Chapter 6 - A Good Note

Chapter Six: A Good Note

Valerie opened one eye as she continued to kiss Nathan, looking around for Danny. What the hell she had been thinking, she really couldn''t tell you. She just wanted to hurt him and she didn''t care how. So she did the first thing that came to mind, but as her eye closed again, when she saw no sign of Danny, she wondered why she hadn''t pulled away from Nathan yet. Finally, coming back to her senses, she slowly broke the kiss.

Nathan''s eyes didn''t open as he hung his head and exhale softly, willing his lips to never forget the warmth or feel of hers against his. He then rose his head as the corners of his mouth curled up. “Alright, forget the movie,” he began. “Whenever you just want to make out for the hell of it, count me in.” He then gave her two thumbs up, which caused Valerie to threw her head back and laugh at him, glad that he hadn''t made the moment awkward.

“It''s getting late,” he then told her, all playfulness aside as he reached in and took her cheek. “I''ll see you Monday, alright?” He then leaned in and placed a small, light kiss on her lips. “Be safe,” he said before he straightened up and began walking to his own car. Nathan stuck his hands in this pockets as he whistled a little happy tune. Considering the way she had used to treat him, things were actually going better than he had anticipated, but he had no complains.

After Nathan left her sight, Valerie found herself licking her lips as she finally found her keys and began her drive her. When she realized she was still grinning she had to force herself to remember whom she had just kissed. “Nathan Cooper,” she said to herself. “This is the guy, who wouldn''t give you a moment''s peace during high school. The guy who ''accidentally'' followed you into the girls room. The guy who found out your locker number and stole your pictures,” she reminded herself before sighing heavily. “He''s also the guy who has been helping you through your Lit. class. The guy who has been nothing, but sweet to you. Who has been funny, and great company. And a guy who is surprisingly, a really good kiss.” She could feel the heat rush to her face at the thought.

Before long, Valerie was parking her car in the driveway of her home. She unlocked the front and seeing that the light was on called out to her father. As she hung her keys up on the wall, she realized that it was still a bit early, but he should be home pretty soon. She kicked her shoes off before putting them into the closet, along with her coat, and walking into the living room where she saw her mail on the table. Just as she was flipping through, what were mostly bills, she heard the doorbell ring. Checking the clock on the wall as she strolled back over to the door and wondered if somehow her father had forgotten his house key. “Who is it?” she called a few steps from reaching the door.

“Danny,” he replied.

Valerie groaned, she was so looking forward to actually ending the day on a good note. “Go home, Danny, I''m tired, and I don''t want to deal with you today.”

Danny had told himself, after seeing Valerie at the movie theater, that he was going home, but somehow he had ended up across the street from her house as he waited for her to come back. “I know you saw me in the parking lot,” he told her. “You''re not fooling anybody.”

“Never said I was trying to,” she replied, crossing her arms and leaning on the door.

There was a moment of silence before Danny spoke again. “Who is he?” he asked, almost afraid to know.

“No one you should concern yourself with,” she told him.

“Valerie, come on, this isn''t-” he stopped. “This is stupid! Will you at least open the door and look at me?”

“No. I want you to go away and leave me alone!” she said angrily.

“I can''t leave you alone!” he yelled. “Not when you refuse to act like nothing more than a stubborn dog!”

Valerie''s mouth fell as she heard the words leave his mouth. She turned around and opened the door. “What the hell did you just call me!”

Danny groaned as his face cringed and he ran his fingers through his dark hair. He then once again looked at her. “Is that what I have to do?” he asked. “Do I have to stoop that low, just to get you to open a door? To get you to listen to me?” He pressed his lips together for a moment. “Can''t you see that this is why I lied to you? That this is why I kept, who I am, secret from you, for all this time?” he asked. “I mean, you refuse to see anything beyond your own ways. You always think that you''re right. That you''re the victim. That you''re the only one who has been done wrong.”

He just wanted to make her understand. “Well, I''m hurting too, okay? This has not been easy for me, not in the least.” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I miss you, like crazy. And all I want are for things to go back to the way they used to be.” He exhaled and then whispered, “I love you.” He reached out for her and took her hand. Valerie only lowered her head and closed her eyes. “And no matter who or what I am. . . that hasn''t changed. Come on, Val, just tell me you love me too,” he begged of her. “Please.”

Valerie rose her head before shaking it from side to side, her voice was shaky as she whispered, “I can''t.” She then pulled away, and went back inside. Danny followed her and closed the door behind him as he watched Valerie go towards the stairs. “Just go home, Danny!” she yelled, but it was nowhere near forceful.

“Why? Why can''t you just love me like you used to?” He ran up behind her.

