Lila's pov
"It's been a long time," he murmured. His smile was soft, but there was something in his eyes—something I couldn't quite place. "You're still as beautiful as ever."
I let out a nervous laugh, stepping back slightly. "It's been years, Damon. I didn't think I'd see you again."
"I didn't think I'd see you either. Not after everything that happened." He tilted his head slightly, his eyes scanning my face like he was searching for something. "But here we are. Life's funny like that, huh?"
I nodded "Yeah, funny."
We stood there for a moment in silence, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the first time we'd seen each other in the last few days. But that didn't make sense. It couldn't be.
"I heard you got married." Damon's voice broke the silence, his tone casual but with jealousy " To Alex Kane, of all people. You always did aim high."
I blinked, caught off guard by his words. There was a sharpness in his tone that didn't sit right. I frowned slightly. "Yeah, I'm married to Alex. It's…been a while now."
Damon smirked, his eyes narrowing a little as he leaned against the edge of the table. "Alex Kane. The hero himself. Must be nice, being married to someone like that. But you know…" He tilted his head, his voice lowering slightly. "He doesn't deserve you."
I stiffened, taken aback by the comment. "What do you mean by that?"
He shrugged, his smirk widening. "I mean, look at you. You're sitting here alone, in the middle of the night, while your husband's out playing hero. Doesn't seem right, does it?"
My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I wasn't sure how to respond. There was something in his words that hit too close to home, something that made me feel even more unsettled than I already was.
"I—he's out doing his job," I said quietly, my voice unsure.
Damon chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, his job. But what about you, Lila? What about what you need? You deserve someone who's there for you"
I swallowed hard, looking away. He wasn't wrong. I had been feeling so alone lately, even when Alex was home. But this—this was different. Damon didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't know the complexities of my marriage, the weight of being with someone like Alex.
"Stop," I said, shaking my head. "It's not like that."
"Isn't it?" Damon's voice softened, but there was still that arrogant edge to it. He took a step closer"You know, I never stopped thinking about you, Lila. Even after all these years."
I glanced up at him, feeling that strange déjà vu again, like we'd already had this conversation. But no—that wasn't possible. We hadn't seen each other in years. So why did it feel like we had?
"I missed you," Damon continued, his voice low and smooth. "I always wondered what would've happened if I hadn't left. If we hadn't—"
I cut him off. "You had to leave, Damon. You had no choice. We both know that."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still…seeing you now, it makes me wonder what could've been."
Damon leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You ever feel like something's missing, Lila? Like there's a part of you that's just…gone?"
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. That feeling—the one I'd been carrying for days now—it was exactly what he was describing. I stared at him, my heart racing again. "Yeah," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I do."
Damon's eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw a glimpse of the boy I used to love. "I know that feeling," he said quietly. "When Isaac died and then my mom…I felt like a part of me was ripped away. That's why I left, you know? I couldn't stay here anymore. Everything reminded me of them."
I nodded, remembering now. Isaac, his younger brother died in a hero and villain clash and his mother had committed suicide due to the sadness. It had been too much for him to handle back then. We were just kids, but the weight of it had crushed him. That was why he had to leave. That was why we had to break up.
"I remember," I said softly. "I'm sorry, Damon. I'm so sorry."
He gave me a small, sad smile. "It's not your fault. Life happens, you know? But seeing you now…it feels like maybe some things aren't as gone as I thought."
I didn't know what to say to that. The feelings of the past, of our breakup, of everything we'd been through, were all flooding back to me. But at the same time, there was that strange gap in my memory, that nagging feeling that we had met before—recently. And I couldn't shake it.
We stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of our past hangin
g in the air between us. Finally, I broke the silence.