Before you were famous

2: Old Flames Ignite

I wake up to the sun pouring in to our room brightly it is dead quiet in the room where you only hear sound from people talking in the halls every now and then. I look over and find Lizzy still fast asleep. This is the first time in 3 years that we have ever slept in. It's 10:30 am and I know that we have to start packing soon. “Hey Lizzy time to wake up sweetie we have to start packing.” She doesn't answer me. I walk to her bed and try to wake her up again. Nothing so finally I jump on her bed and loudly shout at her to wake up. “Okay, Okay!” She yells back and sits up in the bed. “Why are you waking me up so early Claire!” She asks annoyed her eyes still closed. “It's 10:30 we have a million things to do before we fly tonight.” I answer back. Suddenly Lizzy is up and running around . “Oh, my god we need get ready. We are going to New York baby!” She says enthusiastically. Pulling suitcases from her closet. We start packing. The day blows by in a blur and before we know it we are on our way to the airport.

“Ladies and gentleman please fasten your seat belts as we are about to take off. My name is Haley and I will be your flight attendant today.” I watch the flight attendant closely as she explains where the exists are and where the oxygen masks will fall out from above us. After that I don't really pay much attention to her. Lizzy is biting her nails bored as she impatiently waits for the flight to finally take off. The flight is only 4 hours, but because it's already 1:00 in the morning we both fall asleep shortly after take off.

The flight attendant wakes me up and I see that Lizzy is already sitting up in her chair staring out the window expectantly waiting for the plane to land. “Hey, sleepy head we are landing soon. I can't wait to show you New York Claire bear!” Lizzy says excited. “Claire bear? Wow you must be excited! But yes I can't wait to see the Big apple!” I say sleepily.

Fifteen minutes later we are outside of the airport waiting for a taxi. The sun is starting to rise lazily over the tall buildings. After a moment a taxi stops in front of us and the driver politely offers to help us load our luggage into the trunk of his cab. “Where to ladies?” The driver asks as he switches on the timer. Lizzy gives him the address and he nods in understanding. As we drive down the busy streets Lizzy pulls me to her side of the cab. “Oh my look at that Billboard that guy is so hot!” I peer out of her side of the window and instantly my heart stops. Lizzy looks at me confused. “What? Is there something wrong with mister hottie?” She asks studying my face. “I...I know him.” She shakes her head. “Yeah, everyone knows him. He's been getting quite famous the last few years.” She responds still looking at me confused. “No, Lizzy like I really know him!” Lizzy's face fills with excitement. “How do you even know him?” She asks expectantly. I fill with guilt immediately. I look from Lizzy to the cab driver. “I'll tell you at the apartment. It's kind of a long story and he is apart of the past I haven't told you about yet.” Lizzy nods in understanding and we drive in silence the rest of the way.

We arrive in central Manhattan in front of a massive apartment building. Lizzy runs up the stairs excited. “Come Claire I can't wait to show you aunt Elena's beautiful apartment.” She unlocks the front door and we enter a beautiful double storey apartment. The living room and kitchen are on the bottom floor and on the second floor there are four bedrooms each with their on on suite bathroom, Lizzy shows me her room where she spent every holiday. The walls were painted dark purple with huge windows looking out to the street below. You could see this was a girls room and more importantly you could tell that Lizzy helped decorate this room. Pictures on the bed side table showed a happy smiling Lizzy with her aunt or family in different ages of her life. “Did your aunt never get married?” Lizzy shakes her head. “She once was engaged, but he died in a skiing accident right before they were to be married, She swore that he was her soul mate and that she would never love anyone that way again. She has had romances over the years, but it was never anything serious, She threw herself into her work and became successful,” Lizzy smiled woefully and we left her room so she could show me to my room. This room was a light blue color and also beautifully decorated.

