39 - TENSION

39 - TENSION


CHERYL

His lips were fire.

Wild. Unrelenting. Desperate.

Aiden kissed me like he was making up for every second we had spent not kissing. Like he had been starving for this moment. For me.

And God help me—I kissed him back.

I melted into him, my fingers fisting into his shirt, pulling him closer because I couldn’t help myself. His hands—cold against my burning skin—brushed against my waist, sending shivers down my spine even as his mouth stole every ounce of oxygen from my lungs.

I was floating.

Butterflies exploded in my stomach, my heart raced, and my mind—my very sanity—spiraled out of control.

This was bad.

So, so bad.

But damn it, it felt so good.

Aiden deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing against mine, his fingers sliding up my arm, branding me with his touch—

And then—

The lights came back on.

A gasp.

A collective horrified silence.

I jerked away from Aiden, my chest heaving, my lips still tingling from the intensity of that kiss.

And then I saw them.

The entire party.

Staring.

Watching.

Processing.

Judging.

My stomach plummeted as my gaze landed on Damon.

Oh.

Oh, shit.

His expression was a mask of betrayal, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might shatter. His eyes—those warm, affectionate eyes—were now hard, filled with something dangerous.

Rage.

Pain.

Realization.

Aiden stood beside me, still catching his breath, but unlike me, he didn’t look guilty. Didn’t look panicked.

No.

He just looked annoyed.

Like this was an inconvenience.

Like he had been rudely interrupted.

Damon took a slow step forward, his gaze locked onto Aiden like a lion zeroing in on its prey.

And then—

He lunged.

Faster than I could react, his fist slammed into Aiden’s jaw.

I screamed.

Aiden stumbled back, rubbing his face, and let out a humorless chuckle. “Jesus, man.”

“You bastard!” Damon snarled, seething.

I threw myself between them, hands outstretched, trying to push Damon back before he could attack again.

“Stop! Just stop!” I gasped, my voice high and frantic.

Damon’s furious gaze snapped to mine, burning with betrayal.

“You love him, don’t you?”

The question slammed into me like a freight train.

I opened my mouth.

No words came out.

Because—I didn’t know how to answer that.

My heart pounded violently as I looked between them.

Between Aiden, who had just kissed me like I was the only thing keeping him alive.

And Damon, who had done everything for me, who had given me a home, a new start, a future.

Damon scoffed. Laughed bitterly.

And then he turned and stormed away.

I took a shaky breath. My entire body was still buzzing, my mind a complete mess, but—I had to go after him.

I turned—only for Aiden’s hand to catch my wrist.

His touch sent a jolt of electricity up my arm.

But I shook my head.

“I have to end it properly,” I whispered.

And then I left.

I found Damon on the patio behind the house, pacing like a caged animal.

The music and laughter from the party were distant now, a world away.

Out here, it was just us.

I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

Damon stopped, his hands clenched into fists.

“I know you did all this for me,” I continued, my voice gentle, my heart aching for the boy who had always tried too hard. “And I’m extremely grateful—”

“Why him?”

The words cut through the air like a blade.

I flinched.

“Why him, Cheryl?” Damon’s voice cracked. Anguish burned in his eyes. “You said there was nothing going on.” He let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “And then I see you two kissing in the party I threw for you… in the house I bought for you.”

He was yelling now.

I hadn’t expected him to yell.

I blinked at him, stunned. “I—I told you not to do this, Damon. No one asked you to—”

“Right.”

He let out a bitter laugh.

A cruel, broken sound.

And then—

“Have you slept with him yet?”

My breath caught.

I stared at him.

“What?”

“You heard me.” His voice was low. Dangerous. Unraveling.

“That doesn’t concern you.” My voice shook, but I stood my ground.

Damon’s expression darkened. His eyes flashed with something vicious, something I had never seen before—

And then he grabbed my arm.

Hard.

“Damon, stop,” I said sharply, trying to yank my arm free.

He didn’t.

Instead—his grip tightened.

And then he leaned in.

His lips crashed against mine without warning.

It was nothing like Aiden’s kiss.

This was rough. Forced. Wrong.

I shoved at him, twisting in his hold. “Damon, let go!”

But he wasn’t listening.

His hands roamed, sliding up my thigh, pressing against me in a way that made my stomach churn—

And then—

Aiden appeared.

Like a storm.

Like hell itself had arrived.

In a single violent motion, he ripped Damon away from me.

Damon barely had time to react before Aiden’s fist slammed into his face.

Once.

Twice.

Damon stumbled back, gripping his jaw, blood trickling from his lip.

Aiden smirked.

“Those,” he said, his voice deadly, “are for the punches you gave me.”

And then—he swung again.

Harder.

Damon crashed onto the ground with a groan of pain.

Aiden loomed over him, his chest heaving, his knuckles bloody.

His next words dripped with venom.

“And that—” he seethed, “is for laying your filthy hands on her.”