Imogene ScottMy head is buzzing. The rest of the party feels louder, brighter and more wonderful. Halfway through, Damien leads me to a small empty room for the last surprise of the night.My mind is still unable to comprehend the ones he’s already revealed and now he’s telling me there’s another one?We walk into the quiet room in the hallways. The gallery has a suite right in the corner and urs next to the room we’re in. “I’m sorry I…erm…kissed you out there in front of everyone.” I say.He smiles. “I don’t mind.”I cough. “So…”Reaching into his pocket, Damien pulls out a thick bundle of letters, tied together with a faded ribbon. “I wrote you every day since you left. I never sent them, but I want you to have them now.”I stare at the letters, my hands trembling as he hands them to me. My name is scrawled across the top of each envelope in his familiar handwriting, and my heart feels like it’s about to break. This is too much. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Imogene,” he says
Imogene ScottDamien shrugs out of his jacket and let it drop on the floor. Half my dress falls from my torso, revealing my breast. I stand there, completely unashamed and honest in my need for him.He reaches around my back for the zipper, then finds and lowers it. He pushes the dress down, and I let it slip down my legs, leaving me in nothing but a tiny red thong. He hisses, then pushes me back gently until I’m sitting on the soft, bouncy mattress. He hooks his fingers on the tiny waist string on my thong and pulls it down. Once I’m stripped of everything except my heels, his warm, large hands on my knees keep me spread wantonly.“You’re dripping,” he grates out.“Looks like you might be, too.” I try to say it playfully, but it’s difficult to act carefree when you’re so turned on you feel like you’re going to die without him on you.I can’t believe I’ve been celibate for three years.At least I’m not the only one going crazy with need. His erection’s pushing hard against his pants
Imogene Scott The morning sun streams through the bedroom window. Despite the late hour—it’s already 8:30—I continue to lie in bed with my eyes closed. I need to get my head together, to make sure memories of the night are real and not dreams.“Hey, lazy bones.”Damien’s voice resolves the confusion. I open my eyes. Dressed in only his boxer shorts, he stands beside the bed, two cups of coffee in his hands.“You want a cup of coffee?”I quickly hand-brush my hair, prop my pillow behind me, sit up, and pull the sheet over my breasts.“You look great,” Damien says, as though he’d read my mind.“You need to see an eye doctor.”He smiles. “There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. It’s my back I’m worried about.”“Why?” I ask, concerned.“After last night . . . .” He lets the comment hang until he sees that I understand he’s teasing. I feel my face go hot. “You’re going to stand there all day?” Damien vents a deep rumble of a laugh and sits on the side of the bed. He hands me a cup. “Would
Imogene Scott After Elinor’s words, I feel as if I’ve been doused with cold water. "No running back to anyone," Yet, she doesn’t know. I’ve already crossed that line, and there’s no turning back now. I steal another glance at Lily, she’s still soundly asleep. For her, everything is probably simple, either you love someone, or you don’t. But life is never that black and white, and I’m tangled somewhere in the gray. As Elinor picks up her phone again, I murmur something about needing to clear my head and slip out of the room. I make my way to the lobby. How do I tell Elinor the truth? How do I face the world knowing that, against my own promises, I’ve let Damien back in? “I can’t believe this is real.” Damien’s words from this morning replay in my mind. And I can’t believe it either. Three years of building walls, of telling myself that I’d moved on and grown stronger without him, all seemed to melt away when I was in his arms again. But the world doesn’t know Damien like I do, or m
Damien ShawWe fly back to LA two days later. Imogene insists we keep our little relationship a secret for now and I’m thrilled to even be in one with her. The feeling of finally getting back the family I’ve always wanted. The feeling you have when you know every effort you’ve put into fighting to get back what you lost, wasn’t in vain.That feeling is pure bliss. I’m never going to let them go again. No matter how much money I have or don’t, I’m at my core, happy because I have everything I need in front of me. This is it. Imogene is it. Some part of me has known that since the minute I laid eyes on her all those years ago.It doesn’t matter how much time we’ve spent apart or what hell we’ve gone through and made it to the other side. I believe this is perfect. Us. Our little family.I exhale sharply as I lean back in my seat. My office phone rings. I consider letting it go to voice mail, then decide maybe I should pick it up in case it has something to do with the upcoming tech c
Imogene Scott The microwave dings, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I nearly jump. I let out a small breath and move to open the door to pull out the bowl of popcorn. The heat radiates from it as I place it carefully on the center table. Lily is perched on the couch, busy playing with her plush rabbit and completely absorbed. I glance at the clock on the wall. 7:16. Damien was supposed to be here at 7. My heart does a little flip, and my stomach twists in that familiar, uncomfortable knot. What if he doesn’t come? What if he’s having second thoughts? I run a hand through my hair, pacing across the living room. Am I taking things too fast?Damien and I already agreed to keep our relationship discreet until after the Tech Con is over. Elinor doesn’t know about him yet, I’m not sure what she would react if she knew. Maybe it’s a good thing she doesn’t know about it. I’m putting my happiness first, for once.I feel the palms of my hands grow clammy, and I wipe them on my jean
