I retreated to my room after dinner, needing space to breathe. The sketches for the showcase lay scattered across my desk, but I couldn’t focus. Every line blurred into memories I’d tried to bury. Damien had been circling me all evening with that knowing look, like he could sense I was one touch away from cracking completely.
The knock came soft but insistent. I didn’t answer, but the door opened anyway.
He stepped inside, closing it behind him with a quiet click. No smirk this time. Just that intense, storm-gray stare that pinned me to the bed where I sat cross-legged in an old tank top and shorts.
“You’ve been hiding in here since Tyler texted,” he said, voice low. “Thinking about meeting him tomorrow?”
I shrugged, trying for casual. “He’s helping with the final pieces. It’s professi
