Chapter 28 Secrets Between Us
"The same text messages, Isla, Isla! Who is that, Damian? Don't mess with me right now!"
Damian froze mid-sip of his coffee, eyes wide. For a fraction of a second, I thought I had finally broken him. Then his face shifted into that calm, infuriatingly composed mask.
"It's... nothing," he said smoothly, setting the cup down. "Just someone from work. Don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?" I repeated, voice rising. "Damian, I see the way you hide your phone. I see the way you delete messages before I can look. And now you're telling me it's nothing?"
He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. "Elena... I didn't want to worry you. It's complicated, that's all."
"Complicated how?" I shot back, stepping closer. "She keeps texting you, Damian! 'I miss you,' 'We need to talk, 'It's urgent.' Who the hell is she?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it. Sighed. Shook his head. "She's... a cousin. A distant cousin. She... she's worried. After everything that happened at the tower, she wanted to check if I'm okay. That's it."
I blinked at him, disbelief cutting through me. "A cousin? You expect me to swallow that? The way you hide your phone, the way you jump when it buzzes, the way you don't let me see anything - that's cousin behavior?"
"It's... nothing," he said, voice controlled but firmer this time. "She's a cousin, Elena. I told you. Believe what you want. I won't persuade you. That's all there is to it."
End of discussion. I don't want this turning into an argument. Not now."
I took a step closer, fists clenched. "You don't get to just say it's over. You don't get to lie and expect me to pretend it's fine!"
He ran a hand through his hair, shoulders stiff. "Elena, you've already got enough stress. I'm not hiding anything from you that matters. That's the truth."
I laughed, sharp and bitter. "You call that truth? Damian, stop trying to manipulate me with half-truths!"
His gaze softened, just slightly, and he reached for my hand. "Elena, please..."
I recoiled. "Don't. Don't touch me."
He stepped closer, trying again, lips parting as if to kiss me.
I slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the apartment. His hand froze in mid-air. Shock flashed across his features.
"Do not," I hissed, chest heaving, "use a kiss to cover up your lies. You are not allowed to do that. Not after what I've seen."
Damian's eyes were dark, unreadable. He rubbed his jaw where my hand had connected, then stepped back, silent. For the first time, he didn't try to argue, didn't try to charm me.
The air was thick with tension. Neither of us spoke for long moments, just the hum of the city outside our window filling the room.
Then, almost innocently, his phone buzzed on the counter. Quietly. I saw the name flash: Isla.
My heart thudded painfully.
Damian glanced at it - just for a second - then set it down face down. He didn't reach for it. Didn't even move to unlock it.
I didn't speak. I didn't need to. The message previewed faintly on the screen:
"I can't stop thinking about you. I know I hurt you. But I still love you, Damian."
My stomach dropped.
He stiffened beside me. His body language changed, shoulders tightening, a flicker of something unspoken passing across his face. He didn't touch the phone, didn't speak. But I could feel it - the weight of the secret between us.
I swallowed hard, trying to stay calm. I shouldn't trust him. I shouldn't even be here. But I... I can't stop wanting answers. I need to know the truth.
Damian tried again, stepping toward me, softening his voice: "Elena... I don't want to fight. I..."
I shook my head, stepping back. "No. Not again. I can't do this anymore. I won't let you gaslight me with your cousin story."
He exhaled, slow and steady, as if trying to regain control of the room. "You're imagining things. That's it. It's just someone checking in. Nothing more."
I glared at him, every nerve on fire. "You lied to me before. You're lying now. And I will find out the truth, Damian. You can't stop me."
A tense silence followed. Neither of us moved, only the faint buzz of his phone reminding me that this was far from over.
Then, the final twist: a soft click from the apartment door. Almost imperceptible. My head snapped toward it.
Damian's entire body tensed. His hand gripped mine - but not in comfort. In warning.
I held my breath.
"Damian..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He leaned close, low and guarded: "Elena... we're not alone."
My pulse raced. The room felt colder, smaller. The shadows in the corners seemed to stretch, alive.
Someone was watching.
Someone who knew more than I could imagine.
And in the background, Isla's text glowed faintly on the screen, dangerous, unspoken, a reminder that Damian's secrets were only beginning to unravel.
I swallowed hard, gripping my phone like a lifeline. If this is what it's like when it's just him and me... what happens next?
The tension was unbearable. Every nerve in my body screamed that this was bigger than a simple lie. Bigger than Damian and me. Something - or someone - was waiting.
And I knew, deep down, that nothing would ever feel safe again.