LOGINFor a moment, he just stared at me then, slowly, his expression softened again, like he was slipping back into a version of himself that knew how to win me over.“You’re really choosing him,” he said quietly. “After everything I did for you?”I let out a short, humorless laugh. “You didn’t do anythi
Aria’s POVThe infirmary was too quiet, not peaceful—never peaceful—but had this kind of silence that felt forced, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. The smell of antiseptic was sharp enough to sting my nose the moment I stepped inside, and for a second I almost turned back.Almost
For a moment, he just stared at me then, slowly, his expression softened again, like he was slipping back into a version of himself that knew how to win me over.“You’re really choosing him,” he said quietly. “After everything I did for you?”I let out a short, humorless laugh. “You didn’t do anythi
Aria’s POVThe infirmary was too quiet, not peaceful—never peaceful—but had this kind of silence that felt forced, like the walls themselves were holding their breath. The smell of antiseptic was sharp enough to sting my nose the moment I stepped inside, and for a second I almost turned back.Almost
Aria's POVThe feeling wouldn't leave, it followed me through lunch, through the reports stacked on my desk, through every conversation I barely paid attention to and no matter how many times I reminded myself that Damon could handle himself, that he had survived far worse than a day spent with Kade
Aria’s POVSomething in me refused to settle and I know that it wasn’t exactly panic, but if it was, it wasn’t the mind that made you shake or lose breath. It was quieter than that, sharper too, like a thread pulled too tight under my skin, waiting to snap the moment I stopped paying attention. Dam
Or maybe she did.Maybe she just didn’t realize how bad it was.“You really want me to answer that?” I asked, my voice dropping.“Yes.”No hesitation, no fear. Just that same stubborn insistence that made everything ten times harder.I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair again as I force
Damon’s POVI shouldn’t have kissed her.That was the first thought that hit me the moment the bathroom door closed behind Aria.Not because I regretted it, that would have been easier to deal with, but no—what unsettled me was that I didn’t regret it at all.I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the
Aria’s POVThe moment his lips claimed mine, everything inside me unraveled.There was no hesitation left, no space to think, no room for doubt. The tension that had been building between us for weeks, no months, snapped all at once, and I felt it in the way my breath caught, in the way my fingers c
“Stay there,” I snapped, running a hand through my hair as I turned away from her.The room felt smaller now.The air felt thicker.I walked a few steps toward the window, bracing my hands against the cold stone wall beside it as I stared out into the city lights below, forcing my breathing to slow.







