Chapter 94
Aria pov
By the time dessert arrived, I could barely focus on the conversation. The chocolate cake sat untouched on my plate—dark and dense, the smell of it mixing with coffee and perfume made my head swim.
“You want to leave, don’t you?” Lucas said suddenly, his voice quiet under the noise of the room.
I looked up, startled. “What p>
“You’ve been checking your phone all night.” He smiled sadly, the expression making the corners of his eyes crinkle. “And I’m guessing it’s not me you’re texting p>
“Lucas” My throat felt tight.
“It’s okay.” He touched my hand. “I knew this was a long shot, and you’re still in love with him. You’ve made that clear.” His smile turned gentle, understanding. “And he’s clearly losing his mind without you. So go, before he shows up here and makes a scene p>
“He wouldn’t”
My phone rang, the vibration loud against the table. Damien’s name flashing on the screen as Lucas laughed. “Answer it. I’ll make excuses to our tablemates p>
I stepped away, my heels clicking on marble as I found a quiet corner. The music was muffled here, just the bass thumping through the walls as I pressed the phone to my ear.
“What p>
“Come home.” Damien’s voice was raw, like he’d been shouting or crying or both. “Please, I can’t take this anymore p>
“You can’t take what?” But my heart was already racing. I could feel my pulse in my throat.
“Imagining you with him.” The words came out strangled. “Wondering if he’s touching you, if you’re laughing at his jokes. If you’re” He made a choked sound, like something was being ripped out of him. “Please, just come home p>
“It’s barely nine.” My free hand pressed against the wall.
“I don’t care.” Desperation bled through every word. I could hear him breathing hard. “I’ll send the car or I can come get you myself. Whatever you need, just come home p>
“Damien”
“I’m begging you.” His voice broke. “I’m on my knees. Please p>
Something in my chest cracked wide open. I felt it like a physical thing. “Send the car,” I said quietly, my voice shaking. “I’ll be waiting outside p>
“Thank you.” Relief flooded his tone. “Thank you. I’m sending it now p>
I hung up, the phone screen going dark. My reflection stared back at me for a second before I shoved it in my clutch. When I returned to the table, Lucas was already standing.
“Going to him?” he asked.
“I’m sorry.” And I meant it. “You’ve been nothing but kind p>
“And he’s the one you love.” Lucas stood, kissing my cheek. His lips were warm but left no mark. “Go. But Aria? Make him work for it p>
“I will,” I promised.
Twenty minutes later, I was in Damien’s car. The leather seat was cool beneath my thighs as the city lights blurred past the window. My heart raced with every mile, pounding against my ribs. My palms were sweating—I wiped them on my dress, the silk slippery under my damp hands.
What was I doing? Why was I giving in so easily?
But I knew the answer. Because despite everything—the betrayal, the pain, the years of suffering—I still wanted him. Still needed him. Still loved him, even though I wasn’t ready to admit it.
The car pulled up to the penthouse. I stepped out, the night air cold after the warm car, raising goosebumps on my bare arms. My hands were shaking as I smoothed down my dress.
The elevator ride felt endless. The walls were mirrored—I watched myself rise floor after floor. When the doors opened, Damien was waiting.
He looked wrecked. Hair disheveled like he’d been running his hands through it for hours. Still in his clothes from earlier but rumpled—shirt untucked, sleeves rolled up. Eyes wild and red-rimmed.
“You came back.” He stared at me like I might disappear, like I was a mirage. “You actually came back p>
“You asked me to p>
“I thought” He swallowed hard, his throat moving. “I thought you’d stay, that you might choose him p>
“I thought about it.” I stepped out of the elevator. “He’s nice p>
“And?” His voice was barely a whisper.
“And I didn’t want safe.” I moved closer, close enough to smell his cologne, to feel the heat coming off him. “I wanted to come home p>
The word slipped out before I could stop it. Home. His eyes widened, catching it like a lifeline. “Did he kiss you p>
My eyes flashed with amusement. “Would that bother you p>
“Yes.” The admission tore from him. “Yes, it would destroy me p>
I closed the distance between us in two strides. “He didn’t. I left as soon as I could make excuses p>
We were inches apart now. I could feel his breath on my face, warm and unsteady.
