Chapter 56: Damon Reid vs. Tristan Thomas: An explosive encounter…The lion’s den!

***

“You can make yourself comfortable,” Chloe said.

“Thanks but I don’t think that’s necessary. Just call Tristan for me and I will be on my way.” Damon said in a normal voice, not betraying the fact that he was confused and numb inside.

“Oh but you need to sit for what I’m about to tell you now that you’re here,” Chloe said sitting on the couch and tucking her feet beneath her.

“Go ahead and talk. I’d rather stand.” Damon said folding his arms across his chest.

“Have it your way.”

“What did you have to say? I’m all ears.” Damon said casually.

“You know Tristan is not gay right? I mean I know you guys probably have sex so you probably think he is. Well, he is not. I should know. I’m his girlfriend. You see…we love each other. Whatever he had with you, was just him being adventurous…a fling. So I will urge you…actually we will both be better off if you forget about him and move on. I know who you are. And I know you can easily manipulate and influence people to do what you want. Well, not this time. He is mine and that’s how it’s going to stay.”

It took a while for Damon to realize Chloe had stopped talking. He cocked an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

“I understand all that you’ve said. But don’t you think it will be more realistic if Tristan told me all this himself? Huh?”

“Well, he’s asleep so you just have to take it from me.” Chloe retorted.

Damon shrugged. “I’m not leaving till I see him, lady.”

Chloe stared at Damon for a while, and then stood up. “I just thought I’d spare you the heartache but if you insist, follow me.” Chloe turned and headed towards what Damon assumed was the bedroom.”

“I insist, thank you very much.” He drawled, following Chloe into her bedroom.

The sight that met Damon made his breath catch in his throat. Tristan was sprawled on the bed on his stomach, his naked body partially covered with the covers. He was fast asleep. Damon almost turned on his heels and left but had to remind himself that he had told himself before coming that he was going to have faith in Tristan. Much as the obvious was staring him in d face, he still had to hear it from Tristan. He just stood and stared at his lover, sleeping so peacefully, his face looking angelic. He was beautiful. Even at a point when Damon felt like screaming in anger, he couldn’t help but admire Tristan. Damon smile humorlessly.

“So what exactly went on here if I may ask? Is it that he’s sleeping because he’s drunk, or the sex was too great so he just had to fall asleep?” Damon asked in a loud voice.

Chloe smirked and shrugged daintily. “What do you think?”

Damon laughed. “Yeah. Silly me huh?” He slapped his hand against his forehead. “What was I thinking? Of course, he probably passed out after some great sex.”

Chloe shrugged again, looking as though she believed Damon had genuinely made a mistake.

Suddenly, Damon felt calm. Whatever was going on there was not as it seemed. For one, Tristan was a very light sleeper. No matter how tired Tristan was, there was no way he would sleep through all that talking. That simply wasn’t Tristan.

“So, care to wake him up? I would like to hear everything from…how do they say it…the horse’s own mouth.” Damon said, inching closer to the bed.

“That’s not necessary. I’ve already told you all there is to know. Just go and look for another boy-toy.” Chloe hissed.

“Ow come on, humour me hon. He’s breaking my heart here. The least he could do is tell me himself.” Damon sat on the bed and shook Tristan gently but he didn’t stir.

“Whew! That must have been some sex.” Damon muttered.

“We aim to please. He was obviously not getting anything hot enough.” She sneered.

“Obviously not.” Damon sighed. “Okay sleepy head. Time to wake up.” He shook Tristan harder, but he still didn’t move. What the fuck!

Damon quickly pressed his fingers to the base of Tristan’s neck and gave a sigh of relief when he felt his pulse. He then tapped Tristan on the cheek continuously, calling his name the whole time. When Tristan started stirring slightly, Damon breathed another sigh of relief. He knew Tristan didn’t do drugs. But the scene had ‘drugs’ written all over it as he couldn’t smell alcohol.

Damon pulled Tristan’s slack body towards him and flipped him to sit on his lap. “Hey baby, open your eyes,” Damon said lightly tapping Tristan on his cheek.

“Damon?” Tristan said groggily.

“It’s me, baby. Look at me.” Damon said softly.

“Feel so weak,” Tristan whispered. “Drug.”

That’s when Damon felt it. He felt wetness on his cheeks. He took a swipe at his cheek and realized he had tears on his face. Shit! He didn’t remember the last time he had seen his own tears.

“What did he take?” He asked Chloe quietly.

When Chloe remained silent, Damon looked up at her and saw how terrified she looked. He got all the answer he needed then...she had drugged Tristan “What the fuck did you give him?” Damon bellowed, startling Chloe.

Chloe whimpered, knowing she had messed up. Tristan had spoken the truth. He and Damon did love each other. She didn’t need to be a genius to know how Damon felt about Tristan. It was right there in the way he was acting. “I…I am so…sorry.” She started twisting her fingers in the covers wrapped around her.

“You can be sorry later. Just tell me what you gave him Chloe. Please.” Damon pleaded. He didn’t know what he was going to do if whatever drug had a severe effect on Tristan.

“Ecstasy,” Chloe muttered but Damon heard her perfectly.

“Jesus! How many hours ago did you give it to him.”

“I didn’t give him much. It was just to make him…”

“I know exactly what you wanted from him, lady. Just tell me how many hours ago he took them and give me his clothes.” Damon said dialing Michael’s number in the U.S.

“I...about seven hours ago,” Chloe said quickly giving Tristan’s clothes to Damon who immediately started dressing Tristan up.

Michael picked up on the second ring. “Jesus, don’t you sleep Damon?” Michael laughed on the other end of the phone.

“I need your help, Michael. Tristan has been drugged. Ecstasy.”

“Christ, Damon. What the fuck are you idiots do…”

“Shut up and listen Dr. Twerp. From what I’m being told he didn’t take in a lot. But I’m not comfortable with the way he looks. He took it about seven hours ago.”

“Have you checked his pulse?”

“It feels normal. He tried to talk and said he felt weak. Hasn’t opened his eyes though.”

“Is there an increase in his body temperature?”

“No, he feels fine.”

“What did he take it with? Alcohol?” Michael asked.

“What did he take it with?” Damon asked a quietly sobbing Chloe.

“Orange juice.” She said in a small voice.

“Orange-fucking-juice Michael,” Damon muttered into the phone which was tucked between his ear and shoulder.

“Is the person you’re talking to the one who drugged him?”

“Yes.” Damon was busily putting Tristan’s clothes back on him.

“Let me talk to him,” Michael said.

“Her,” Damon growled. “Hold on.” Damon handed the phone over to Chloe. “He’s a doctor. You better tell him everything.”

After talking to Michael for a while, during which time Damon finally got everything back on Tristan, Chloe handed the phone back to Damon, looking relieved. But then, she had known Tristan wasn’t in any real danger.