DAMIEN'S POV
Two weeks. That's how long it's been since the gala—the night I lost control, the night I let everything slip through my fingers. But the truth? It wasn't the gala that broke me. It was her. Lily.
Lily, with her cold, determined stare, her perfect façade that hides the fire inside. She thinks she can walk away from me, as if that's even possible. As if she could ever really leave me behind, no matter how far she runs, no matter who she's with.
Caleb. That fucking bastard. I hate how he keeps inserting himself into her life, as if he has any right to be there. She's mine. She always has been. But he's persistent, isn't he? I watch them every day, each small interaction, each move he makes toward her. He's so damn sure of himself, so convinced that he can win her back.
But what Caleb doesn't know, what he'll never understand, is that Lily doesn't want someone who's predictable. She doesn't want someone who's safe. She wants power. She wants intensity. And she had that with me.
She will have it again.
I sit in the parked car, just down the street from her apartment, watching her routine unfold like clockwork. It's not the first time I've done this, and it won't be the last. I've learned the rhythm of her days—the way she moves through the world as if nothing can touch her. But I know better. She's mine, and I will take her back.
Today, as usual, she steps out of the building at exactly 8:30 a.m. Her hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders, the sunlight catching on the strands, making her look almost ethereal. I can't help but watch, completely entranced by her every movement. She's so damn beautiful, like a work of art, a masterpiece that no one but me should be allowed to admire.
I watch her walk to the corner of the street, where Caleb's sleek black car is waiting for her. He's already in the driver's seat, looking as calm and composed as always. His hands grip the steering wheel like a man who believes he's in control.
He's not.
As she slides into the car, I feel a rush of anger flood my chest, but I bury it down. I remind myself to breathe, to stay focused. If I give in to the rage, if I let it control me, I won't be able to get what I want.
I pull out of my parking spot, following them at a safe distance. It's pathetic, I know. But it's the only way to stay close to her without alerting her to my presence. I have to watch, to keep track of every move they make, even if it means hiding in the shadows like some fucking voyeur.
I hate it. I hate how much I need her. But I can't stop myself.
The car ride takes them to a coffee shop—nothing special, just a small local place that Lily frequents. Caleb is always so careful with her, so attentive. I want to punch him in the face every time I see him smile at her, like he's the one who knows her. He doesn't. He'll never know her the way I do. He'll never understand the pull between us, the tension, the fire that exists only in the space between us.
I sit across the street, in the shadows, and watch them through the window. They talk, laugh even, their faces close. My jaw tightens, and I feel the familiar stirrings of jealousy that I try so hard to keep under control. But it's impossible. Watching them together feels like a slow burn, every second of it eating me from the inside out.
She's sitting on the edge of her seat, listening intently as Caleb speaks. There's a softness to her expression that I haven't seen in weeks. I almost can't bear it. She hasn't looked at me like that in months. Not since the day she slapped me in the office. Not since I lost her.
But Caleb doesn't know what I do. He doesn't know the depth of her pain, the way she still carries the weight of everything that happened between us. She may smile at him, laugh with him, but I can see the cracks in her façade. I know her too well to miss the way her eyes flicker with something darker, something she hasn't shared with anyone. Something that only I've seen.
The thought of her being vulnerable with Caleb makes my skin crawl. But I tell myself to be patient. This is all part of the plan.
After a while, they finish their drinks, and Caleb walks her to his car, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. It's almost tender. Too tender. I can feel my control slipping again, but I don't react. Not yet.
I follow them back to her apartment. Caleb pulls away, driving off in the opposite direction, leaving her alone to go inside. She doesn't look back, doesn't even glance over her shoulder to check if I'm there. But I know she feels me, senses my presence even if she refuses to acknowledge it.
I drive past her building once more, slowly, just to make sure she's really inside. The lights flicker on in her apartment window as I turn the corner, and I exhale, my chest tight with the need to be closer to her, to break down whatever walls she's put up between us.
Caleb is a temporary distraction. I'm not blind. I know he's trying to win her back, trying to be the man she needs. But Lily isn't the kind of woman you win with flowers and soft words. She's a force. And no one but me knows how to handle her.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. It won't be long before she realizes that. It won't be long before she remembers who she really belongs to.
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The days pass in a blur, but I continue my surveillance, observing her every move. It's become a routine now. I watch as she leaves the apartment each morning, walks into work, and meets Caleb for lunch.
I know their routine by heart. They're always together in the same places, at the same times. They think I'm unaware, that I'm just watching from the sidelines. But they're wrong. I see everything. Every smile she gives him, every time she laughs at one of his jokes.
They're blind to the truth. They think they can just slip into each other's lives, as if nothing ever happened. But I won't let that happen.
I've seen how Caleb tries so hard to be the man she needs. The little things—he opens the door for her, pays for her coffee, touches her like she's the most precious thing in the world. It should disgust me. But instead, I find myself admiring him for his persistence. He's a fool, of course. He doesn't realize that all the kindness in the world can't make up for the one thing he'll never have: the dark, twisted connection I share with Lily.
I know that Caleb is falling for her again. I see it in the way his eyes linger on her, the way his hands tremble when he touches her. But she's still distant. Still guarded. I can see it, and I know why.
She's waiting. She's waiting for me to come back. She doesn't realize it yet, but she's waiting. And when she's finally ready to admit it, when the realization hits her that she can't escape what we had, I'll be there. I'll be waiting.
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Today, as I sit in my car across from her apartment building again, I feel a familiar tug in my chest. She's with Caleb again, walking through the park this time. Her smile is genuine, free, as if she doesn't have a care in the world. She's letting herself be happy again, but I know it's just a mask. I know the truth.
She's mine. And I'm going to remind her of that.
She won't be able to stay away forever. I'll make sure of it.
I watch her turn the corner, my grip tightening around the steering wheel.
It's just a matter of time.