I sat down on the bed an motioned for Lizzy to come sit beside me. “You probably want to know how I know Damian Fisher?” I ask as she slowly comes closer and joins me on the bed. “That would be great!” She says expectantly. I take a deep breath. “Brace yourself. This is going to become very dark...” I pause and Lizzy takes my hand in hers. “it started in high school fresh man year. I met a guy who was a senior at the time his name was David... David Fisher.” I can see the surprise in Lizzy's eyes. “Yes, he is Damian's brother... his older brother. Anyway this popular senior who could get any girl his heart desired started showing interest in me which was the best thing to happen to any girl my age at the time. You see I was friends with his youngest brother Devon we were the same age and had been in every class together since first grade. One day when I went over to their house to hang out with Devon, David opened the door for me and started flirting with me. I was flattered and totally in love with David. This was the first time in all the years I had gone over there that David even acknowledged my existence. Not long long after that we started dating. He was my first kiss... I thought I loved him, but it wasn't long after that he started to abuse me. At first it was just mental abuse, but then he started to push me around and hit me. He would hit me were no one could see it. He told me I could no longer speak to Devon. So I cut Devon out of my life and only ever saw David. He was so possessive and controlling. When David graduated high school he stayed in town and would take me to school and home after school was done. At least in those few hours at school I didn't feel scared. One day Damian come to me at lunch and asked me how I was doing. He said he could see that I was not doing okay. I didn't tell him everything I was so scared.” Tears were welling up in my eyes and Lizzy tightened her grip on my hand I could see her eyes starting to shine with tears too. I take a deep breath and continue: “I told Damian that I was scared of his brother and that I needed to get out of this relationship. He promised me that he would protect me and that he would help me. I'm ashamed to say that we grew really close and I fell in love with Damian. I really did believe that Damian was protecting me. One day I guess David saw me hug Damian at school. That afternoon he wasn't there to take me home so I walked home. When I got home David was waiting for me in the kitchen of my house. He starting screaming at me calling me names. Saying that I was a w***e and that he was going to kill me and Damian. I begged him to calm down, but that just infuriated him so much. He punched me hard in the face. I fell to the floor my nose bleeding. He started kicking me over and over again. At one point with all the blows I passed out. When I woke up again he was on top of me pinning me down on the floor. I tried screaming, but he slapped me across the face again. He said if I make one more sound he would slit my throat and then he would go home and kill Damian and Devon. I stopped resisting... He then proceeded to rip my clothes off while telling me how much I deserved it for being such a whore... He... He r***d me Lizzy! He said I was sleeping around so this was nothing new for me. I couldn't do anything.” By now I'm sobbing as I relived every detail of that horrible day. The words just pouring out of me. Lizzy started crying now as well. “I swear that was my first time... after he finished he proceeded to give me a long kiss goodbye before washing his hands in the sink and leaving me motionless on the floor. It felt so unreal that I could swear I left my body and I was looking at everything happening from the outside. I felt numb. Minutes seemed to feel like hours, but I couldn't move I was frozen. Luckily Damian over heard David on the phone telling someone that he finally put me in my place and that I would never step out of line again. He knew that David must have done something to me so he rushed to my house. He found me in the kitchen and called 911. I passed out after Damian found me. I was rushed to hospital where I woke up two days later. I swear if I knew that it would end like that... I would never have stayed so long...” The words came out in a wale as I cried even harder. “NO, honey it's not your fault he was a disgusting pig!” Lizzy tried soothing me. I continued my story to try and get closure. “David was arrested that same day and I had to testify in court. He was sent to prison for 10 years. My mom refused Damian to come visit me in the hospital even though he was there everyday to check up on me. I didn't go back to school for the rest of the year. Damian graduated and he moved to England to study there... I haven't seen or heard from him ever again... And that is how I know Damian Fisher” I breathed out a sigh of relieve for finally sharing my story. Lizzy and I cried for a long time after that.

Lizzy comforted me for a long time and soon I felt so much better. “Okay, enough of my sob story it has taken me five years to come to terms with what happened that day. I am starving can we please go get something to eat!” I wipe the tears from my face and fix my hair. Lizzy perks up from the bed and wipes her face clean as well. After a quick shower and clean up we head out in search of a restaurant to have brunch. Finally we find a deli that is not too busy and sit down for a nice meal. We ate quietly the silence feeling deafening. “This is why I never told you about David. People feel sorry for me they look at me like I'm broken... Which I guess I am, but you treat me like a normal person and I didn't want to ever loose that...” Lizzy gets up and hugs me warmly. “Don't worry babe I don't think you're broken what happened to you is not your fault. I do feel sorry for you, but not in the way you think. I feel sorry for the fact that you had to keep this all to yourself so long. My heart breaks for you and I promise that I will make sure that no man ever hurts you like that again, because I will cut off anything that hangs that is a promise!” Lizzy motions to her pants and I immediately start laughing. “thank you Lizzy.” She smiles and hugs me again before returning to her seat and eating the rest of her chicken salad.

