Chapter 6

Lila’s POV

I shifted uncomfortably on the couch, the soft cushions suddenly feeling like they were burning against the backs of my thighs. My heart was pounding so violently I could hear it echoing in my ears. Damien’s confession hung heavy in the air between us, thick and suffocating. Every word he had spoken still rang in my head — You’re the girl I want to fuck.

I couldn’t tell him the truth. I couldn’t let him see how badly I was crumbling inside. My fingers twisted together tightly in my lap until my knuckles turned white. I bit down hard on my lower lip, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood.

“No,” I whispered, the lie scraping against my throat like broken glass. “I don’t have feelings for you. Why would I? You’re my brother. My twin brother. It’s wrong, Damien. Whatever you’re feeling… you have to get rid of it. Please. Just wipe it away.”

I couldn’t look at him. If I met his eyes, I knew I would break. Instead, I pushed myself up from the couch on shaky legs, my knees threatening to give out beneath me. Without another word or a single glance back, I walked out of the living room, my bare feet silent against the cool wooden floor.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, the weight of everything crashed down on me. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing my lungs. Heat bloomed across my skin, a traitorous flush that started in my cheeks and spread downward, settling low in my belly. I pressed a hand against the wall for support as I made my way to my room, my breathing ragged and uneven.

Once inside, I closed the door and leaned back against it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor with my knees drawn up to my chest. My mind was spinning. The memory of his intense gaze, the way his voice had dropped when he said those filthy words… it was all too much. I squeezed my eyes shut, but that only made it worse. I could still feel the ghost of his presence, the warmth that had radiated from his body when he sat so close to me.

Why does this feel so good and so wrong at the same time?

I hugged my knees tighter, trying to ignore the slick heat building between my thighs. My nipples had hardened against the thin fabric of my tank top, aching with every shallow breath I took. This was insane. He was my twin. My own flesh and blood. And yet, the thought of him wanting me — really wanting me — sent dark, forbidden thrills racing through my veins.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, lost in the storm of guilt and unwanted arousal, before I finally dragged myself to bed. Sleep didn’t come easily that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Damien’s face, heard his low confession, felt the ghost of his breath against my skin.

---

The next day at school, the cafeteria was buzzing with its usual chaos. I sat with Jenny, picking at my food without much appetite. My mind was still replaying last night on an endless loop.

Suddenly, a loud voice cut through the noise.

“Everybody listen up!”

I looked up sharply. Damien had climbed onto one of the cafeteria tables, standing tall with that confident, almost arrogant posture that always drew everyone’s attention. The entire room quieted down, hundreds of eyes turning toward him.

Jenny leaned closer to me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Oh my god, what is your brother doing? Do you know what this is about? Tell me!”

“I have no idea,” I muttered, unable to tear my gaze away from him. My stomach twisted with a strange mix of dread and anticipation. “I’m just as clueless as you are.”

Damien grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. “From today onward,” he announced loudly, his voice carrying across the entire cafeteria, “Sophie is officially my girlfriend.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. My eyes widened in shock as I shot up from my seat, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. The entire room seemed to tilt for a moment.

“What the hell?!” I burst out, my voice sharper than I intended.

Jenny grabbed my arm, trying to pull me back down. “Lila, calm down. People are staring.”

But I couldn’t calm down. Sophie — my worst enemy, the girl who had made my life miserable for years — was now standing there with a triumphant little smirk on her face. The thought of her touching Damien, kissing him, being close to him in ways I never could… it made something ugly and painful twist violently inside my chest.

I stormed out of the cafeteria, my blood boiling with a mixture of rage and something far more dangerous. Jenny hurried after me, her hand on my shoulder.

“Lila, breathe. It’s just a girlfriend. Why are you this upset?”

I didn’t answer her. Because the real answer was too shameful to admit out loud.

---

Later that afternoon, I finally caught up to Damien in the quieter part of the hallway near the lockers. My anger had only grown hotter with every passing hour.

“I can’t believe you asked her out,” I hissed, following close behind him. “There are dozens of girls in this school. Why did it have to be her? Of all people?”

Damien stopped walking and turned around slowly, that infuriating smirk already playing on his lips. He looked far too pleased with himself. “And why exactly are you so worked up about this, Lila? Who I choose to date is none of your business… unless, of course, you’re jealous?”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “Don’t flatter yourself,” I snapped, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. “I’m not jealous. I just don’t want you dating my enemy. That’s all.”

“Oh please,” he drawled, taking a slow step toward me. His eyes darkened with amusement and something much hungrier. “We both know that’s a pathetic excuse. You’re jealous because you want me all to yourself. You’re in love with me, Lila. You just refuse to admit it.”

My heart stuttered. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He took another step forward, forcing me to retreat until my back pressed against the cool wall behind me. There was nowhere left to go. Damien placed one hand beside my head, leaning in so close that I could feel the warmth of his body and smell the faint scent of his cologne — clean, masculine, and dangerously intoxicating.

“I’ve moved on from you,” he said softly, his voice low and intimate. “So maybe you should do the same. Move on from whatever twisted feelings you have for your own brother.”

The words hurt more than they should have. Just yesterday he had confessed everything, and now he was throwing this at me? My breathing grew shallow as he hovered inches away, his gaze dropping briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

“You’re lying,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I was talking to him or myself.

Damien’s smirk deepened. He leaned in even closer, his breath brushing against my ear. “Keep deceiving yourself, Lila. Keep lying. But before today ends, I’m going to make you admit the truth. I’m going to make you say you love me… out loud.”

My pulse thundered in my ears. My body betrayed me completely — nipples tightening, warmth pooling between my thighs, a traitorous shiver running down my spine.