Damien
After the words she said, I couldn’t fucking relax all day. I couldn’t fucking breathe. Not properly. Not without feeling them coil around my throat like a noose.
And later that night, I couldn’t stop fucking her. Harder. Rougher. Like I could erase what she made me feel. Like I could fuck her out of my goddamn soul.
I failed.
Even now, as she lay curled in my arms, sleeping soundly like she belonged there, I watched her-like some goddamn creep-unable to stop feeling. And fuck, I hated it. My fingers twitched with the urge to grip her tighter, to keep her locked against me. I hated Hailey for more reasons than I could count.
I hated her.
God, I hated her.
She made me feel alive. I hated that.
She made me feel human again. I hated that even more.
She made me better. And I despised her for it.
Hell, I hated everything. Even myself.
Her words kept ringing in my head, over and over, like a fucking curse.
Why did she say that?
Why the fuck did she have to look at me like that, say those goddamn words, and make everything so much harder?
And why-why the fuck-did I text Jenna after, confirming that date I’d been delaying for months? Finalizing my betrayal like some desperate junkie reaching for his next hit?
Hailey shifted, her face pressing into my chest, her breath warm against my skin. She sighed, soft, trusting. Like she belonged here.
And it fucking killed me.
What would she do if she knew I was planning to ruin her?
Would she still cling to me like this? Would she still whisper my name like a prayer?
The thought clawed at my ribs, but it didn’t stop me from leaning in. Didn’t stop me from pressing my lips to her forehead.
And then she mewled.
A soft, fucking innocent sound.
I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into fists.
God.
Should I go back to the drugs? Just one hit-one fucking hit-to rip her out of my system like poison?
Shit. What the hell was I thinking?
I exhaled, sharp and ragged. When Hailey was around, my mind shut down. I lost control, lost sense, lost myself. Nothing made sense anymore. I wasn’t supposed to fuck her again after what she said. She probably thought I didn’t understand her reference to the Devil. But I did. I fucking did.
She meant me.
And the most fucked-up part?
I liked it.
I liked the way it sounded on her lips.
I liked the way it felt carved into my skin.
But another part of me-one that still remembered what it meant to lose-the part that still knew better-wanted to drown in drugs again because I couldn’t have her. Because I shouldn’t want her.
Nothing made sense.
I got addicted to drugs once because I loved a sick, twisted bitch.
And now?
My gaze drifted to Hailey.
She was nothing like her.
And yet, I was still better off without her.
I’d rather be with Jenna-with no sex appeal, no heart, just venom in her veins-than with Hailey.
I breathed out, slow and quiet, my lips grazing Hailey’s hair.
“Sorry, Bunny,” I whispered, the words slicing through me. “You should’ve known better than to love the devil.”
Tomorrow, I wasn’t just going to break Hailey.
I was going to destroy her.
And in the process, I was going to burn the last remnants of my own soul to the ground. I was about to fucking burn whatever was left of my heart to fucking ash.
But wasn’t that the goal all along?
To turn to ash before anything-anyone-could save me?
***
Hailey
I woke up in Damien’s bed. Surprisingly alone.
Disappointment settled deep in my chest before I could stop it.
It would’ve been nice-so nice-to wake up to the sight of his face, to the slow rise and fall of his breath beside me. But I hadn’t been given that opportunity much. And now, I was left with only his lingering scent on the sheets and the ghost of his arms around me.
Still, I was grateful.
Grateful to be here, wrapped in his world. To be under the same covers he had slept in.
To feel safe.
God, how long had it been since I felt this way? Since I wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the ground beneath me to crumble?
I swallowed hard, pushing the thought away as I slipped out of bed. Carefully, silently, I sneaked back to my room, my heart hammering at the thought of being caught. But no one saw me. No one stopped me. I showered, dressed, and made my way downstairs, wondering if Damien had already left for work. He was a workaholic, after all.
But the moment I reached the dining area and my eyes landed on him sitting at the breakfast table, my breath hitched.
My heart did this stupid little flutter.
And for once, I didn’t regret acknowledging it.