As we walk out of the deli Lizzy notices that a large crowd had started to form at a restaurant at the end of the street. “Claire lets go have a look! Maybe it's someone famous!” Lizzy begs as she start pulling me in the direction of the crowd. I roll me eyes at her and reluctantly walk with her. The crowd has now doubled in size and people are peering in through the restaurant windows taking pictures while a large man dressed in black blocks the entrance to the building. Somehow in the wave of people I loose sight of Lizzy and I start to panic, Lost in the crowd I push my way through everyone and end up outside the crowd next to the alley way behind the restaurant. “Lizzy!... Lizzy where are you!” By now my anxiety is rapidly starting to build up I panic and walk in to the alley standing against the wall trying to calm myself. I close my eyes and try to listen to the sound of Lizzy's voice. “Miss are you okay?” a man's voice comes from within the alley and I instinctively look in the direction the voice is coming from. The world stops immediately and I’m suddenly staring at a ghost from my past. “Claire?” he asks and slowly walks towards me. “Claire Daniels? Is that you?” Before I could even think I'm almost running down the alley. He does the same and the moment we embrace my world starts to spin fast and uncontrollably. “Damian... Oh Damian I’ve missed you so much!” I'm sobbing as we just keep holding each other. Damian strokes my hair soothing me. “My god Claire I've missed you too! I thought you never wanted to see me again!” I pull him in closer shaking my head against his chest. “No, that was my mother I begged her everyday to see you, but she never allowed it! I never forgave myself when you moved away!” Damian pulls away from me wiping the tears from my face. “What are you doing in New York?” He asks looking tentatively at me. “I'm here on holiday I'm actually at college in Texas. I just finished my junior year.” Damian smiles at me. “You look so beautiful Claire!” We hug again. A moment later I hear a worried Lizzy calling for me from the entrance of the alley way. Both Damian and I turn to her and she sees us. She runs towards me very excited. “Oh, my...” She starts, but doesn't finish her sentence, I laugh. “Lizzy this is Damian... Damian this is my best friend Lizzy we go to school together.” They shake hands. Lizzy just stares star struck at Damian. After what seems like a long time Damian breaks the silence. “Listen I have to go. The paparazzi will soon notice I'm not in the restaurant and come looking for me...” I nod in acknowledgement my heart dropping realizing that Damian will leave soon. He turns to me. “Claire can I see you tonight?” He asks and then turns to Lizzy. “If that is okay with you Lizzy can I steal her away from you for tonight I know you guys are on vacation, but I really want to see her.” We wait for Lizzy to answer she suddenly shakes her head out of the haze she is in. “Yes, you can pick her up tonight at seven I'm going to go to bed tonight early so please catch up,” Lizzy answers smiling broadly. Damian takes my cell number and I text him the address of the apartment we are staying in. We hug quickly goodbye. Lizzy also asks for a hug and squeaks in excitement when Damian gives her a hug. We slowly run out of the alley before anyone notices us.

“I can't believe I just met Damian Fisher! How amazing is it that he is in New York the same time we are!” Lizzy says her excitement rubbing off on me. “I know this is insane Lizzy I never thought I would ever see him again! This is a dream come true!” I say matching Lizzy's excitement. We ended up exploring the city the rest of the day. Lizzy showing me everywhere she always went as a kid. We were going to head into the big apple in a few days time to see time square and all the famous stores you only see on TV.

Lizzy dragged me into every boutique she could find so that I had something nice to wear for my date tonight. I tried on at least a hundred dresses before we decided on a black and white sun dress which Lizzy swore was my strongest style.

