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Don't stay awake for too long

Yeah, I don't wanna fall asleep

I don't know why this has happened

I been praying for forgiveness

'Cause yeah, we still young

I wish it could be me

My life was kinda short

Don't stay awake for too long

Don't stay awake for too long

I'm happy that you're here with me

Taking goofy videos

Cuddle in your sheets

Sundays went to church

Don't stay awake for too long

Ashleigh sang along to the song playing on the radio remembering the one who fell asleep and never woke up again. Her first love.

Damien Frost.

He was her first boyfriend. He was her first love. He was the love of her life until the day she lost him.

Seven years after his death, she was due for marriage in a few days time. She was happy about it. She was thrilled to be days away from getting married to Jaiden Harrison.

Jaiden was a sweet caring and loving man who definitely knew how to make her laugh.

But there was always that little nudge in her heart that always reminded her that no one could fill the void Damien left behind.

She and Damien had been dating for 5 years, Damien had been planning on popping the big question when he was diagnosed with terminal brain tumour. He was devastated, but what really upset him was the fact he was going to have to leave Ashleigh behind.

When Damien finally gained the courage to tell her, she didn't believe it. She went to see the doctor herself demanding that more tests be conducted. To her dismay, this was in actual fact the case, Damien was going to die.

Ashleigh loved Damien, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She couldn't see a future without him.

But Damien wanted her to move on, he wanted her to live her life without him. He wanted her to get married, start a family and be the director of a Hollywood movie just as she dreamt of being.

So here she was, about to start a future with another man.

Ashleigh sighed staring at the painting that hung on the wall in the study. The woman in the painting resembled her, whenever she looked at the painting she felt at peace but today as she took in ever stroke of paint, her mind was trapped in a distant memory. Despite how long ago the memories of Damien took place, she remembered them all like it was yesterday.

●●●●●Eight years ago●●●●●

There was a knock on the door.

Ashleigh dashed downstairs and slid across the floor before coming to a halt in front of the door. She grabbed the door knob twisting and pulling it open to feel the cold gush of air hit her face.

Standing in the cold was a ginger-haired young man who had freckles across his cheeks and nose. His hazel green eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of her.

"Hey Ash-"

"Damien!" Ashleigh exclaimed throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms. She let him into the warm indoors closing the door.

"Hello Damien," greeted Shanice Riot, Ashleigh's mother who was seated on the couch watching her favourite tv show.

"Good evening Mrs Riot," Damien greeted respectfully.

"What are you two up to this time?"

"A movie! Beat you upstairs!" Ashleigh exclaimed dashing up the stairs.

Damien smiled to himself and was about to follow when Shanice called him.

"Yes Mrs Riot?"

"How do I know I won't catch you and my daughter being naughty up there?" she asked him.

Damien went slightly red recalling three days ago when she had caught them having a steamy make out session in Ashleigh's room. "Well Mrs Riot, I am against sex before marriage," he stated scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well I'll be damned. Wow, that's a first," Shanice exclaimed in surprise. "I guess, that's a bit reassuring."

"Damien!! I'm finishing the popcorn!!" they heard Ashleigh call from upstairs.

"Go ahead," Shanice smiled.

Damien made his way up to Ashleigh's room where she lay in bed shoving handfuls of popcorn in her mouth. He snatched the bowl of popcorn from her before taking off his boots.

"Hey! Give it back!" Ashleigh whined.

"Nah uh, you've had enough." Damien lay beside her and together they watched Disney movies.

It was late when Ashleigh had fallen asleep. Damien looked at his watch for the time. 01:03. He got out of the bed, he put on his boots and kissed his girlfriend's forehead before silently making his way downstairs.

He tiptoed out the kitchen door and began making his walk home. Not that he didn't own a car, he just enjoyed walking. It gave him time to think and he had a lot to think about.

Damien grew up as an orphan raised by his nanny Courtney Morris. His parents died beside him in a plan crash. He actually should be dead but somehow walked out of that crash with only a small cut.

He was dubbed the Miracle Boy. Damien hated it. He was sitting right beside his parents and was not meant to live. Everyone in first class died except him, everyone else was severely injured making him hate his title even more.

He and his parents were on their way to the UK, they had promised to take him to Legoland for the holidays and visit a family friend. This wasn't Damien's first flight, his parents traveled often for work purposes and if he didn't have school, he would tag along with them.

