HAPPINESS BACK

***JAX***

Damian broke the silence, his voice hoarse and full of unsaid emotions. “I found someone, too,” he said suddenly, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him, as if he had to drag the words out of the depths of his soul.

Celine and I looked at him in surprise. His hands were clenched into fists, knuckles white with tension. It took a moment for him to continue, and when he did, his voice was low, almost broken.

“But I've already screwed up,” he continued without looking at us. ”I've done everything wrong... pushed the most important thing in my life away. I treated her like she wasn't worth anything, like she didn't mean what she really means to me.”

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling heavily, as if he had to force himself to continue speaking. “I didn't want to... I didn't want to break it. But I did. And now...” He paused, closed his eyes, his voice almost breaking. “I don't know if I can ever make up for it.”

Celine leaned forward slightly, her eyes full of concern but also gentleness. “Damian,” she said softly, “it's never too late. If you really care about her, you can make it.”

He raised his head, looked at her, and for the first time I could see the pain in his eyes clearly. “I don't want to mess up anymore,” he said, and his voice became louder, more urgent. “I want to honor her, respect her. I want to... I want to be different. But I'm afraid. Afraid that...” He broke off, swallowed hard. “...that I will become the person I was again. That all that is inside of me will break through again and destroy her.”

Celine reached out a hand to him, her fingers lightly touching his arm. “Damian,” she said, her voice gentle but firm, “the most important thing is that you want it. That you're willing to work at it. Nobody expects you to be perfect. But you have to try and you have to let yourself be helped.”

He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor again. “I'm unspeakably sorry, Celine,” he said suddenly, looking her straight in the eye. “For everything I've done to you. For all the times I pushed you away when you were just trying to help me. I'm sorry.”

Celine seemed speechless for a moment, her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but the words failed to materialize. Finally, she reached for his hand, held it tight and looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. “It's okay, Damian,” she said softly. “Not because I have to, but because I want to. Because I know you want to do better. And this is the first step.”

I watched the two of them, as a kind of peace seemed to slowly grow between them. Damian finally nodded, his shoulders relaxed slightly, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

“I'll do better,” he finally murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper. ”For her. And for me.”

Celine smiled slightly, a warm, encouraging smile that dispelled some of the darkness in the room. “You will,” she said. “Because you want to. And that's enough, Damian. That's enough to start with.”

“Who is she, Damian?” My voice was calm but insistent, shot through with a curiosity I couldn't hide. I needed to know.

The words hung between us, unspoken but powerful, as I looked at Damian, waiting for an answer. His gaze was downcast, his shoulders heavy, as if they bore the weight of the world. But then he slowly raised his head, his eyes seeking mine, and I could see something in them that I hadn't expected – a mixture of pain, regret and a strange kind of tenderness.

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes glancing to Celine, who looked at him with a mixture of puzzlement and concern. She had no idea what he was going to say, but the tension in her posture revealed that she wanted to hear it just as urgently as I did.

“Celine...” he finally began, his voice breaking, almost a whisper. He bowed his head again before taking a deep breath and looking at me. “It was always her. From the beginning.”

The air seemed to escape the room when the words were spoken. Celine stared at him, her eyes wide open, as if she wasn't sure if she had understood him correctly. ‘Me?’ she whispered, her voice trembling. ”What do you mean, Damian?”

He leaned back, rubbing his face as if he was trying to collect himself. “I mean...” he began before standing up and slowly turning to face her. His eyes sought hers, and this time he didn't look away. “I mean, you've always been the one, Celine. You were the only one who ever mattered. But I... I've messed it all up.”

Celine looked as if she hadn't expected those words. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, her hands shaking slightly as she placed them on her lap. “Damian... I... I don't know what to say.”

“Don't say anything,” he interrupted her, his voice hoarse but firm. ”I know I'm not the man you deserve. I pushed you away because I was afraid. Afraid of you, afraid of myself. Afraid of what it all means. But I can't pretend I don't care anymore, Celine. Because I do.”

His words obviously hit her hard, and I could see her façade begin to crumble. “Damian... you've hurt me so many times,” she said softly, her voice breaking. “How am I supposed to believe you now?”

He stepped closer, dropped to one knee in front of her and took her hands in his. ‘I don't know if you can believe me,’ he said honestly, his eyes searching hers desperately. “But I know that I want to prove it to you. That I'm willing to do anything to show you that I'm serious. That you are serious to me.”

Celine stared at him for a long time, her eyes shining with unshed tears, before she whispered softly, “Damian, why now? Why only now?”

“Because I'm an idiot,” he admitted, a bitter smile on his lips. ”Because I thought I didn't deserve you. And maybe I don't. But I can't be without you any longer, Celine. And if you give me another chance, I'll do anything to make it right.”

