No Longer Alone

Chapter Forty-two

***Nicole's POV***

    Somehow my Buick got left behind, and we were heading up to Glacier in the two rentals.  Alex was leading the way in Val and Xander's rental, with the two of them, Marie and Rose.  My youngest two had abandoned me in favor of new people to talk with, but since they volunteered who was I to say no.  Hannah, Damian and I were following, with Damian driving the rental the guys had.  Damian looked confused with the way I handled the backpacks, but he'd see soon enough, you do not go hiking in Montana wilderness unprepared. 

    "So Hannah, what is your favorite subject at school?"  Damian asks, and Hannah doesn't stop staring out the window as she responds.

    "History and art are my favorites overall, but I like English and science too.  I get to write stories and make my own historical narratives in English sometimes.  Math is okay, but I am not fond of P.E. I like to exercise and do different things but some of the ways they do things are just stupid.  Choosing our exercises based on the letters of our name, what kind of sense does that make, and I don't really like paying most of the sports."

    "What exercise do you like then, if I may ask?"

    "I like swimming, and I like the weight room.  Jogging is okay, but I like hiking more.  Kayaking is fun too." Hannah glances at me, makes a face, then goes back to looking out the window.

    All conversations end as we have reached where we are going to start hiking from.  We pull in and Damian opens the trunk for the bags without me saying anything.  Marie and Rose both get their back packs on without saying anything while Hannah and set ours down for a moment, each of us pulling out a belt and different things to attach to them.  Hannah has a thing of bear spray, and a multi-tool that attaches to her belt, and so do I as well as a semi-auto pistol that I inspect and check before putting back in the holster that attaches to my belt.  Looking up the girls are used to this, and Alex is just fine, but Damian and his parents are looking a little shocked.

    "There are bears here, as well as mountain lions.  Besides, deer and other animals here can be aggressive too if threatened, it's better to be safe than sorry.  Though if we see a badger, just run the other way, nothing I am carrying will do much more than make it more angry."

    They nod, looking a touch concerned, and Hannah smiles at them to reassure them.  "Mom and I have never had to use anything, but she'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

    "Exactly.  We all ready to go?"  Nods all around, but I notice that everyone seems to have partnered up with someone.  Marie is talking Alex's ear off, Rose is getting a piggy back ride from Xander, and Val is chatting with Hannah about books as the head down the trail.  I glance to my side and see that Damian has moved up beside me.

    "Aren't we always taught to partner up in school so no one gets lost?"  A hint of a smile on his face as he asks me this.

    "Are you really that scared of getting lost in the woods?" I mouth off in response, he's making me feel things that I shouldn't be feeling.  I can't let him get any closer, it will all go downhill again, and I'm tired of playing a game I always seem to lose.  Running my thumb across the band of my claddagh, I think of it as less of a sign of showing I am single, and more of a promise not to fall into that trap again.

    "Nicole, please..." I had started to walk off following the others, but I felt Damian grab my left hand and tug, forcing me to look at him.  "I don't know why you are back to this now, but I'm not walking away.  I want to know you.  Please just give me a chance to do that."  His eyes turned a slightly darker green, a hint of frustration and pain in his voice moving me a little, I hated to cause others pain.

    "A chance for what?  There are other people out there that are far less broken than me, ones with less baggage and more to offer you."  I thought about how Alex and Damian were in Janelle's talking with Jen, the fact that they were here in regards to the contract.  I may not know where exactly they stand in their company, but I do know they don't use low level drone workers like me for making deals like that.  I wouldn't be surprised if both of them make my yearly wages in a month or less.  "There are other people better suited to your world than me."

    "Last I checked we both lived on planet earth, and everyone has baggage.  You haven't taken the time to know me to know what I need or who would suit me."  The hint of anger in his voice shook me,  and he took a step towards me, making me take a step back.  There was something hot and demanding in his eyes as he took another step, but this time I couldn't move back, there was a tree behind me.  "You don't seem to understand, Nicole, just what you have to offer, or what I need.  So I think maybe I need to show you exactly how little I care about your baggage, or how you think you are broken."

    Something in his eyes held me in place, unable to move as he moved closer still, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek, drifting down to my neck before pulling me closer.  His eyes shifted slightly to my lips and with a soft groan he lowered his head while pulling me towards him.  The kiss was gentle but hungry at the same time, it was the best kiss I'd ever had, feeling almost like his mouth had been designed for me to kiss.  It had been a long time since I had let anyone close enough for this, and I couldn't help but respond.  Damian continued for a moment, keeping the contact light, but our breathing was labored at the end anyways.  Looking into his eyes, there were too many emotions to focus on just one, and I could feel a slight tremor in my body as his thumb stroked my neck, not having let me go.

    "The Japanese have an art form known as kintsugi, which applies to pottery, but I believe something similar of humans.  What you see as broken, I see as one of a kind, Nicole, and how you have chosen to hold those pieces together, that makes you priceless.  We'd better catch up to the others."  With that he grabbed my hand and started walking down the path the others had taken minutes before.