Aunt Elena's apartment

I took a quick shower while trying to process the events of the day. I could not believe that I was going to see Damian again. I always wished it was him that opened that door so long ago and that he was the one who loved me first. Oh, how different everything could have been. Yet I still didn't know how Damian felt about me maybe I was just a friend he felt sorry for after his brother violated her. No, I shouldn't think like that. He wanted to see me tonight and I just have to be brave and find out how he felt or feels about me. I'm not exactly sure how I'm suppose to feel. I know that I loved Damian and in some strange way that I would always love Damian. He means the world to me. He saved my life. Yet I was so young and Naive do I really even know what love feels like? This just proved to me that tonight would help me decide if this was going the be the closure I needed so desperately. I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time my dark hair dangling wet in knots. I narrow my green eyes at my reflection and stick out my tongue. Would a movie star even think that I was beautiful?. Before I knew it the time was up and Lizzy and I stood in front of the door waiting expectantly for Damian to arrive. “okay please phone me if you feel unsafe or unsure I promise to come fetch you and cut off anything that hangs!” Lizzy says breaking the silence. I laugh and nod in approval. “Don't worry I trust him with my life even if I haven't seen him in five years.” I smile just as the door bell rings. I suddenly feel giddy like a school girl going on her first date. I open the door to Damian smiling nervously. His black hair is styled neatly backwards. His dark blue eyes look at me nervously. He is wearing a black suite with a matching black tie. We both just look at each other for a long moment drinking in each other in. My heart is pounding hard against my chest I haven't felt this away about anyone since the last time I had seen Damian five years ago. He still looks the same so handsome and kind. I can feel my cheeks start to flush and I instinctively look down at my hands trying to keep my composure. I didn't want to seem too eager when I had no idea how Damian even felt about me. Besides our past was so complicated that even if he ever did feel anything for me it was probably in the past now. Damian steps towards me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Even after he has stepped back again I can still feel his warmth against my face the spot on my cheek tingling. He clears his throat: “Are you ready to go?” he asks holding a hand toward me. I nod and follow him out the door. I wave goodbye to Lizzy who looks more excited than I was feeling. She is smiling broadly from ear to ear. We walk to a black SUV waiting at the side of the road. The windows are blacked out so you can not see inside. The same guy who blocked the entrance to the restaurant earlier that day was now holding open the rear door for us. Damian allows me to get in to the car and then joins me. “You look so beautiful tonight Claire. You haven't changed a bit!” Damian smiles at me and takes my hand in his. His hand is warm and strong. I slightly shiver with excitement. “So where are you taking me?” I ask trying to calm my nerves. Damian smiles at me mischievously, “You are going to love the restaurant I am taking you too. I love it there it's quiet and nobody ever sees me there which means just a little bit of privacy and for that few hours I feel normal again.” Damian sighs softly looking out the window and then turning back to me. “So how exactly did you end up becoming an actor? I thought you wanted to be a teacher?” Damian laughs shaking his head. “Well after everything that happened I wanted a fresh start so I went to England to take a year off I guess. One day I'm sitting in a pub looking for a place to stay with the little bit of tips I was making as a bar tender when this man in a black suit comes to me. He asked me if I ever thought about acting. I told him I had no previous experience and that was not one of the things I saw in my future. He made me an offer to star in a low budget movie they were filming right in the town I was in. The money was good so I decided to take a chance. We never thought the movie would blow up so big. Before I knew it my salary had tripled and I was being offered roles around England. After I starred in two movies and had a few appearances on TV shows I got offered a major role in America. Fast forward four years and I'm back here living in New York. I never wanted to become this famous I was only doing it for the money, but it went from being recognized by one or two people to a mob chasing me down every day of my life.” I squeeze his hand and give him a reassuring smile. “I'm sorry that you have to go through it. I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to have so many people try to invade your life.” Damian nods. “Yes, it's hard, but I try to see the positive side of it all. I bought my parents a home here in New York because they needed to get away from Sherwood falls as much as we had to get away from there. Everyone was still whispering and judging them even after we both were no longer there,” Damian pauses and looks at me apologetically. “I'm sorry I don't mean to bring it up...” I shake my head. “Don't... tonight I don't want to talk about David and I don't want you too feel bad for helping your parents. I love them they were like my own parents I've know them most of my life. It's not their fault that David become a monster. He is sick and I pray to god that he is getting the help he needs. I don't blame them, I blame him. What he did was his choice and his doing no one else's. I want to be normal tonight I want to laugh and be happy!” Damian agrees and drop the subject.

