Chapter 65

Chapter 65
Alicia

The apartment felt too quiet. I couldn’t settle. Damon had left hours ago, claiming he needed to deal with team matters, security, and whatever Nathan had planned next. He said I should rest, that he would call, that he would be back as soon as he could but resting felt impossible.

I paced the living room, my bare feet pressing against the cool wooden floor, trying to convince myself I wasn’t panicking. Trying to convince myself I wasn’t scared.

I thought about the way Nathan had smiled at Damon last night. Not an ordinary smile, but one that promised danger, one that lingered too long in his eyes. I could still feel the chill it left in the air, and I hated that it haunted me hours later.

I sank onto the couch and wrapped my arms around myself. My thoughts spun in a loop: Nathan leaving the team, Marcus’s betrayal, the threats to Damon, and the weight of knowing that every move he made now could be a trap and me.

I thought about me. What if I was next?

My phone buzzed on the coffee table. My heart leapt, and I snatched it up. A message from Damon: "Running late. Training took longer than expected. Don’t worry."

I exhaled slowly. Of course he would say that. Calm, collected, like he could carry the weight of the world and make it look effortless. I wished I could feel that calm with him gone.

I tried to distract myself by checking messages from the hospital. Nothing urgent. Everything routine. But my hands refused to stop shaking, so I decided to make myself some tea. The kettle’s whistle echoed too loudly in the quiet apartment.

As I poured the steaming liquid into my mug, my phone rang. I froze. The caller ID showed Evan.

I nearly dropped the cup. My chest tightened, my stomach twisting into knots. I hadn’t spoken to him in months. Not really. Life had gotten in the way, the chaos with Damon, the games, the injuries, the hospital. And yet, hearing his name flash across the screen made me feel that strange mix of excitement and fear I remembered from when I was younger, waiting to hear from him after long trips abroad.

I swiped to answer. “Evan?”

“Al! Hey,” he said, his voice warm and familiar. Even through the phone, I could hear the grin. “It’s been too long.”

I felt a lump rise in my throat. “Yeah… it has.”

“How are you?” he asked. “Everything okay?”

I hesitated, glancing at the door where Damon had just left. “I… I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Busy at work, usual stuff.”

He chuckled softly. “You’ve always been the busy one.”

I smiled, even though it felt strange to smile at him after so long. “And you? How was your trip?”

“Good. Good. But it made me miss home. Miss… you.” His voice softened, and I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me. The memories came flooding back...summer evenings when we’d sit on the balcony, my little victories at school, the way he always knew how to make me laugh even on the worst days.

I took a deep breath, letting the memories wash over me. “I’ve missed you too,” I admitted quietly.

There was a pause. Then he said, “Listen, I’m coming back soon. I promised I’d make it up to you. We’ll catch up properly. No distractions, no chaos. Just us.”

I wanted to say yes immediately. I wanted to promise that I would be there waiting. But my thoughts went back to Damon, to the danger lurking around us, and to the stress that Nathan had planted in every corner of our lives.

“I’d like that,” I said finally. “I’d really like that.”

“I’ll be there before you know it,” he said, and I could hear the sincerity in his voice. “You just… keep yourself safe until then, okay?”

“I will,” I said, although part of me wondered how I could possibly do that. Damon had left, Nathan was scheming, and Marcus… I still didn’t know what to think about Marcus.

Evan’s voice softened. “Al… call me when you get a minute. I just… I don’t want to lose touch again.”

“I won’t,” I promised, and I meant it.

After we hung up, I set the phone down and tried to focus on the tea. I held the warm mug in my hands, hoping the heat would calm the nerves running through me.

But then my thoughts shifted to Damon.

He had been gone for hours. Probably still at the stadium, still training, still thinking about Nathan and the Comets and whatever the hell they were planning. I wanted to call him, check in, hear his voice, but I knew he was focused. I couldn’t distract him now.

I walked to the balcony, gripping the railing as the cool night air hit my face. The city lights blinked below, and I felt so small looking at it all. So vulnerable. But in that vulnerability, I felt something else too. Determination.

Damon had trusted me last night. Even after everything, he had shared his fears with me. He had shown me a side of him few people ever saw. And he had left me with a quiet understanding that no matter what happened, we were in this together.

I closed my eyes and let the wind hit my face, imagining him training, imagining the bat cracking against the ball, imagining him fighting off every trap Nathan had set.

I clenched my fists.

I wouldn’t let him face this alone.

I wouldn’t let Nathan win.

The phone buzzed again. Another message from Damon. "Almost done. Heading home after security check."

My heartbeat slowed slightly. At least he was careful. At least he was thinking. At least he was alive.

I set the mug down and walked to the living room window, staring out at the city below. I felt the weight of everything pressing down on me...Nathan, Marcus, the upcoming game, the team but I also felt something stronger. Damon. His trust. His protection. His love and I realized that if I had to stand guard, wait, fight, and worry, I would. Because I couldn’t lose him either.

I sank onto the couch, pulling a blanket around my shoulders. I stared at my phone, hoping for another message, a sign, anything but the silence was thick, heavy, like the calm before a storm and I knew that storm wasn’t just coming.

It was here. Somewhere out there, Nathan was moving pieces, watching, waiting. And Marcus… I still didn’t know if he was loyal or trapped or worse.

My stomach twisted with fear, but I refused to let it show. Damon had trusted me with his fears. I could at least try to be strong for him.

I picked up the phone again and typed a short message to Damon. "Be safe. Come home soon."

I didn’t press send. Instead, I held the phone, feeling the warmth of it in my hands, imagining him reading it later, imagining him remembering my voice, my presence, my trust.

I exhaled slowly and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The night stretched on, quiet, but heavy with possibilities and for the first time, I realized that the hardest part wasn’t waiting.

It was knowing that Nathan wasn’t done and that the next move could come from anywhere.

The apartment was silent except for the faint hum of the city below and I knew... without a doubt that the storm Nathan had started was about to break.

There was nothing I could do to stop it. Except wait and hope.