Because maybe-just maybe-I was starting to let my guard down.
He wouldn’t hurt me…
Not so soon.
Would he?
As if sensing my presence, Damien’s gaze lifted from his phone.
His dark eyes locked onto mine.
Something flickered there. Something unreadable.
But then-nothing. No reaction. No warmth. Not even the barest nod of acknowledgment that I had expected to tell me to take the seat beside him.
I hesitated, a frown pulling at my brows.
Was he just busy? Work pressure?
Or was it because of what I said last night?
Before I could untangle the thought, my mother’s voice shattered my daze.
“What are you doing over there, sweetheart?”
Her tone was light-pleased, even. For what reason, I didn’t know. Maybe a good night with coby?
God, I didn’t need to imagine that.
“Come here!” she called, snapping me fully back to reality.
I flashed my mother a smile, then turned to Coby, who wore the same pleased expression.
My stomach twisted when I intentionally took the seat beside Damien. He still didn’t look at me.
And this time, regret crept in like a slow, suffocating poison. He couldn’t have understood the reference, right?
Maybe not.
But hell, Damien wasn’t dumb. He’d fucked plenty of women-probably enough to know when one was starting to get clingy.
The thought made my throat tighten. I didn’t know what I expected from him. I had no idea what the future held for us, but I didn’t want to lose him. Not now. Not ever. I wanted him with me. By my side. In whatever way I could keep him.
And I had begun to believe-truly fucking believe-that he cared too.
He wouldn’t prove me wrong.
Would he?
No. I was overthinking. He cared. I knew he did. I’d felt it in the way he touched me. Seen it in the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.
“Well, you look well-rested,” Mom said, smiling warmly. “And I see you’re glowing too, huh? Finally making use of those skincare products?”
Skincare products?
I didn’t even remember what she bought me.
But if Damien’s cum could be considered a skincare product, then yeah. Good thing she couldn’t see the hickeys. Otherwise, she wouldn’t call me well-rested-she’d call me thoroughly fucked by her stepson.
“Yeah, been sleeping well lately,” I murmured, sneaking a glance at Damien. He still didn’t look at me. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment.
My stomach twisted harder.
“And yeah,” I forced out a small laugh. “Using those weird products. They feel nice on the skin. Strangely.”
“Well, I’m sure your mom doesn’t think they’re weird,” Coby chimed in with a chuckle. “She practically bathes in those products.”
A chuckle slipped past my lips, and my mother’s jaw dropped in mock offense.
“Shut up, Coby,” she huffed. “That’s not even true.”
“It totally is.”
Their playful banter went on for a while, but I barely heard it. I barely felt anything except the crushing weight of Damien’s silence beside me.
And then-suddenly-the attention shifted.
Mom’s eyes were on me. Coby’s, however, were on Damien.
“By the way, we have some good news to share with you, Hailey,” Mom said, voice bubbling with excitement.
A forced smile tugged at my lips. “Don’t tell me you’re pregnant, Mom.”
“No, silly,” she laughed, shaking her head. “It’s not about us. It’s about Damien.”
My heart skipped.
Damien?
My gaze darted to him, expecting-hoping-he’d finally look at me.
He didn’t.
“About Damien?” I echoed, my voice wary.
“I’ve never seen someone so unenthusiastic about their own big event,” Coby chimed in, shaking his head at Damien.
Big event? Damien exhaled sharply, finally lifting his eyes off the screen-to his father, not to me.
“What am I supposed to do? Cry out of joy?” His voice was clipped, impatient. “Let it be, Dad. It’s just a simple ceremony.”
“No, honey,” Mom interrupted, beaming. “It’s not a simple ceremony-it’s your engagement. A lifetime decision you’re about to make. How can that ever be simple?”
Engagement?
The world tilted. My body locked up, frozen like rigid ice. I felt Damien tense beside me-he fucking tensed-but he still didn’t look at me. Because he couldn’t. Because he knew. Because he fucking knew what this would do to me.
And in that moment, I knew, too.
I had been wrong. So fucking wrong.
Damien Black could break my heart.
And maybe…this was just the start of it.