The SUV pulls into an alley behind an old warehouse. I look at Damian skeptically. “You're not going to murder me are you?” I grin at his shocked expression. “A joke? Am I detecting a hint of the Claire I used to know?” I can only laugh and nudge him softly. “You didn't answer my question. I guess this is how I go and to think I only came here to get your autograph.” I try to look serious, but the moment Damian lifts his eyebrow at me we both burst out laughing. “Come let me show you what's hidden inside.” Damian says as he gets out the car and holds his hand out to me to help me out. We go through the back door of the building followed by Damian's body guard. At the end of a long hallway I am shocked to find a modern restaurant behind the door. Soft round lights hang from the ceiling giving the place a warm glow. There wasn't a lot of tables giving the place a more private feel. The white walls were decorated minimally with colorful water color paintings. Once inside a young blond man dressed in a black suite came towards us smiling. “Good evening Mister Fisher it is good to see you back again. As always your table is ready for you.” The waiter smiled and showed us the way to a table in the corner of the restaurant. The entire wall beside the table was a water feature softly pouring water down the side of it. The water collected under a glass floor with an impressive koi pond beneath our feet. The waiter pulls out the chair for me and Damian sits himself across from me. “Thank you Marcelle could you please bring me a bottle of my usual 2007.” Damian asks then pauses and looks expectantly at me. “Sorry I always come here alone. Do you drink red wine Claire?” Damian and the waiter Marcelle look at me. “Yes, red wine would be lovely.” Marcelle nods and then heads to the back. “This place is amazing! I have never seen a restaurant so beautiful.” I look around the restaurant and admire every bit of the scenery. “thank you it took two years to complete in secret.” Damian looks at me amused as I start to process that he just said. “You mean you own this place! This beautiful art work!” He chuckles at my amazement. “Yes, I built this place for everyone who just needs a bit of privacy from the world.” For a moment I just stare at Damian. I could not believe this is my soft sweet Damian. He was successful and happy. I was a lousy nobody who didn't even know what she was going to do after college. “I actually named the place Molly's.” Damian pulls me out of my self loathing moment of shame. “You remembered Molly. My dog Molly?” Damian takes my hand. “Yea, of course I do. You never loved anyone or anything as much as you loved that dog. Which meant that we all loved her. I wanted to build a place that I could love as much as you loved her.” Damian squeezes my hand and I smile sadly. If only he knew that I did love someone more than I loved Molly. I loved him... “Thank you for naming the place after Molly now I know she will never be forgotten.” I can feel my eyes start to sting with tears trying to fight their way out. Luckily Marcelle arrives with the wine and our menu's. I quickly grab the menu and start to scan it. Marcelle pours us each a glass of wine and then takes our order before he leaves again.

Soon we are laughing and talking about the past and the present. Damian tells me about the movies he made and everywhere he has traveled to. I tell him about college and Megan. Before I know it, it feels like we just picked up where we left off five years ago before everything changed. Hours seemed to just fly by. “Claire...” Damian pauses. He doesn't look up from his glass of wine. “Yes, I'm listening.” He looks up at me his face serious. “I need to say something. It probably won't matter, but if I don't say this now I'm never going to know what could have been. I'm sorry to bring this up again after that day with David...” He stops his face full of pain. “It's okay Damian you can go on.” I encourage him by taking both his hands in mine. “That day... I blame myself. I should have protected you and I didn't. He hurt you Claire and I can't take that back!” Tears are now falling from his eyes and I try to stop my own from falling in vain. “Claire when I found you I told you something while I held you and waited for the ambulance to come. Do you remember what I said?” I try to think back, but I could only remember up until David ran out the kitchen. “No, I blacked out right after you came.” I answered apologetically. “I thought you wouldn't remember. When I found you on the floor I thought you were going to die. You were barely breathing and I couldn't get you to wake up. I told you... I told you that I loved you more than anything in the entire world and that if you would just live I would protect you for the rest of your life. I wanted to be there for you so badly, but your mother told me you didn't want to see me. I left like a coward and I never should have done it. I thought you didn't feel anything for me.” Damian pulls his hands from mine and wipes his face quickly. I sit in stunned silence not knowing what to say. I take a deep breath and start. It's now or never: “Damian you said that I loved Molly more that anyone or anything, but that was I lie. Yes, I really did love that dog a lot, but there was someone I loved more that anything. I loved you... I wished so hard everyday of my life... I still do. I wish it was you all along. I was so young and stupid. David gave me one ounce of attention and suddenly I was falling over my feet. Even though... even though I always had a crush on you!Back then I wanted to tell you so badly that I loved, but after what happened with David I was broken... I've never even dated again. I've been in countless hours of therapy to be told that what I felt or still feel for you was not love. Only they don't know my heart and they don't know how I feel and I’m pretty sure that I do love you... that I will always love you...” For a moment I'm shocked at myself for the words that had just slipped out. Oh no I shouldn't of said that he is going to think I'm crazy. It feels like a eternity before Damian says anything. He weakly smiles. “Okay let's get out of here there is something I need to show you.” Damian motions to the waiter that he wants to pay and gets up. Oh god I just made things super awkward I need to get out of here, What was I thinking!? I could never be with him. Flustered by what just happened I wipe my face as clean as I can and try to compose myself. So he didn't actually still love me and I read the whole situation completely wrong. At least we got to say all that was needed to be said and he was probably just going to go drop me off at home and say goodbye... forever.

