Part 2 — Damian
The night air bit at his skin as he stepped outside, but Damian barely noticed. His pulse was still racing, his hands still shaking from what he'd done — what he'd said.
Marry me instead.
The words echoed in his mind like a curse.
He hadn't planned to say them. Hell, he didn't even know when the thought had taken root. But standing there, watching Aria's eyes cloud with pain, watching her force a smile every time her fiancé's name came up — he'd lost control.
And now, he couldn't take it back.
Damian ran a hand through his hair, dragging in a breath that didn't calm the storm inside him. The quiet of the night offered no comfort — only the sound of crickets and his own guilt clawing at him.
What the hell have you done?
He could still see her face — the way her lips parted in shock, the way her voice trembled when she said his name. Aria.
The one woman he wasn't supposed to want.
The one woman who had somehow become the only thing he thought about.
Damian leaned against his car, closing his eyes as if that would stop the images from replaying.
It didn't.
All he could think about was her — her voice, her scent, the way she looked at him right before she told him to leave.
She hadn't said no.
That was what tore him apart the most.
She could've rejected him outright. She could've told him to get out, to never come near her again. But she hadn't. Her silence had been loud enough — filled with everything she was too afraid to admit.
And that silence was going to destroy him.
He slammed a fist lightly against the side of the car, the metal vibrating under his hand. "Idiot," he muttered under his breath. "You just confessed to your best friend's fiancée."
His best friend.
Liam.
The thought of him made Damian's stomach twist. The man trusted him — had trusted him for years. They'd built their careers side by side, shared their wins, covered each other's mistakes.
And now…
Damian exhaled shakily. "You're going straight to hell for this."
But no amount of guilt could erase what he felt.
Because beneath the shame, there was something darker, something selfish — relief. Relief that she knew. Relief that he didn't have to pretend anymore.
That terrified him most of all.
He stared up at the night sky, trying to find reason in chaos. Maybe it would've been easier if Aria had been cruel, distant, or cold. But she wasn't. She was kind — too kind — and that softness was what undid him. Every time she smiled at him, something inside him unraveled a little more.
He thought he could handle it. Thought he could stand by and watch her marry another man. But the closer the wedding came, the harder it became to breathe.
So tonight, he snapped.
He'd watched her in that silk dress — the one Liam picked for her — and when she smiled politely instead of joyfully, something inside him broke. He couldn't hold it in any longer.
And now, he'd ruined everything.
Damian scrubbed a hand over his face, letting out a low, bitter laugh. "You've really outdone yourself this time."
The sound of a car approaching made him look up. His heart lurched for a second when he saw the familiar figure in the doorway — Aria, standing there, half in shadow, watching him.
Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable. The faint glow from the porch light traced the lines of her face, the shimmer of tears she probably thought he wouldn't notice.
"Aria…" His voice came out rough, hoarse.
"You shouldn't be here," she said quietly.
"I was just leaving."
She nodded once, but didn't move. "You shouldn't have said that to me."
"I know." He forced the words out, though they burned. "But I meant it."
Her breath hitched, and for a second, he saw it — the flicker of emotion she tried to hide.
"That doesn't make it right, Damian."
He took a step forward. "I'm not asking you to say yes. I'm not asking you to leave him. I just… I couldn't lie anymore."
She closed her eyes briefly, as if the sound of his voice hurt. "You think this is easy for me?"
"I don't want it to be easy," he said softly. "I just want it to be real."
Her gaze lifted to meet his, and for a fleeting moment, everything stopped. The tension between them hummed, fragile and dangerous.
"Don't make me choose," she whispered.
"I'm not," he lied.
Because deep down, he knew he already had.
Aria took a shaky breath and turned away. "Go home, Damian."
He nodded slowly, forcing himself to move even when his chest felt like it was tearing apart.
As he walked to his car, he told himself this was the last time. That he'd stay away, bury the feelings, and pretend this night never happened.
But as he drove off, her voice echoed in his head — soft, trembling, and full of everything she wouldn't say.
And Damian knew, no matter how far he went, he was already too deep to ever let her go.