Chapter 54 54
Damien sat on the edge of the bed, his back stiff, his hands clenched into fists. He didn’t know why he was waiting. Perhaps, in some sick way, he was hoping Lila would come to him...beg him to explain himself or make things right. But he knew deep down that it wasn’t her responsibility to fix what he had broken.
The silence in the room was thick, suffocating. His thoughts were like a hurricane, swirling and churning, but he couldn’t find the right words to say. The weight of the truth hung over him, but he didn’t want to face it, not yet. Not now.
He heard the soft shuffle of footsteps outside the door, and his heart skipped a beat, though he quickly silenced the stupid hope that surged through him. It was her. He could feel her presence just outside the room, lingering, waiting for something...anything...from him.
Damien didn’t move. The door creaked open, and there she stood, her eyes swollen from sleepless nights, her face drawn and pale. Lila looked like a ghost of herself, and the sight made Damien’s gut twist with something that might have been guilt...if he wasn’t so damn angry.
She looked at him, hesitating for a moment before taking a step inside, the weight of the tension between them palpable.
Damien didn’t bother to look up at her right away. He stayed staring at the floor, his jaw clenched, his mind racing with everything he wanted to say. But none of it felt right. None of it felt worth saying to her. She didn’t deserve to hear his words when she’d turned into someone he couldn’t recognize. Maybe he was angry at her, or maybe he was angry at himself...he wasn’t sure anymore.
“You’re leaving tomorrow,” Lila said, her voice small, barely audible, like she wasn’t sure if she had the right to even speak to him.
Damien glanced up at her for the first time, meeting her gaze with a coldness he didn’t even know he could muster. “Yeah, I have a business trip.” He didn’t add anything more. There was no need to explain himself.
Lila stood there in the doorway, her body tense, her hands gripping the edges of her sleeves. She didn’t step forward, as if waiting for him to say something, anything that could bridge the gaping hole between them. But deep down inside, Lila was a little bit happy cause she finally had a little time to breathe. But Lila wasn't sure if Damien was ready for that. Not yet.“You’re not even going to say goodbye?” Her voice cracked, almost showing the happiness within her, as the words slipped out before she could stop them.
Damien’s heart clenched, but he pushed the feeling away. He refused to let it pull him into a place of vulnerability, where he might cause her more pain or care about the pain in her voice. It was easier this way..detached, indifferent.
“I don’t have time for that,” he said bluntly, turning his attention back to the suitcase he had half-packed on the bed. He didn’t need to look at her to know she was still standing there, waiting for something more. But there was nothing more to give.
Lila stood still, her expression unreadable. It was the kind of look that drove Damien mad...the kind of look that made him wonder if she was just waiting for some grand gesture from him, something to show that he still cared. But he didn’t care. Not right now or anymore.
“I don’t expect anything from you, Lila,” Damien added with a dismissive shrug, his voice laced with sarcasm. “You’ve made it clear where we stand.”
Her eyes widened at his words, a flash of pain crossing her face. It was fleeting, but Damien saw it. Still, he didn’t care. Not yet.
“You’re going to leave like this?” Lila asked, her voice barely a whisper as if she was mocking him in her way. There was a tremor in it now, a crack in her armor. As she asked again, “After everything?”
Damien stood up abruptly, throwing his jacket over his shoulder. He didn’t bother responding to her question. What was there to say? He was tired of talking. He was tired of feeling like everything he did was wrong, like every move he made only pushed her further away. He didn’t know what to do anymore, so he chose silence.
He walked past her without a second glance, heading for the door, but Lila stepped forward, her hand reaching out.
“You’re just going to walk away again, Damien?” She didn’t touch him, but her fingers hovered just inches from his arm, trembling. “Is that it?”
Damien’s body stiffened, the anger he had been suppressing bubbling up to the surface. He who knew all that Lila was saying was just a tease, turned to face her, his eyes hard as stone.
“Don’t make it sound like I’m the one who’s been walking away,” he snapped, his voice biting. “You’ve made your position clear, haven’t you? You don’t need me anymore. You’ve already made up your mind about everything, so don’t pretend like I’m the one who’s leaving you.”
The words hit Lila like a slap, and she recoiled slightly, as though they had physically struck her. But Damien didn’t care. He was beyond caring. He had given up too much already...too many apologies, too many attempts to fix what couldn’t be fixed.
Lila didn’t speak at first, but Damien saw the way her lips trembled, the way her eyes filled with unshed tears. For a moment, he almost felt guilty. But then he remembered..he had his reasons for being this way, for shutting her out. And damn it, he wasn’t going to apologize. Not now.
“I’m going to go,” he muttered, his voice softer now but still cold. “You can stay here, or you can leave, but I’m done fighting over this.”
Lila opened her mouth, a little smile beaming through her face, her voice raw with emotion. “Why are you doing this? Why are you treating me like this? After everything?”
Damien turned his back on her without answering. He knew her owed her an explanation, an apology, a sincere one for that matter, but as for now, He didn’t owe her an explanation. Not now, not yet.
“You think I’m the one who’s been making it hard?” he said, his words laced with frustration. “You think it’s easy for me, too?”
There was a bitter edge to his words that felt foreign even to him, but it was the truth. He was suffocating, caught in his web of mistakes and insecurities. He had been trying to control everything, to force things to work, but in the end, it had only made everything worse.
“I’ll be gone for a few days,” Damien said as he grabbed his suitcase and headed toward the door. “Maybe you’ll have some time to think things over.”
Lila stared at him for a long moment, and for a brief second, Damien thought she might say something...anything..that would make him reconsider. But she didn’t. She just stood there, silent, her hands hanging loosely by her sides.
Damien turned the handle and stepped out into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind him with finality. He didn’t look back.
The weight of the decision was pressing down on him, but he didn’t want to think about it right now. He didn't want anything to distract him for now, and he wanted to put his full attention to the business he was about to do. He had made his choice. He had to go. The business trip was more important...more pressing.
He wasn’t ready to face the mess he had created with Lila. Not yet. And maybe when he returned, he would finally figure out what to say, what to do to fix it.
But for now, he left it all behind, walking away from the only thing that had ever truly mattered to him.
Damien felt the familiar pang of regret twist in his gut as he boarded the plane, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Lila. He wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. But he was certain of one thing...he wasn’t ready to deal with her yet. He needed time, space, and distance.
The business trip was a necessary distraction. But when he returned, things would be different. He would figure out how to fix everything. But for now, he needed to focus on the work ahead.
And maybe, just maybe, when he came back, Lila would be waiting. Or maybe she wouldn’t.
Either way, Damien knew he wasn’t ready to make amends just yet.Not until he had the time to figure out what he truly wanted.