Damian motions for me to come with him and we leave Molly's and quickly get into the SUV and drive off. We don't speak the whole ride. I can see Damian look at me every now and then his face hard to read. I feel so stupid that I hardly look up from my hands as they lay on my lap. Suddenly the SUV stops in a dark parking lot and the driver opens the door for us. I instantly realize we are in central park. Damian nervously takes my hand while we walk toward a bench hidden under some trees. “I wanted to bring you here because this is my favorite place to be... this is where I come to think... I usually end up here thinking about you Claire.” Damian turns to me and places his hands gently on my cheeks. My heart is now racing a million miles an hour. I can see the love glowing in his eyes, Instantly I feel my cheeks flush red hot. We both stand and look at each other for a long time. Longing and love burning in our eyes and hearts. Slowly Damian pulls me closer and closer toward him. My chest is pressed against his and I can feel his heart pounding at the same rate as my own. He then leans in to me his face inches away from my own. He pauses just as our lips are about to touch I can feel his breath warm against my lips. I long to feel them against my. “I will always love you too Claire Daniels,” He whispers and then his lips are on mine. His kiss is gentle, but he is in control of every move we make, I can feel his longing in his kiss and it reflects my own desire. The world no longer exists it is only us in this moment, our hearts beating in rhythm, our lips dancing together, Fire works are exploding in my mind I can hear bells ringing and then there was... lightning? Damian breaks free from me his face white as a sheet. He looks around nervous. “We have to go,” His voice is shaking as he grabs my hand and start running back to the car. I'm so shocked that I can not get out a word. Once we are back in the car the driver races out of the parking lot. After a moment I snap back to reality. “What just happened? Everything was so perfect. Did I do something wrong?” Damian looks at me his face still horrified. He softens his gaze when he sees the distress on my face. “No, you were perfect... this night was perfect, but we should have never gone to the park. We were followed by the paparazzi. I'm sorry Claire tomorrow your face will be all over the news... I should have known I could never be normal again.” Damian looked sad now and I didn't know what to say.

The SUV came to a sudden stop in front of Aunt Elena's house. Luckily no one followed us back. Damian walked me back to the house still nervously looking around. “I don't want them to know where you live. I will have to do damage control tomorrow.” Damian gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m sorry Claire I was suppose to keep you safe from this world and I didn't.” Damian smiles weakly at me and hurries back to the car. Before I can stop him. “Damian please don't go! I don't care what they write about me...” Damian gets in the car and shakes his head. Then it dawns on me if they find out who I am they might start digging in to the past and find out about David. Even if the documents are sealed and my name can not be released since I was under age when the attack happened it will most likely not be good for Damian's career. “Stop I know what your thinking Claire I see it all over your face. This is not about me... If they find out about David and you... I could never live with the knowledge that the whole world will know what you had been through.” I nod my eyes burning with tears. I didn't want to say goodbye and I knew if the world found out about David it would tear both of us apart. Damian said one final goodbye and promised that he would call me as soon as he had a chance to do damage control. Confused I went inside to find Lizzy fast asleep in front of the TV. I silently went to my room playing the nights events over and over again in my mind before drifting off to sleep.