The silence that followed was heavy and yet full of meaning. Celine looked at him, and I could see her struggling with herself. But finally she nodded, a weak, barely noticeable nod that made Damian breathe a sigh of relief.

“I want you to prove it to me,” she said softly, her voice firm but soft. ”I want to see that you're serious.”

Damian squeezed her hands harder, a look of pure relief on his face. “I will, Celine. I promise.”

I leaned back, looked at the two of them and couldn't help but allow a weak smile.

Celine stood before us, her eyes glowing with a mixture of determination and tenderness. The tension in the room was almost tangible, but she did not let it distract her. Her posture was erect, her voice clear but gentle as she began to speak.

“Listen to me,” she said, her hands slightly raised to focus our attention. ”We will get help. All together.“ Her words had a weight to them that made us both pause. Damian looked at her, his face a mixture of skepticism and hope, while I felt the gravity of her words, deep inside me.

“Celine…” Damian began, but she gently interrupted him, her eyes fixed on him with an intensity that silenced him.

“No, Damian,” she said, her voice firm but not unkind. ”We can't do this alone. Neither of us. We've tried, each of us in our own way, and where has it got us? In this room, full of pain and guilt. That's enough now.”

I saw Damian take a deep breath, as if he had to reluctantly accept the truth of her words. But Celine wasn't finished yet.

“Getting help is not a weakness,” she continued, her voice softening, almost pleading. ”It's strength. It means we recognize that we are worthy, that we are worthy of each other. We've been through so much, and it would be a shame to let it all be for nothing.”

She took a step forward, her eyes flicking between Damian and me. “We can do this. But only together. We have to hold each other, support each other, spur each other on. None of us can carry this alone. But together... together we are strong enough.”

Damian lowered his head, his hands clenched into fists on his knees, before finally nodding. “You're right,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “I can't do it alone anymore. I don't want to anymore either.”

Celine stepped closer to him, put her hand on his shoulder before looking at me. “And you, Jax?” she asked, her voice soft but full of urgency. “Are you ready to admit that? Ready to trust us, just as we trust you?”

I hesitated for a moment, feeling her words work deep inside me. It was hard to admit – my own weakness, the need for help. But when I saw her eyes, full of hope and determination, I knew there was nothing else I could do.

“Yes,” I finally said, my voice soft but firm. ”Together. We can do this.”

Celine smiled, a warm, sincere smile that filled the room with a hint of hope. “Good,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “Because together we are stronger than we could ever be alone.”

In that moment, I felt that she was right. Perhaps for the first time in years, I believed that there really was a chance for us – a chance to leave this darkness behind us and finally start living again.

Damian suddenly stood before me, his posture erect, but there was a mixture of regret and determination in his eyes. It was an unfamiliar expression, one I hadn't seen on him often. He took a deep breath as if he needed to encourage himself before speaking the words that obviously lay heavily on his tongue.

“Jax,” he began, his voice soft but hoarse. ”I'm truly sorry. About your club... I know how much it meant to you.”

I paused, looking at him, searching his face for any hidden agenda, but there was nothing but honesty there. Damian didn't look away, and I could see that he was struggling to find the right words.

“I'll help you rebuild it,” he finally said, his voice firmer. ”We'll make it bigger, better, more beautiful than ever. I'll cover the costs. All of them.”

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I felt anger, surprise and something that felt like gratitude well up inside me. “Damian...” I started, but he raised a hand to silence me.

“No, listen,” he said, and there was an urgency in his voice that I couldn't ignore. ”I know that's not enough. I know I can't undo it. But I can do this, Jax. I can help you rebuild the club. It's the only thing I can offer you right now.”

“Damian, you don't owe me anything,” I said, my voice soft but firm. ‘This was my problem. My mistake.”

“No, Jax,’ he said sharply, his eyes flashing with an intensity that surprised me. ”It wasn't just your mistake. I was part of it. Like it or not, I have a responsibility too. And I'll help you, damn it.”

He took a step towards me, his hands clenching into fists before unclenching again. “I know I've done a lot of things wrong, Jax. I know I've disappointed you. But I want to make this right. Not just for you, but for me, too. So let me do this.”

The silence that followed was heavy but full of meaning. I could see that he was serious, that he really was trying.

Finally, I nodded slowly, let my shoulders drop and took a deep breath. “Okay, Damian,” I said softly, my voice rough but honest. “If that's what you really want... then we'll do it together. But that means you have to see it through. No turning back.”

“No turning back,” he repeated, and there was a determination in his eyes that made me believe he was serious this time.