie.”

“Daimon, I have to work. I don’t have time for this.” I left a bewildered Daimon standing in the back of my diner.

He stayed with me, but only for a little while. Once he realized I wasn’t going to give him the time of day, he left. However, I was left with a text from him.