LILY'S POV
I could feel him, even after he'd stepped back. His presence lingered in the air, thick and suffocating, a constant pressure against my chest. I wanted to breathe freely again, to push him out of my mind, but every part of me screamed in opposition. Damien's words were like poison in my veins, twisting my thoughts, clouding my judgment.
I didn't know how much time passed, but I was still standing there, trapped in the same place where his dark gaze had first claimed me. The space between us felt impossibly small, my heart racing with each breath I took, unsure whether I was more terrified of him or the fact that a part of me was drawn to him in a way I didn't understand.
"Lily," Damien said, his voice low, almost tender now. The shift in his tone sent a shiver down my spine. "You've been standing here, pretending you have a choice".
I shook my head, my body refusing to acknowledge the truth I could no longer deny. "I don't... I don't want this."
"You keep telling yourself that." He took a slow step toward me, his eyes locked onto mine like a predator sizing up its prey. "But the truth is, you're not running away from me, Lily. You're running away from yourself. From what you need. From what you crave."
His words were like chains, binding me tighter, making it harder to breathe, harder to think. He was so close now, his figure looming over me, and I couldn't move. The air felt heavy, thick with the weight of his intentions.
I took a shaky step back, but my legs betrayed me, my body refusing to comply with the desperate impulse to flee. Instead, I stood rooted in place, as if some invisible rope was keeping me there, close to him, unable to break free.
"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, my voice barely audible as I looked up at him. "What do you really want from me, Damien?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached forward, his fingers grazing my cheek with a feather-light touch, sending a jolt of electricity through my skin. "I want you to understand that there's no escaping this," he said, his voice raw with something I couldn't place. "Not from me. Not from what us. I've wanted you for so long and now..."
I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding in my throat as I tried to find my voice again. "I don't need this. I don't need you."
His hand moved from my cheek to my neck, his thumb lightly tracing the curve of my jaw, as if memorizing the feel of my skin. "Then why are you still here?" His voice dropped, turning darker, like a warning. "You keep lying to yourself, Lily. But you're mine. You've always been mine."
The certainty in his words rattled me to my core, and for a moment, I wasn't sure whether I was going to scream or break down in tears. The fear mixed with something else-something far more dangerous. I hated how easily he could unearth emotions I never asked for, emotions I didn't want to have.
"I'm not and I never will be," I spat, trying to summon the strength to push him away, but my voice faltered, and the words felt hollow, weak.
Damien's smirk deepened, his grip tightening on my neck, not in a violent way, but in a way that made me realize just how much power he had over me. "You're so much more mine than you think," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Every part of you is screaming for me, even if you won't admit it."
"Thats not true," I said, but it was more for myself than for him. I couldn't fight the pull, couldn't ignore the ache in the pit of my stomach, the way my body betrayed me every time he was near.
"Oh yes it is," he said, his voice soft, almost coaxing. "And deep down, you know it. You're not just afraid of me, Lily. You're afraid of what you'll feel once you let go of yourself. You're afraid of how badly you want this."
I clenched my fists at my sides, but they shook as I tried to maintain some semblance of control. "You're wrong," I hissed, my heart pounding in my chest. "You don't know anything about me."
He chuckled, a sound that held no humor, only dark amusement. "I know more about you than you realize. You've been pretending for too long. Hiding behind your walls, your lies. But I can see through them. And I'm going to show you everything you've been running from."
His lips were close to mine now, his breath mingling with mine, and I couldn't pull away. I wanted to. God, I wanted to run. But my body, my mind, everything inside me screamed for something I was too afraid to admit.
"I can't do this," I whispered, barely hearing the words over the pounding in my ears. "I can't be with someone like you."
"You already are," Damien said, his voice so low, it sent a chill down my spine. His lips hovered just above mine, his fingers threading through my hair, pulling me closer. "You've always been with me, Lily. Whether you want to admit it or not."
His lips brushed against mine, just a whisper of contact, but it was enough to make my head spin, to set every nerve in my body alight. The heat between us was undeniable, and I hated myself for wanting it, for needing it.
"No," I gasped, my hands instinctively pushing against his chest, though they were weak now "I won't give in."
Damien's lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "You already have."
He kissed me then, his mouth taking mine with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs. His kiss was demanding, his hands firm on my back, pulling me closer until there was no space between us. And I wanted to fight, I wanted to push him away, but instead, I responded, my hands gripping the fabric of his shirt as if I couldn't stop myself.
I was losing myself in him. And I hated it. I hated the way he made me feel weak, the way he unraveled me with just a kiss, with just his touch. But there was no denying it-I wanted him. I was starting to want everything he offered, even if it terrified me.
When he finally pulled away, his lips wet with mine, his voice was rough, full of dark satisfaction. "You think you're in control with how you feel, but you're not. You never were."
I was breathless, unable to speak, too confused by the storm of emotions inside me. His eyes, dark and dangerous, never left mine as he took a step back. "You'll come to understand, Lily. I always get what I want. And right now, I only want you."
I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him he was wrong, but no words came. There was nothing left to say.