Aurora had been in the room all morning, pacing back and forth. Her thoughts were tangled, her mind racing. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way Damian had been acting lately. His coldness, his distant demeanor it was like he was a completely different person.
She paused by the window, staring out at the garden. The sun was shining, but it felt like everything around her was dark. She wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Every step she took seemed to be leading her into more trouble.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Aurora?” It was Damian’s voice, low and calm, but there was something else there. Something that made her heart skip a beat.
She quickly wiped her face, making sure she didn’t look like she’d been crying. “Come in,” she said, trying to sound normal.
Damian stepped inside, his eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other. Then, without a word, he walked over to her.
“Why are you looking so upset?” he asked, his voice quieter than before.
Aurora didn’t know how to answer. The truth was, she didn’t even know herself. Things between them had been so strange recently. He was acting distant, colder than usual. She didn’t know why or how it had happened, but it felt like he was pushing her away.
“I’m fine,” she lied, forcing a smile. “I’m just thinking about some things.”
Damian didn’t buy it. He reached out, gently cupping her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Tell me what’s going on, Aurora,” he said, his voice soft but firm.
She bit her lip, unsure whether to tell him what was really on her mind. The truth felt like a weight, one she wasn’t sure she could carry. But at the same time, she couldn’t keep pretending everything was okay.
“I’m scared,” she finally admitted. The words came out in a whisper, as if speaking them out loud made them more real. “Scared that you’re pulling away from me, Damian. I don’t understand what’s happening between us.”
Damian’s expression softened for a moment. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. “You have nothing to fear,” he murmured, his voice low and reassuring. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
But his words didn’t fully ease the fear gnawing at her. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in the way he held her, in the way he seemed to pull away just a little bit every time she tried to get closer.
She sighed, pulling back slightly to look at him. “Damian, why are you doing this? Why are you so distant? What’s going on?”
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting away from hers. “It’s complicated, Aurora,” he said finally, his voice almost too quiet. “There are things I can’t tell you right now.”
Aurora’s heart sank. The words stung more than she expected. It felt like he was closing himself off from her, shutting her out of a world she wanted to be a part of. She didn’t know what was happening, but it hurt.
“You’re scaring me, Damian,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please, don’t push me away.”
Damian’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might say something, something that would make everything make sense. But instead, he just kissed her forehead gently, brushing his lips against her skin. “I’m not pushing you away,” he said softly. “I just need time. Please, be patient with me.”
Aurora nodded, though she wasn’t sure she understood. She didn’t know how much longer she could pretend everything was fine. The more he pulled away, the harder it became to hold on.
Damian pulled back slightly, looking at her with a mixture of confusion and something deeper something she couldn’t quite place. He took a breath, his expression softening.
“Aurora,” he began, his voice quieter now, almost unsure. “I need to tell you something.”
Aurora looked at him, her heart racing. This was different. He had never sounded like this before. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that made her stomach flutter, even though she was scared of what he might say.
“I feel something for you,” Damian confessed, his words coming out in a rush. “I can’t pretend I don’t. I can’t ignore it anymore.”
Aurora blinked, surprised by the admission. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. She had always wondered if there was more to their relationship, but hearing him say it out loud made everything feel so real, so complicated.
“Damian…” she started, but she didn’t know what to say. His words had shocked her, but they also made her feel a small flicker of hope deep inside. She had always cared for him, even with all the confusion and pain.
Damian stepped closer, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. “I don’t know what this means, or how to deal with it,” he continued, his thumb brushing her skin. “But I can’t pretend I don’t feel it anymore. It’s not just because of the things we’ve done. It’s something deeper. Something I didn’t expect.”
Aurora’s heart raced as she processed his words. She felt a mix of relief and confusion. Part of her had always hoped Damian felt something for her, but now that he had said it, it didn’t make things easier. In fact, it only seemed to complicate everything.
“I don’t know what to do either,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t ignore how I feel about you, Damian. It’s more than I thought it could be.”
He smiled slightly, but it was a sad, uncertain smile. “I know,” he said, his voice still soft. “But right now, everything feels like it’s falling apart. I don’t want to hurt you, Aurora. But I don’t know how to fix things between us either.”
She reached up and placed her hand over his, holding it against her face. “We can figure it out,” she said, her voice steady now. “We’ll work through it, together.”
Damian looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he nodded. “Maybe we can,” he said quietly. “But it won’t be easy.”
Aurora smiled faintly, feeling a sense of hope flicker inside her. It wasn’t going to be simple, and things wouldn’t magically get better right away, but hearing Damian say he felt something for her gave her the strength to keep going. She didn’t know what the future held, but she was willing to try.