Lavender

Chapter 13 - Affected

DAMON'S POV

"You are really weird, my man," Larry said before sipping on his coffee.

Today was the day that Lavender Miller would move in here for her job. We have both signed the contract as I made it ready after seeing her at the entrance of my company yesterday. Making the contract ready doesn't mean that I will instantly hire Lavender.

I still plan to interview Lavender, just like what already happened. Even if her reaction showed that she was also shocked to see me, she managed to impress and touch me with her answers in our interview. Just like me, many things also happened to her. Many things like her Mom leaving her and her Dad. Even if I already said that she was hired and our interview is done. I had her background check. I hired a private investigator to know everything that happened to her in the past years where our lives aren't connected until now.

From the time that I saw Lavender at the entrance of my company, with her white dyed hair that made me lose my mind on the day of my team's last tournament, I know that she's the one Larry is saying about, as I also know how Larry knows what I feel back then to Lavender. It was love at first sight. Seeing her go to our school library back then, owning her own world as she always wears her earphone and like, doesn't give any attention to all those around her.

It was easy to look at her freely back then. She was the reason I have also started visiting the library in which I was not a visitor back then. She appears someone strong but beautiful in my eyes back then. When the night of my team's last tournament, I literally lost my s**t after recognizing Lavender with her white hair swaying around her face.

Lavender has a pair of hazel eyes that is somehow, still affects me as I was interviewing her yesterday. Her long, raven black hair is now changed with shaggy white waves. Round eyes with a nose of roman and her lips that is bowed-shaped and soft. She still looks beautiful but now that we are grown up, I must say the version of a grown-up is a killer if I'm still that Damon-boy who instantly fell in love with her. Everything about her screams sexiness even if she's trying to hide it away.

I shake my head as I realize that I'm being stupid. Damn. Remembering every facial feature of Lavender, I don't know what's gotten to me. Lavender may possess the beauty that captivated but I don't want her to affect me this way. She was once a part of my high school life but my sister is my only priority right now.

Even if I had said to Larry that I want to settle down, my sister comes first. I want the best for my sister. I want someone who is caring enough to be by her side every time I can't be around. I admit that it was kind of a shock to see Lavender again. I mean, she once became the woman whom I like to pursue back then, and even if her rejection has given me quite a sting in my chest, it's all in the past now.

All that matters to me is taking care of my sister as I also take care of Ellington Enterprises. But first, I need to deal with Larry. I look at him as he enjoys his cup of coffee while his eyes are trained on his phone.

"What are you doing here, Larry?" I asked with seriousness in my voice. "Are you only here to tell me how weird I am?"

Larry immediately put down his coffee after hearing me saying those words. "Of course not. I'm here because I want to see how things are going here with you," he said. That made rolled my eyes, not believing what he said.

"If you are here to know about my reaction after knowing that it was Lavender who you have found, I already said it to you yesterday. Lavender is not going to be my woman. She's a part of my past and my sister is the only woman I want to take care of first in the future," I said but Larry just shooked his head.

"I don't care about anything that's going out to your mouth right now, bud. What matters is what words will go out in there once the time comes that Lavender got your heart again," he said. That only made me sigh before sipping from my mug.

The bitter taste of coffee instantly invaded my tongue as memories of me, having a stupid crush on Lavender came back crashing. Yeah. I was once a stupid boy back then who only cared about himself but after Mom and Dad passed away, I regretted the time that I spent being a bad son. Only caring about the things that make me happy and not those people who care deeply about me.

Dad and Mom died in a plane crash. Actually, the night where Lavender rejected me, is also the night where I found that Mom and Dad died in a plane crash. Their deaths made my sister and me devasted. I lost interest in the things that made me happy. My friends, basketball, Lavender. They just became erased in my system and all I can ever think is how I wish that Mom and Dad never died. That they are both alive and are waiting for me to come home, but they are just, gone.

And now, I'm stuck. I don't even know what to do as my sister, Daisy, also suffers now from early-onset dementia. Or maybe, I'm just really an unlucky man. That even if I own Dad's company and his possessions, all of this is nothing without Mom and Dad. This may make some people happy but in my case, family now is more important than the thing I just had because of my Dad and Mom's hard work.

"You okay, bud?" Larry said that suddenly appeared to the seat in front of me.

He sighs as I know that he knows I'm thinking everything that happened back then. "I'm talking here but your mind is actually on some things," he said before lifting up the mug in his mouth and sipping.

After sipping a portion of his coffee, he immediately put down the mug on the table before taking out his phone. I didn't know what he wanted to do but after putting his phone on the table in front of me, my eyes widened. Lavender's name was on the screen of his phone as his phone continued to ring.