Imogene Scott "I’ll be right back," I say, handing Damien the remote and forcing a smile as I head to the door.Who could it be? I can’t think of anyone else besides Elinor so my brain immediately does the maths. I weigh my options—on a scale of 1-10, how violent would she react if she saw Damien here?—I conclude she’s going to lose it. But I can’t hide this from her forever either.I muster all the courage left in me and pull open the door. It’s really Elinor. Her face is unreadable, but something in her eyes makes my skin prickle with goosebumps."We need to talk, Imogene." she says, voice low as she steps through the threshold.I glance back at the living room, where Damien is now sitting with Lily on his lap, her small hands gripping his shirt. They’re both laughing at something on the TV screen.“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Elinor curse under her breath as she turns around, walking back into the quiet hallway.I immediately follow her and shut the door behind me. “
Imogene Scott"No," I say, shaking my head, taking a step back. "That’s... that’s impossible."But Elinor’s face is painted with raw emotion, and I know she’s telling the truth.“It happened a month ago. The night of Keith’s proposal,” she says, her voice breaking. “I was drunk. Damien was drunk. We didn’t mean for it to happen. It was just one night, Imogene, but now…” She gestures toward her stomach. "Now I’m pregnant with his child."The world seems to narrow, tunneling in on this moment, and I’m hit with a tidal wave of emotions. My throat is tight, and my mind can’t even begin to process what she’s saying.No, not this. Not again.I feel my voice crack as I speak. “Why... why didn’t you tell me?”“I wanted to,” she chokes out. “But I didn’t know how. I didn’t want to ruin things between us. You and Damien—there’s so much history. I didn’t want to be the reason—”“Reason for what?” I snap, stepping away from her completely now, rage bubbling up in my chest. “For breaking my hea
Damien Shaw “What else do you need me to grab? Your handbag?” I ask, watching her in the mirror as she pulls her hair up into one of those quick, messy buns that somehow still looks perfect on her.We’ve been in this house for a few days now. No noise. No schedules. Just the two of us. It’s been good but I figured she might want to stretch her wings a little. When I found out there was a small art center just half an hour from here, I booked us a private session. No people. No distractions. Just space and light and canvas.“I can grab my bag,” she says, walking to the bed where it’s tossed beside the sundress she picked earlier. It’s light yellow that ends just mid-thigh. Her bare legs steal my attention for a second longer than I mean them to.But I’m faster. I reach for the bag before she can.“You’re not allowed to carry anything,” I say, grabbing it and slinging it over my shoulder. It’s half the size of her and somehow still weighs a damn ton.She frowns at me like I’ve ju
Imogene Scott The sun is starting to go down when I wake up. The blanket is still tucked around me, and I stretch, feeling the tightness in my muscles from the nap Damien insisted I take after lunch. My body is still warm. I glance over to the clock, surprised by how much time has passed.As I sit up, Damien appears in the doorway, a small smile playing on his lips. His eyes are bright, and there’s a glint of mischief in them. He’s holding something behind his back, though I can’t tell what.“Feeling better?” he asks, his voice low, smooth. I nod slowly, still trying to shake off the drowsiness.“You wouldn’t let me sleep through the afternoon, would you?” I tease, stretching again as my arms reach above my head, my back arching. He chuckles softly, shaking his head.“I had a plan for you,” he says, stepping into the room. His smile widens. “So, I prepared a little something special for you while you were asleep.”I raise an eyebrow. “Oh really?” “Yes, really,” he says, an
Damien Shaw It’s surprising how bright the morning sun is after the heavy rain last night. I shift under the sheets and my hand reaches out instinctively, searching for Imogene, but the space beside me is empty.I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The house is quiet. I swing my legs over the side of the bed, the cool floor sending a slight shiver up my spine.As I step into the hallway, the aroma of fresh apples wafts through the air. I follow the scent to the dining area and find Imogene seated at the table, meticulously slicing apples into thin wedges.“Why are you doing this so early in the morning?” I ask, approaching her.She looks up, a soft smile playing on her lips. “I just crave apples.”I chuckle, “You should’ve woken me up to cut them for you.”“It’s fine,” she replies, focusing back on her task.Suddenly, her phone beeps. She sets down the knife and picks up the device, answering the incoming video call. Kia's face appears on the screen, and beside her is