It was a normal flight until the intercom came on. 'Attention all passengers, attention please. Please take your seats and buckle up. We are preparing for an emergency landing.'

Damien looked to his parents who looked at ease with the situation. His parents thought there was going to be a storm too great to fly through like the forecast that morning had predicted but Damien had a feeling something was wrong. And he was right.

Before they knew it they were going down and fast. Damien began to cry shutting his eyes tightly. He heard as sounds of panic grew louder all around him. Then for a moment he blacked out and when he could see again, he was still buckled to his seat.

He looked to his left, "Mom?" then to his right, "Dad?" Unable to process what had happened around him he went silent and didn't move. He sat still. Between the bodies of his parents. Just like in every family picture. A couple and their only son in between.

He didn't move until he was found.

He was able to walk out with the paramedic. He was checked for internal and external injuries. Nothing but a cut on his face was found.

Despite the lack of injuries, Damien walked out traumatized. It was too much for a ten year old boy to handle. He lost both his parents, was being stalked by the press after he just survived a plan crash. He was famous but he didn't like it anymore.

As a result he went selectively mute, he suffered anxiety and depression, he was put on medication, had an appointment with a psychiatrist and psychologist every third day. He missed out on a year of education and once he returned failed a grade. His life was a total disaster.

Things started to change when his beloved nanny got him an art set for his birthday. It was the birth of his love for art. He slowly began to express himself through various drawings and paintings.

Slowly he started talking about that faithful day while stuttering slightly. He got off medication and looked to music instead.

He didn't have much friends but that didn't bother him. He loved spending time alone. Well, not as much as he loved Ashleigh.

He and Ashleigh started dating in tenth grade and very soon was going to be their four year anniversary.

It all began on his first day at the school, he was meant to start in the beginning of the year but couldn't as his mental health took a turn for the worst. He sat in the back and was kind of invisible in the classroom.

No one cared to get his name, or give him a greeting when they saw him. But he did notice Ashleigh. She looked at him at the beginning of every lesson they had together. As if she were checking on him. One day she greeted him.

Damien went blank. He had never had a girl talk to him, besides his mother and nanny, he always surrounded himself with boys. He just stared at her not knowing how to respond. When he finally greeted back, the chemistry began.

Ever since they had been dating. They had grown stronger together.

Damien finally got home. He locked the door behind him before heading up to his room. He switched on the lights and groaned at the mess on his bed. He was busy with an artwork when he remembered he had movie night with Ashleigh therefore didn't have the time to pack up.

He packed his stuff and finally went to bed.

The next morning

Ashleigh woke up and looked around. Damien was gone. It was a normal ritual on a Tuesday morning. Damien would leave early so her mother wouldn't suspect that they were being naughty.

Ashleigh got up and started getting ready for class. She was studying film production. She's always had the dream of becoming a famous Hollywood movie director. She knew starting off life wouldn't be easy but she knew what she wanted and she was determined to get it.

She got dressed and put her hair in a ponytail before heading downstairs.

"Good morning mom," she greeted.

"Morning Ash," her mother greeted back. "Do you have class today?"

Ashleigh nodded placing two slices of bread in the toaster.

"Did Damien leave already?"

"Yup." She took her toast, spread some cheese on it and poured herself a glass of juice. She took a seat at the dining table and had her breakfast.

After breakfast she grabbed her bag and left. "Hey Ash!" Ashleigh smiled at her best friend, Bethany, who stood waiting for her.

"Hi Beth, how you doing?"

"Great! And how you doing love bird?"

She rolled her eyes before replying, "Fine."

"Man do I have tea for you two!" exclaimed Heather, the last of their trio, who stepped in between them.

"What?" Bethany asked her voice holding interest.

"He finally popped my cherry!" Heather exclaimed.

"How was it?" Bethany inquired with a surprising amount of enthusiasm.

"Oh God, it was amazing! And he is fucking huge! God he is massive!"

"Can he go all night?"

The trio stopped walking when Heather stopped and looked at them, "He could go for two days straight!!"

They continued walking as Bethany said, "Well, now the only virgin left is little miss Ashleigh over here."

"Ashleigh, what's taking you and Damien so long?" Heather asked.

"We're taking things slow," Ashleigh stated simply.

"No, y'all are taking things at a tortoise's pace, your four year anniversary is next week and y'all haven't even gotten close to love making," Bethany scoffed.

