The rest of the day passes in a haze. I barely remember leaving the café, Damon's words echoing in my mind. You're mine. And no matter how much you fight it, you'll never be free of me.
It's like he's branded me with those words, and the weight of them sits on my chest like a burden I can't shake off. It's been hours since I saw him, but his presence still lingers, haunting the edges of my thoughts.
I can't seem to escape him. Not even in my head.
I make my way home in a daze, my mind foggy, trying to convince myself that this is all just a phase. That I can go back to how things were before he showed up before everything between us got complicated.
But the truth is, I don't want to go back.
I stop just outside my door, my fingers resting on the handle. Every part of me is screaming to just open it, to walk inside and forget about Damon, but I can't. I can't shake the feeling that he's waiting for me on the other side, that I'm about to walk straight into a storm I have no control over.
I pull out my phone again, staring at the message from him. He's not stopped texting. Every notification is a reminder of how tangled up I am in him.
Come to me, Ella. Now.
I hesitate for only a second before responding, my fingers moving on their own.
I don't know if I can do this anymore.
I hit send and immediately regretted it. I'm not sure if I'm looking for a way out or just a response, but my heart races at the thought of what he might say.
The phone buzzes almost immediately.
You don't have to know. I'll take care of everything.
I feel the tension in my shoulders loosens just slightly. But it doesn't stop the storm inside me. My heart beats erratically, unsure of whether I'm running toward something I want or something I fear.
I don't know what's happening anymore. But I do know one thing: I can't keep pretending that I don't feel this pull. I can't keep fighting what's happening between us.
I open the door, step inside, and grab my coat. Without another thought, I make my way to his place. Every step feels like a betrayal, but I'm too far gone to stop now.
---
When I get there, the door is already open, as if he's been waiting for me. Damon is standing in the living room, his back to me, but when he hears me, he turns around, his gaze locking with mine.
"Ella," he says, his voice a low murmur. It's both an invitation and a command, and I don't know which one scares me more.
I swallow hard, but I don't speak. I just walk toward him, my steps slow, deliberate. I can feel the air around us crackling with energy, a tension I can almost touch.
When I reach him, I stop. We're standing so close now that I can feel the heat of his body, and can almost taste the air between us. There's no escaping this. No turning back.
"Are you ready?" Damon asks, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands rest at his sides, but I know the moment I give him the signal, he'll take control.
"I don't know if I'll ever be ready," I admit, my voice shaking. "But I can't fight it anymore."
He steps forward, his lips brushing against my ear. "You don't have to fight it, Ella. You never have to fight it again."
Before I can even respond, his hands are on me, pulling me into him, and I lose all sense of control. His lips crash against mine, a kiss full of urgency, and desperation. It's not like the others. It's more—more need, more hunger, more of everything I've been trying to deny.
I feel like I'm drowning in him, and part of me wants to break free, to pull away, but another part of me is too far gone to care. I want this. I want him. I can't stop myself anymore.
I try to push him away, but my hands are trembling, my body betraying me as I clutch at his shirt. The tension between us is unbearable. Every touch, every movement feels like it's going to snap me in half. But when he pulls away, just enough to look at me, I see the same fire in his eyes that's burning through me.
"I told you I wouldn't let go," he says, his voice rough, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
I can barely form a response, my mind too clouded, too consumed with the way he makes me feel. But I manage to whisper, "I know."
He smiles then, a slow, predatory grin, and it sends a chill down my spine. But it's not fear. It's something else entirely.
"You're mine now, Ella," he murmurs, his hands trailing down my back, pulling me even closer. "And you'll never want to leave."