Chapter 5

Aria's knuckles turned white from how tight she was clenching them. She willed herself to look away, to push down memories she had thought she had overcome. What was Ethan doing here? she thought, her chest tightening with every heartbeat. Her stomach churned, and a cold sweat ran down her neck.

Damian’s sharp gray eyes flicked from her to the new presence in the room, assessing, calculating. He didn’t need Aria to say anything to know something was wrong. From the way she had stiffened, her hands trembling slightly at her sides, he could tell she was on edge.

“Who are you?” he asked again, calm but sharp, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Ethan’s gaze met his, lazy, too casual, as if he owned the place. A smirk ghosted across his lips. “Who’s asking?” His tone was defensive, challenging, and borderline dangerous.

Damian’s jaw ticked, a subtle movement betraying his rising irritation as opposed to his usual controlled facial expressions. He shifted his gaze to Aria. “Are you okay?”

Her chest tightened at the sound of his concern. She was used to people ignoring her boundaries, but Damian...Damian noticed. Her eyes flicked back to Ethan, who softened his expression only for her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Ria… it’s been a while. I’ve missed you,” he said, stepping closer. The space between them felt unbearable, almost like a current that threatened to pull her in.

Aria swallowed hard, backing away slightly. Her palms were sweaty, her chest constricting as panic clawed at her throat. She tried to speak, but only a strangled whisper escaped: “Ethan…please…”

It was a whisper but Damian heard it. Damian didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, placing himself squarely between them, his presence solid and immovable. A living barrier. “She doesn’t seem to want you here. I think you should leave. Now!”

Ethan’s smirk widened as he ignored him, taking another step toward Aria. “Ria dear, I’m back. I’m not leaving again. I want you back. I want to fix everything.”

Aria’s hands shook uncontrollably. Her vision blurred slightly, her chest tightening with each labored breath. Her knees felt weak. She flinched violently at Ethan’s approach, nearly stumbling back into the counter. Panic surged like a wave ready to drown her.

Damian’s eyes narrowed, sharp and cold. He reached out, pressing a firm hand against Ethan’s chest and shoving him back a step. “I said leave! Don’t make me say it again.”

Ethan’s lips curved into a bitter, almost cruel smile. “What’s it to you, huh? What makes you think you can step in here? I don’t know what you think you have with her, but Aria belongs to me. So, back off!”

The bell above the door jingled as the few lingering customers hurried out, glancing over their shoulders. The tension had made them uncomfortable, and the sudden absence of spectators only made the moment feel more intimate and dangerous.

Ethan sidestepped Damian, moving directly in front of Aria, taking her hands in his. “I’ll fix everything this time. And I won’t let anyone...”

Damian’s patience snapped. He grabbed Ethan by the shoulder and pushed him backward, forcing him toward the door. The physicality startled Ethan, but he didn’t resist, only giving Aria one last look, heavy with emotion.

“I still love you, Aria,” Ethan said, his voice low and urgent. His gaze shifted to Damian, unyielding. “I’ll be back. And this time, I’m not going anywhere. She belongs to me, and I won’t let anyone take her from me.”

With that, he stormed out into the rain, the café door’s bell chiming sharply in the sudden silence.

Aria’s knees buckled, and she sank to the floor by the counter, trembling violently. Her chest heaved. “I…he…he…please help…”

Damian crouched beside her, his hand brushing against hers, steadying her. His voice was softer now, soothing. “You’re having a panic attack. Take deep breaths. You’re fine now. I’ve got you. Breathe with me.”

She nodded shakily, trying to focus on his voice, on the steady rhythm of his presence. He stayed close, matching her breathing, waiting for her to regain control.

The man who had delivered eviction notices, who had barged into her café uninvited, the one she had called all sorts of names...he was calm. Protective. Solid. And for reasons she didn’t fully understand, comforting.

“I…th..th..thank you,” she whispered, voice barely audible, the tremor showing her lingering fear.

Damian’s eyes scanned her, searching for any signs of continued distress. “You’re safe now. He’s gone. Keep taking deep breaths,” he instructed, his voice low and grounding.

Slowly, the panic subsided, leaving a strange mix of relief and lingering adrenaline. The café no longer felt like the familiar haven she had known. The soft pastel walls, the smell of vanilla and coffee, all seemed heightened, charged with an energy she couldn’t name. Dangerous. Alive.

Damian studied her for a long moment, the air between them humming with something electric and unspoken. Neither had admitted it, but she could feel it. The pull, the curiosity, the tension that neither fear nor frustration could contain. Something has definitely shifted between them.

Then, without warning, he swept her into his arms, carrying her bridal style toward the back room, past the ‘Staff Only’ sign. The movement was sudden, surprising, but she didn’t resist. She didn't even have the strength to. Her heart still thudded wildly as he set her down on the tiny couch tucked into the corner.

Kneeling beside her, he studied her face, his expression softer than before. “You should take a moment,” he said, voice gentle. “Catch your breath.”

Aria’s hands, still trembling, eased from clutching the creased fabric of his shirt. She had not even realized she had been holding on so tight. She let out a shaky breath, letting the panic fade into a strange, residual warmth. She realized, with a shiver, that she had just glimpsed a life where Damian stood in her corner, like a protector she hadn’t asked for but now needed more than she wanted to admit.

Damian rose, pausing at the doorway, then turned back. “I’ll give you some space now. But…don’t let him get under your skin too much.”

Aria opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came. Damian gave her a small, almost unnoticeable nod and disappeared back into the main café. The scent of coffee and vanilla swirled around her, the faint jazz still humming, and the storm outside mirrored the one that had just passed through her heart.

She pressed her hands to her face, exhaling shakily, her chest still tight. One thought lingered, clear and sharp: her life was no longer simple. Nothing was simple anymore.

She had barely survived the past, but the present, with these men, with the chaos, and all the tension, it threatened to change everything. And she had no idea how to navigate it.