“You’re playing games with me,” he said roughly, his eyes searching mine. “Testing me. Seeing how far you can push p>
“Maybe I am.” I lifted my chin, our eyes locked. “What are you going to do about it p>
His jaw clenched—I watched the muscle jump. “What do you want me to do p>
“I want” The words caught in my throat.
“Tell me.” His hands came up slowly, deliberately, giving me time to pull away. When I didn’t, they framed my face with a gentleness that made my breath catch. “Tell me what you want, Aria p>
“I want you to suffer.” My voice shook. “I want you to feel what I felt. Every lonely night, every tear. Every moment I thought I’d die from the pain p>
“I do.” His thumb stroked my cheek, the touch so tender it hurt. “Every day, every minute. And it’s killing me p>
“Good p>
“Is it?” His eyes searched mine, blue fire in the dim light. “Is this really what you want? To hurt me? To punish me forever p>
“Yes.” But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. My hands came up, gripped his wrists where they held my face. His pulse was racing under my fingers—as fast as mine.
“I don’t believe you.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against my skin. “I think you want something else entirely p>
“And what’s that?” I could barely get the words out.
“This.” His mouth hovered over mine, so close I could almost taste him. “You want me to fight for you. To prove I’ve changed. To show you I’m worth the risk p>
“You’re very arrogant.” But I didn’t pull away, my body swayed toward him like a magnet.
“I’m very right.” His lips brushed mine, feather-light, sending shocks through my whole body. “Tell me I’m wrong, tell me you don’t feel this p>
I couldn’t. Because he was right. The electricity between us was undeniable, the pull impossible to resist.
“I’m not ready to forgive you,” I whispered against his mouth, my eyes fluttering closed.
“I know.” He pulled back slightly—not far, just enough that I could see his face. The raw need there, barely restrained. “But you’re getting closer i can feel it p>
“You’re imagining things.” But my hands were still gripping his wrists, trying to hold him to me.
“Am I?” His smile was knowing, dangerous. “Then why did you come back early? Why are you standing here, letting me touch you, looking at me like you want to devour me p>
“I don’t”
“Liar.” His voice dropped lower, rougher as one hand slid from my face to my neck, thumb tracing my pulse point. “You want me. You’re just too stubborn to admit it p>
“I hate you,” I said, but the words came out hollow, unconvincing.
“No, you don’t.” His other hand moved lower, settling on my waist, pulling me flush against him. I could feel every hard line of his body, the evidence of his desire unmistakable. “You hate that you want me. There’s a difference p>
I should pull away. I should walk to my room and slam the door and put distance between us before I did something stupid, something I couldn’t take back. Instead, I leaned into his touch, my eyes closing as my body betrayed me completely.
His lips found the corner of my mouth, then my jaw, trailing down to my neck. I tilted my head back instinctively, giving him access, and felt his satisfied hum against my skin.
“This doesn’t mean anything,” I said desperately, my voice cracking on the words even as my hands slid up his chest.
“It means everything.” His mouth moved lower, kissing along my collarbone, his hands tightening on my waist. “And when you’re ready—when you finally let yourself trust me again—I’ll be here. Waiting p>
His teeth grazed that sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder, and a moan escaped before I could stop it. My knees went weak, and his arm around my waist was the only thing keeping me upright.
“What if I’m never ready?” I managed to gasp out.
“Then I’ll wait forever.” His hand slid down, cupping my ass through the silk of my dress, and I couldn’t suppress the sound that came from my throat. “I’ll wait as long as it takes. A lifetime if I have to p>
His mouth was doing wicked things to my collarbone now, sucking and biting and soothing with his tongue. My head fell back against the wall I hadn’t realized he’d backed me into. My fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to me even as my mind screamed that this was wrong.
“Damien” His name came out as a breathy moan.