Chapter 91: A Date With Thomas

Celeste's hands shook as she fumbled with her keys. The metal scraped against the lock three times before she finally got it right. Her legs felt like jelly, her chest tight like someone was sitting on it.

The door opened and Maya's worried face appeared.

"Jesus, Celeste. You look like hell."

That's all it took. Celeste crumbled right there in the doorway, falling into Maya's arms like a broken doll. The sobs came hard and ugly, months of bottled-up fear and betrayal pouring out all at once.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Maya whispered, holding her tight. "I got you. You're safe now."

Olivia appeared from the living room, her face going pale when she saw her sister falling apart. "What happened? Celeste, what did they do to you?"

"Don't," Celeste managed between sobs. "Don't leave me alone tonight. Please. Both of you just... stay with me."

Maya rubbed her back in slow circles. "Of course, babe. We're not going anywhere."

They helped her inside, Maya kicking the door shut behind them. Celeste felt like she was underwater, everything muffled and strange. The familiar apartment looked different somehow, like she was seeing it through someone else's eyes.

"Sit," Maya ordered, guiding her to the couch. "I'm making food. Real food, not that takeout garbage you've been living on."

"Maya, you don't have to—"

"Shut up. I'm cooking." Maya was already heading to the kitchen, pulling ingredients from cabinets like she lived there. "Olivia, find something mindless on Netflix. Nothing with crime or drama or any of that shit."

Olivia grabbed the remote, curling up next to Celeste on the couch. "How about that baking show? The British one where they're all nice to each other?"

Celeste nodded, wiping her nose on her sleeve. The smell of garlic and onions started filling the apartment as Maya worked her magic in the kitchen. Something warm and comforting that made the knot in Celeste's chest loosen just a little.

"Maya makes the best pasta," Olivia said softly. "Remember when you were sick and Maya came over every day with food?"

"I remember." Celeste's voice came out hoarse. Maya had basically moved in for a week, making sure I ate real meals instead of cereal and crackers.

Twenty minutes later, Maya appeared with three bowls of the most amazing-smelling pasta Celeste had ever encountered. Rich tomato sauce with herbs that made her mouth water despite everything.

"Eat," Maya commanded, settling between them on the couch. "No talking about whatever the hell happened until you get some food in you."

They ate in comfortable silence, watching British people make elaborate cakes and being impossibly polite to each other. The food was perfect - warm and rich and exactly what Celeste needed. Maya had always been able to fix things with food and stubbornness.

By the time they finished eating, Celeste felt almost human again. The three of them curled up under blankets, Olivia's head on her shoulder, Maya's feet tucked under Celeste's legs. Like they were kids again, having sleepovers and pretending the world couldn't touch them.

Celeste fell asleep somewhere between the second and third episode, finally feeling safe for the first time in weeks.

Her phone buzzed at midnight, dragging her out of deep sleep. Maya and Olivia were both dead to the world, soft snores coming from both of them.

The text was from Damien.

I can't stop thinking about you and it's driving me crazy. You took out the camera in your room, I can't even see you. I need you so much. I need to see you, or I'll come to you.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She pressed the phone to her chest, closing her eyes as the message hit her like a punch to the gut.

God, she was in love with him. Had been falling for weeks now, even when she was trying to investigate him, even when Adrian was filling her head with doubts. Despite everything that had happened, despite all the lies and manipulation swirling around them, Damien was the only person she wanted to be with.

She wanted his arms around her. Wanted his hands on her skin, his mouth against her neck. The memory of their nights together flooded her mind - the way he touched her like she was precious, the way he whispered her name when he was inside her.

Heat pooled low in her belly, making her ache with need. Even now, even after everything, her body responded to just the thought of him.

Her thumb hovered over his contact. She could call him. Could tell him everything that had happened with Adrian and Victoria. Could let him come over and hold her until the world made sense again.

The phone rang in her hand, making her jump. She answered without looking, her voice breathy with want.

"Hi, Damien."

"Uh, wow. Hi to you too, Celeste. But it's Thomas."

Her stomach dropped to her toes. "Oh. Oh God, Thomas, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"Yeah, I figured." His voice was dry, amused. "Finally she picks up, and worse, she thinks I'm another guy."

Thomas. Her friend from high school who'd been trying to get her attention for weeks. Sweet, uncomplicated Thomas who had no idea about the mess her life had become.

"I'm really sorry, Thomas. It's been a weird night."

"Clearly. Look, since you obviously thought I was this mystery guy, how about you make it up to me? Dinner tomorrow night. Somewhere nice where you can focus on me instead of whoever's got you all breathless."

Celeste closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted was a date with Thomas. The last thing she wanted was to pretend to be normal when her world was falling apart.

But maybe that's exactly what she needed. Maybe she needed to remember what normal felt like.

"Okay," she heard herself saying. "Yeah, okay. Dinner sounds good."

"Really? Damn, I should call you at midnight more often." Thomas laughed. "I'll pick you up at seven. Wear something nice."

After he hung up, Celeste stared at her phone in the dark. Damien's message was still there, waiting for an answer. Her finger traced over his name, over the words that made her heart race.

But Adrian's voice echoed in her head. Victoria's cruel laughter. The way they'd used her feelings against her, turned her into a weapon against the man she was falling in love with.

Maybe a date with Thomas was exactly what she needed to get her head straight. Maybe she needed to remember who she was before Damien Kane turned her world upside down.

She turned off her phone without answering Damien's text, curling back up between Maya and Olivia. But sleep didn't come easy, and when it did, her dreams were full of dark eyes and gentle hands and a voice whispering her name in the dark.