For just a second, Selene froze, breath caught, while sound pressed in from every side - bass thumping, voices climbing over one another. Out of nowhere, Kieran showed up, tearing through the quiet routine she'd shaped day by careful day. Her hand moved toward the glass, unsteady at the edges, lifting it to her lips in small measured motion, searching for balance again.
Fire traced her throat with every sip, pulling her back into now. Though gone, his leaving still pressed against her chest like stone. That moment he stepped out - years past - cut deep, took something vital. Healing never came; the hurt stayed raw beneath the surface.
That corner of her heart stayed locked away. Hidden behind barriers she spent years constructing. The girl who once trusted love without question - that version got sealed off. Not lost, just buried beneath layers of caution. Her younger self, wide-eyed and sure, now lived in silence. Protected not by choice but by necessity. Belief in romance became something she kept at a distance. A memory wrapped tightly in hesitation. What remained was quieter. Less open. Still there, yet shielded.
A thin line on her skin, nothing more. Her quiet broke when the phone shuddered hard against the table. There - Damien's name, loud and clear, jumping out in thick print. That word. Once warm. Now cold stone in her chest. Fingers paused above glass before sliding sideways to connect.
"What?" Her words came sharp, hiding the storm underneath. "Selene," he said, the sound breaking like static on the phone. His voice slid out calm - maybe too calm. You where now? That question hung between them. Out, she answered. A pause while air filled her lungs again. Did it matter why?
That familiar phrase again. A strange tone hung in his words - cool, absent. Coming home was non-negotiable; matters waited. From behind him came soft laughs, a quiet ring of glass on glass. Company lingered nearby. Most likely another woman he'd turned attention toward.
The thought made her sick, but she kept her voice steady. "You can handle it without me. I don't need to be your accessory tonight."
Look, just stop fighting this, Selene, he said, voice edging sharper, yet somehow flat. What comes next isn't exactly a mystery if you push back. A knot formed in her ribs. The phone dug into her palms, nearly hurled at the closest surface without thought.
For a second, everything about him felt unbearable. The way he acted like she answered to him burned through her calm. You are not in charge here, Damien. Remember it. The phone clicked off, cutting his voice before it had time to start.
A sharp wave of rage burned through her, then faded into a colder weight. Heavy. Silent. Her steps carried her to the bar where a half-empty bottle caught her eye, promising numbness. Yet just as her fingers neared the glass, stillness gripped her. A name cut the air - "Selene." Spoken slow, like smoke curling under a door. Familiar. Sharp at the edges. She knew that voice without looking. Kieran stood near, unseen. Her heart pushed harder against her ribs. Still, she kept her back turned. For now.
Go," she snapped, voice slicing through the quiet. Silent steps brought Kieran near, his body leaning slow into the bar at her side. Thick tension filled the space where words refused to go. A past they both carried hummed beneath their silence, close enough to touch.
Stillness settled around his words. He spoke low, but the quiet held more than just refusal. A pause stretched between them before she shifted her gaze toward him.
A gaze held hers - those known gold-flecked eyes swirling with feelings she struggled to name. Was it fury? Maybe hunger. Or something heavier, like sorrow trailing behind.
She broke the silence first, eyes sharp. "Figured you moved on." A beat passed before he answered. Not moving his stare one inch. "Like it's possible." The air thickened fast. Words came slow after that. Each syllable heavy with what neither named. What lived between them refused burial. Silence stretched again. Then - his breath caught just once.
Her throat tightened when she noticed his nearness. From somewhere between breaths came that smell - like sunlit grove after rain - tugging at bones she thought long still. Still, she shoved it aside. Not a child who believes in soft landings. Years had taught her edges, silence, distance. Pity is wasted on me, Kieran, she answered, words flat though blood rushed behind her ribs.
A pause stretched out, his eyes fixed on her face. Not one word passed between them at first, the quiet heavy with meaning. Then came Kieran's voice, low but clear - "Damien won't help you.".
Almost too steady, his voice carried a quiet strain Selene noticed right away. Turning aside, she let out a short laugh. Who made you the expert, anyway?
"I don't know," Kieran admitted, his voice raw. "I never thought I'd come back here. But now that I have, I can't ignore what's happening. I can't just walk away while you…" He trailed off, his words hanging in the air. "While I what?" she asked, her voice low, almost daring him to finish. "While you destroy yourself," he finished, his gaze hardening.
A sharp breath pulled tight in her chest, those words cutting deeper than they should have. Lashing out tempted her, driving him back seemed right. Yet inside, things moved differently now - anger tangled with pain, plus another current, darker. "I'm fine," came out brittle, sounding false even to herself. His face eased a fraction, yet the softness in his gaze somehow lit the fire hotter. "Not true," he answered, low. Caring was real - he refused to act like it wasn't
Her eyes locked onto his, heart pounding like a storm inside. Fire raced through her skin, each nerve sparking under the weight of the moment. Heavy air pressed down, making it hard to pull in any breath at all.
Not now," she said softly, but it came out weak. Still, Kieran moved forward anyway. One step. Then another. His fingers found her arm, just grazing the skin. Fire spread beneath where he touched, like sparks under still water.
Almost stepping back, she found herself caught instead by him - his nearness too strong to ignore. Years pressed down, heavy with old wounds and want, filling the silence where words failed. Things shifted then, not like before but close enough to ache. His voice came low, just above a whisper, saying he still cared. That part of him hadn't let go. Not fully. Maybe never a small step back from Selene, yet he stood close, his nearness wrapping around her like smoke, drawing her off balance. Years pressed down - pain, longing, all that they were, all they couldn't reclaim. His voice came low. Not a promise, not quite - a truth left bare. Caring hadn't faded. It simply stayed
A beat quickened inside her chest while she tried to stay steady. No love again, she'd sworn, none of that pretending anymore. Yet Kieran stood there, making each barrier crack a little more. "I'm not able," came out low, tangled up in feeling. The tension pulled tighter though, growing fast - neither could step back now.