"At least I'm not the hoe in this trio," Ashleigh argued.

"Well Ash, I'm gonna be honest, if I were you I would've taken him on the on the first month anniversary," Heather stated.

"Oh hell no! I would take him on the first day!" Bethany exclaimed.

Ashleigh rolled her eyes as they arrived at campus. "I'll see you two hoes after class," Ashleigh stated before they went their separate ways.

Meanwhile

Damien had just woken up, he was resting in bed when he heard coughing coming from a room. He got up and went downstairs to the kitchen where the coughing was coming from.

"Aunt Courtney?" he called.

The frail old lady turned so she was facing him, "Why good morning Damien," she greeted before she coughed again.

"Are you alright? You don't sound too well?" Damien inquired concerned.

"Don't worry son... I'm-I'm alright," she stated in between her coughs.

Damien walked up to his nanny and took the spoon from her. "Come on, you need to get rest."

"What about... breakfast?"

"I'll make breakfast, but you need rest," Damien stated helping her upstairs. He got her into bed and kissed her forehead. "Get some rest."

"Don't burn anything," Courtney stated.

Damien smiled, "I won't."

He closed her bedroom door and went downstairs. His heart ached at the thought of his nanny being sick.

She was the one who had raised him to be the man he was. She had taken care of him, from the good to the bad, through all the storms and in every season. She was there, she became his mother. Now that she wasn't well, Damien was determined to take care of her.

Courtney was the first person Damien opened up to. He had told her about what happened just before the plane crashed. She had listened and she had comforted him. She did a better job than any therapist he had ever met.

Damien finished making the pancakes. He brought two trays of food upstairs. One for himself and one for Courtney.

He got to the door and sighed. Using his foot he opened the door while trying to keep his balance.

"Breakfast is served!" he announced giving Courtney a tray with her breakfast.

"Thank you. This looked delicious."

Damien took a chair and brought it beside her bed and took a seat. "So? How does it taste?" he asked as he watched her take a bite.

"Amazing, although, I did crunch on an eggshell but you did a great job," Courtney smiled.

Damien smiled with pride as he began to eat.

"How is Ashleigh?" Courtney asked.

"She's fine. We watched movies last night," Damien replied.

"What did you watch?"

"Disney, a whole lot of Disney." Damien took a sip if his coffee. "Our anniversary is next week, I don't know what to get her yet."

"How long... have... how long have you two been dating now?" Courtney asked coughing in between.

"Almost four years."

"Four years? When are you going to marry her?"

"Aunt Courtney-"

"Four years is a long time Damien, ask her already! Or is she not the one?"

Damien sighed, "She is the one, I just want to take it slow."

"You're taking it too slow if you ask me."

Damien laughed, "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because we all think it's time you married her," she stated taking a sip of her fruit juice.

Damien smiled to himself as he stirred his coffee.

"And I know exactly what ring you could give her," Courtney smiled.

Damien looked at his nanny who got out of bed and walked out the room. When she returned she gave him a ring box. Damien opened it.

"That was the ring your father proposed to your mother with. He asked her to marry at a bar. It was strange setting but she said yes," Courtney explained.

Damien stared at the silver ring with the red heart shaped diamond. "When did they get married?"

"27 years ago, on the 21st of February and you were born five years later right before my eyes. They loved each other, they had the a rocky marriage but they somehow managed to hide it. A famous actor and his loyal wife was what they were. Very different people, but you know what they say, opposites attract. I think them dying together was meant to be. I don't think either of them would be able to handle losing each other," Courtney explained.

There was silence as Damien stared at the ring.

He could barely remember his parents' physical appearance much less their personality traits but he knew they argued often.

"Aunt Courtney, do you think I was meant to die with them?" He asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, sometimes I just can't help but to think that my survival was a mistake. Sometimes I feel like I have no purpose here on earth. Maybe I should've died with them."

"Damien, if you're alive, it's for a reason. Your purpose may not be clear now, but I know some day you will discover what it is. Even if it's for someone else's well-being. For example, my purpose is complete."

Damien looked her in the eyes.

"My purpose was to raise you to be the man you are today. And the only way I could do that was if you lost your parents. Life is not simple, one man's blessing is another man's curse. Your curse was my blessing. Your purpose doesn't always have something to do with your dreams, sometimes your purpose is to lead someone else to theirs."

Damien looked at the ring in his hand then at his nanny and smiled.