Chapter 23 – Lines in the Sand
The evening air was crisp when Aria finally returned to her apartment. She dropped her bag by the door and exhaled, the weight of the day pressing down on her. Between the whispers in class, Professor Callahan's unnerving attention, and Damien's suffocating presence, her chest felt tight.
Her phone buzzed.
> Damien: We need to talk. Now.
She stared at the message, her pulse quickening. Every part of her wanted to hurl the phone across the room—but another part of her, the one that thrilled under his gaze, already ached for him.
Before she could decide, a knock rattled her door.
Not a text. Not a call.
He was here.
"Aria." His voice was low, controlled, but the edge beneath it made her heart skip. She opened the door to find Damien standing there, every inch of him commanding, dangerous, breathtaking in a dark tailored coat. His eyes burned as if he hadn't cooled down since the campus confrontation.
"You can't keep doing this," she whispered, blocking the doorway with her body. "You can't just appear whenever you feel like it."
He stepped closer, close enough that she had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. "And you can't pretend I don't matter. Not after everything."
"Damien—"
"No." His hand pressed against the doorframe, caging her in without touching her. "That professor looked at you like you were his to take. Do you expect me to stand by and watch that?"
Her chest tightened. "I expect you to trust me. To trust us. Because if you don't, then this—" she gestured between them, trembling "—this will suffocate me."
For a long moment, neither spoke. The air was heavy, charged. His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing, not in anger but in a struggle she had never seen on his face before.
Finally, he lowered his hand. His voice dropped, rough with restraint.
"I don't know how to do this, Aria. I've spent my whole life taking control, owning everything around me. You… you're the first thing I can't bear to lose. And it terrifies me."
Her breath caught. Beneath the steel, she heard it—the confession, raw and unpolished.
Slowly, she reached up, brushing her fingertips over his cheek. "Then don't lose me by gripping too hard. If I'm yours… let me choose it."
Damien closed his eyes, leaning into her touch for the briefest second, as though grounding himself. When he opened them again, the fire was still there, but muted, controlled.
He exhaled, stepping back just slightly. "Lines in the sand, then. You want independence, I'll give you space. But…" His lips curved into the faintest, dangerous smirk. "Don't expect me to ignore anyone who tries to take what's mine."
Her pulse quickened, half-thrilled, half-afraid. "Damien…"
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb grazing her jaw. "You belong to yourself, Aria. But when you come back to me—and you will—it'll be by choice."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, his presence lingering even after the sound of his footsteps faded down the hall.
Aria leaned against the door, heart hammering. He was fire—too much, too consuming—but he was also the only warmth she craved.
And as her phone buzzed again with a new message, she froze.
> Professor Callahan: Don't let him corner you. If you ever need a way out… my door is open.
Her world tilted. Two men, two paths. And she was caught right in the center.