Damien Shaw We go back inside after the rain. I lead Imogene to the bathroom where I prepare her a hot bath. Steam curls up from the tub as I swirl my hand through the water, checking the temperature. Not too hot. Just warm enough to soothe her bones. She stands there quietly beside me. Her lashes are still damp from the rain, and I help her out of the oversized hoodie with gentle hands. My fingers graze her shoulders, and I swear, even soaked to the skin, she glows. There’s a peace in her eyes I haven’t seen in weeks.She steps into the bath with a small sigh, like her whole body is unraveling, and I wait for a second—just watching her exhale. Then I step out, give her space. She needs this.While she soaks, I clear the chaos we left behind. Plates. Crumpled napkins. Half a pint of chocolate ice cream melting on the coffee table. The rain’s still coming down in sheets outside, thick drops racing down the windowpanes.I grab a towel, ruffle it through my hair, then toss it o
Imogene Scott I slept through the night for the first time in weeks. No jolting awake. No sweat-slicked skin. No dreams of drowning in shadows. Just silence. Stillness. Peace.My eyes open slowly, blinking into the quiet morning light spilling through the gauzy white curtains. The ocean breeze flows in from the slightly open window. My head doesn’t feel like it’s been split in two.I pull the blanket down and sit up, cradling my growing belly with both hands. The twins will be here in a few weeks. Two heartbeats fluttering beneath my skin. Two tiny souls I haven't even met, but already love with an intensity that’s terrifying and beautiful all at once.My fingers press gently into the bump. “You two are going to be okay,” I whisper. “We’re all going to be okay.”A soft smile pulls at my lips. It’s real this time. Not the kind I force at dinner tables or mirror reflections. No, this one is real.“What are you smiling about?”Damien’s voice startles me. I look up as he steps into
Damien Shaw The sun spills through the curtains as my eyes flutter open. I groan, registering the soreness in my bones. I rub at my face, letting my hand fall onto the bed beside me…It’s empty.My heart kicks up, a sudden thrum against my ribs.Imogene is not here.The sheets are still warm, faintly scented with her shampoo and her pillow’s half-squashed. She couldn’t have gone far. But still… my throat tightens as I sit up fast, pushing the blanket off. My bare feet hit the cool wood floor and I stand, eyes scanning the quiet bedroom.I don’t call out. Not yet. My gut twists like it always does when she disappears from my line of sight. I step into the hallway, and I’m immediately hit with a warm, sweet and smoky smell.Pancakes?I follow the scent into the kitchen, tension loosening slightly with each step. And then I see her.She’s standing by the stove, her back to me, swaying ever so slightly to some melody in her head. She’s barefoot, in nothing but my oversized black T-shir
Imogene Scott“Mummy, how long are you going to be gone?” Lily’s small voice floats toward me.I pause, my hand hovering over the zipper of my suitcase. The last dress is folded neatly inside and I press it down before turning to face her. She’s standing by the edge of the bed.“Mummy will be back in a few days,” I say gently, kneeling in front of her and smoothing her curls with my palm. She looks at me like she’s studying me, trying to see if I’m telling the truth or just saying what I think she wants to hear.“Will Mummy be better by then?” she asks.My breath catches.Better.I nod, brushing my thumb across her cheek.“Yes, baby. Mummy will be fine.”Lily thinks about that for a second, then smiles. “Yes, then Mummy can go. Anty Kia will take good care of me.”A soft knock sounds on the door just as I press a kiss to Lily’s forehead. Sheila steps in. “Is there anything else you want to take to the water park, Lily?” she says.Before Lily can answer, Kia walks in right behind
Imogene Scott When I open my eyes, it’s dark outside.The ceiling fan spins slowly above me. My body feels warm as I place my palm on my forehead and try to register what time it is on the wall clock across the room. But my vision’s a little blurry and I can’t make out the numbers, so I sit up instead, blinking away the sleep.I swing my legs off the bed and the cold wooden floor kisses my bare feet. I tug Damien’s hoodie tighter around me before padding to the door. I didn’t mean to sleep that long. I was just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.The hallway is dim. I make my way down slowly, hand on the banister. My joints still feel a little stiff from laying in one position for too long.When I reach the last step, I spot him.Damien’s seated at the dining table, one elbow propped up, his head resting in his palm. His hair’s tousled like he’s run his hand through it a hundred times tonight.“Hey there,” I say, softly.His head snaps up.“You’re awake?” His voice is low.
Damien Shaw I help Imogene off the examination table slowly, my hands gripping her waist. She's light and it unsettles me more than I let on. She sits up and swings her legs over the edge, her fingers resting on my forearm to steady herself."I'm okay," she says softly.She’s not. But I nod anyway. We walk out of the room together and back into the office, where Dr. Rogers is typing something into her computer. The click of the keys fills the silence.She looks up and smiles, though there's a trace of something behind her eyes. Concern, maybe. Caution."Everything looks good so far," she says. "But we’re entering the home stretch now. Just a few more weeks. You both need to be careful, especially you, Imogene."Imogene nods politely. “We will.”I thank her and reach for the door handle, ready to leave. I’m already thinking about the drive home, when Dr Rogers calls out to me. “Damien, could I speak to you for a second?”I stop and glance at Imogene.“I’ll wait in the car,” she