Valerie was three steps up, so Danny had to look up as she spoke with her back to him. “Because- because I hated Phantom,” she began softly, her hand on the railing, gripping it tightly. “I hated him with everything that I had, but I loved you,” she told him.

“Loved?” he asked painfully about the past tense of the word.

“Danny, I''m so confused. How do I get over the fact,” she turned around to face him, “that it was you that I hated? I mean, I look at you now, but you''re not my Danny anymore-”

“But I am!”

“No,” she shook her head. “You''re not. Because when I look into your eyes, when I hear your voice, all I see and hear is Phantom. The ghost boy who had plagued me. So tell me, Danny, how do I get over the fact, that the one I hated the most in this life, is the same person I slept next to every night?” She took two steps forward and took his hand and brought it to her cheek. She then looked into his eyes. “How do I get over the fact, that these hands, that could caress me so tenderly,” she closed her eyes to better feel his touch, “could turn around,” she slid his hand down, so his fingers could feel the scar that ran in between her breast, “and put me in a hospital, fighting for my life?”

“That was an accident,” he told her. “I swear to God, that was an accident. You have to believe me.”

“I don''t know what to believe or what to think,” she told him truthfully as she lowered his hand and let it go, tears running freely down her face. “Because I thought he- you hated me too.”

“I could never hate you,” he reassured her. “Never.”

Valerie shook her head. “Go home, Danny, just go home,” she told him as she went to turn around and head upstairs.

“No!” he yelled, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down, which caused her to shriek loudly as she completely missed a step. “Not until you tell me you understand. That you know that I never meant to hurt you.”

“Ow! Let go of me!” she shrugged against his hold as she tried to pry his fingers from her, which only caused him to grab her other wrist to make her stop. Valerie was a strong person, so Danny had to keep his grip firm to keep her at bay.

“Val, just-” But Danny never got to finish his statement as he gasped loudly.

Valerie''s eyes then grew wide. “Daddy!”

“Take your hands off my daughter,” Damon commanded, not looking very pleased as he seemed to have appear out of nowhere, but in actuality had come in from the back door located in the kitchen. “Now.”

Danny''s expression was blank as he looked to Valerie and her tear stained face and then down at both of his hands, only imagining what this could have looked like to Damon as he walked in and heard their yelling. Danny slightly lowered his head. “I''m sorry,” he told her as he finally let go. “I didn''t mean-” he just took a step back. “I''ll just go home.” He then turned around as Damon watched him head out the front door and close it softly behind him.

Damon than turned to Valerie, who was sitting on the steps with her hand covering her eyes. “Sweetie?” He lowered himself in front of her.

“I''m okay,” she told him as she wiped away her tears. “I''m fine, really.”

“You are nowhere near fine,” he told her. He then asked softly, “I need to know, is that what you meant when you told me you didn''t want to watch your baby grow up to be like Danny?”

At the question, Valerie immediately snapped into attention. “How much did you hear?” she inquired, wondering if he knew that Danny was the Phantom.

“Enough to make me wonder,” he began as he examined his daughter''s tender looking wrists, “if all the bruises you received from hunting ghosts, were actually from that alone.”

Valerie frowned as she snatched back her arms from her father. “I can take care of myself, dad. I''ve been taking Martial Art classes since I was five. And if I did find myself in a abusive relationship, do you honestly think I would have stuck around long enough to get pregnant?” she asked.

Damon shrugged, placing his words carefully as not to sound as if he was judging her. “Maybe if one thought their child was in danger of the same treatment-”

“Dad!” she stared at him incredulously for a moment. “Okay, Danny can be short tempered – I''ll give you that. Intense at times – Yes," she reasoned. "But trust me, he as never-” she found herself not able to finish her statement, as she realized that in someway she would be lying.

His daughter had also had a hard time lying to him, he didn''t know why, but had always been grateful for the fact, and so took her silence as an admission. “We''re going to the police station tomorrow and filing for a restraining order against Danny,” Damon told her, standing up.

“What? No! That''s not what I want,” she told him looking up at him. “Daddy, please, don''t make me.”

“Fine. If you can look me straight in the eye and tell me he''s never put his hands on you,” he bargained with her. Valerie opened her mouth to speak, but then her hand clutched the top of her shirt and she found herself unable too and lowered her head.

Damon sighed sadly, as he lowered himself back to her, wondering why he had never seen it before. Wondering why he had allowed that boy to come anywhere near his precious child. He then put his arms around her to give her a hug. “It''s going to be alright now,” he said as he tired to comfort her.

She hugged him back, but sighed as she said, “No, it''s not.” So much for ending the day on a good note.

To Be Continued. . .

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