Lily's POV
The cold air bit at my skin as I bolted through the alley, my breath coming in frantic gasps. My mind raced faster than my feet, a whirlwind of fear, anger, and defiance all tangled together. I couldn't let him catch me. Not again.
I didn't dare look back. I could feel him—Damien's presence, dark and oppressive, like a storm cloud chasing me down. How had it come to this? How had I let him gain so much control over my life, even now, when I thought I had finally broken free?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn't stop to check. Caleb would be on his way, but I couldn't wait for him. Not with Damien this close.
The alley opened up into a street, and I darted into the crowd of people milling about under the city lights. The noise of the bustling sidewalks and honking cars provided a thin veil of protection, but I knew Damien wouldn't stop until he found me.
I ducked into a small café, slipping into a corner booth where I could watch the entrance. My hands trembled as I pulled out my phone and saw Caleb's message:
Stay where you are. I'm almost there.
Relief coursed through me, but it was fleeting. Damien's words from the phone call echoed in my mind. I'm not letting you go. No matter what it takes.
I clenched my fists, anger bubbling beneath the surface. I was tired of being afraid. Tired of letting Damien dictate my life. He had no right to invade my space, my freedom, my peace.
The door to the café jingled open, and I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. But it wasn't Damien. It was Caleb. His sharp eyes scanned the room until they landed on me, and he moved quickly toward my booth.
"Lily," he said, his voice low but urgent. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, but the tension in my body said otherwise. "He's here, Caleb. He broke the window to my apartment."
Caleb's jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know. I ran. I think I lost him, but…" My voice cracked, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded. "I can still feel him."
Caleb slid into the booth across from me, his expression hard. "You're staying with me tonight. I'm not letting him get near you again."
I wanted to argue, to tell him I could handle this on my own, but the truth was, I couldn't. Not when Damien was this relentless.
"Okay," I whispered, my shoulders slumping.
Caleb's hand covered mine briefly, a reassuring gesture that grounded me, if only for a moment.
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Damien's POV
I watched from the shadows as Lily and Caleb exited the café together. She looked shaken, her eyes darting around like a frightened animal. It should have satisfied me, seeing her like this—proof that she still felt me, still thought about me, still belonged to me in ways she refused to admit.
But it didn't.
Seeing her with Caleb, her face softening in his presence, ignited something darker in me. Rage, jealousy, and an uncontrollable need to remind her who she belonged to.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I had been patient. I had given her space to come back to me on her own. But now, watching her with Caleb, I realized my mistake. Lily didn't need space. She needed reminding.
I followed them, keeping a safe distance as Caleb's car weaved through the city streets. My mind raced with plans, each one darker than the last. Caleb thought he could protect her, but he didn't understand. He didn't know her the way I did.
He didn't see the fire in her, the way she came alive when she was pushed to her limits. That fire was mine. I had kindled it, nurtured it, and I wasn't going to let him snuff it out.
They pulled into the parking garage of his building, and I parked a block away, stepping out of my car to watch from a distance.
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Lily's POV
Caleb's apartment felt safe, for now. The windows were reinforced, the locks secure. He had insisted I take the bedroom while he camped out on the couch, but I couldn't sleep. Every creak of the floorboards, every gust of wind against the windows made my heart jump.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone in my hands. A part of me wanted to call the police, but what could I say? That my ex was stalking me, that he had shattered a window and made veiled threats? Without proof, it would be my word against his, and Damien was too clever to leave a trail.
My phone buzzed, and I nearly dropped it. Another message, but this time, not from Caleb.
You can't hide forever.
I stared at the screen, my stomach twisting. Damien.
I blocked the number, but the unease lingered. He was out there, somewhere, watching, waiting.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Caleb poked his head in. "You okay?"
I nodded, forcing a small smile. "Yeah. Just… exhausted."
He stepped inside, his gaze searching mine. "You don't have to do this alone, Lily. I'm here. Whatever you need."
"Thanks, Caleb."
He hesitated for a moment before retreating, leaving the door slightly ajar. I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing.
*BANG*