He's calling Lavender? Just when did he get Lavender's phone? I don't think Lavender is the one who will give her number to somebody like Larry. Even if Larry is my only best friend that stayed behind, Larry is indeed sometimes irritating.

"What are you planning to do now, Larry?" I said with a tone of warning.

I must stop Larry from playing too much with Lavender. I know that Larry's only trying to get back my feeling with Lavender but I can't just do love now. One day, when I think everything is already fine. I will settle down like what I said with Larry. I will build a family and create a home where my son and daughter will be happier with only me and their Mom.

But right now, I just can't do love... yet. I want to put Daisy first in my priorities while I'm also taking care of the company Dad left behind.

But knowing Larry, he is really sometimes a pain in the ass. He's grinning like an i***t as he immediately put his phone down to the table again and lowers his head near his phone. I see that he put the call on loudspeaker so I just sigh before leaning back to the chair I'm sitting at.

Well... There's no going to stop Larry now so I might as well watch what will happen.

"H-hello?" said Lavender, stuttering that made me raise my brow before looking at Larry who just shrugs his shoulder before speaking.

"Hmm, you okay, Lavender?" Larry asked.

"Who's this?" said Lavender on the line.

Larry chuckles that made me confused. What is he laughing at? Larry saw me looking at him but he just smiled.

"Who the heck this?" said Lavender who raised her voice because of Larry's silliness.

Larry shook his head before talking. "You know, you should start controlling your temper. My friend wouldn't like that kind of attitude," he said that made my forehead knotted.

Lavender was silent for a second when suddenly... "Why the hell you didn't tell me that your friend is Damon Ellington?!"

Wow. I had never thought I would get this to see this side of Lavender. Fierce. But she has every right to be mad. Even I'm pissed at Larry for dragging her back into my life. It's not that I'm affected because we see each other again. I mean, many years have already passed. It's stupid to drag Lavender on Larry's plans just to help me get settled down. And yes, Lavender still possesses the beauty she had when we were just high schoolers but my feelings changed. I changed.

After Mom and Dad's death, I just can't make myself fall in love, yet. I have been playing with women I have met but my heart is still stone cold. I can't make myself fall knowing that both of my parents are gone and I also have Daisy who is also suffering from early-onset dementia.

"You could have told me earlier so I can still---"

Larry cut Lavender off. "Still what, Miss Miller?" Larry grins widely as he looks at me while his mouth is near to his phone. "So you can decline this only hundred dollars paying job? You will decline this large amount?"

Well, about that. I can still decrease Lavender's expected salary while we were talking yesterday but seeing that she possesses the skill to help me with my sister, I let her salary stay at hundred dollars per hour. Especially since it's also embarrassing on my part if I decrease her salary. I can make billions of money in an hour anyway so I let it pass.

I heard Lavender sighs on the line, making me smile a bit. "Fine, you are right that I will not decline this job but really, you should have informed me that your friend and my employer to-be is Damon. Damon Ellington who now owns a big company, you jerk! You don't know how nervous I am when I find out that a CEO is your friend who needs my help for her sister but after finding out that it was Damon Ellington?!" I smiled even wider as I heard those rants of Lavender.

Now that I know what her thoughts are after our meeting again, I just can't help myself but smile. Larry was also smiling at me as we continued to wait on what's Lavender going to say.

"What? Lavender? What is it?" Larry said while I folded my arms together across my chest. "Lavender, you there?"

Lavender clears her throat on the line. "Forget it, never mind!" Lavender said that made Larry lose his grin as his brows knotted.

I chuckled silently, not letting Larry see it as he was focused on Lavender who is smart enough to hide what she's thinking about our little reunion again. Lavender never really fails to amuse it.

"Hey, it's bad keeping a person hanging, you know? And also, don't worry. Damon is not going to hear anything you are going to say to me. I'm far awa---"

"Damon! Where the heck are you?!" Daisy suddenly said that made Larry look at me with his eyes widen.

With his eyes wide, he slowly glances back at his phone, where the call is still going before Lavender suddenly speaks. "Wait for me, you dumbass. I will kill you," Lavender said before hanging up the call.

Larry looks at me again. Still, his eyes are wide as we both hear Daisy's approaching footsteps towards the kitchen. When Daisy entered the kitchen, I couldn't help myself but to cover the smile that formed on my lips because of Larry's foolishness.

"What's going on?" Daisy asked, confused with her brows creased.

Larry shook his head as he brushed his palm on his face. "You really had good timing, Daisy. Because of you, I'm sentenced to death any hours now," Larry said. That made me just grin widely.