The days following their tense hallway encounter were anything but ordinary. Aria thought the storm would pass if she kept her head down and avoided Damien, but it only seemed to fuel his intensity. His presence loomed larger, his control over her thoughts more suffocating. Yet there were moments—small, fleeting cracks in his armor—where she saw something in his eyes that wasn't anger or cruelty.
But those moments were rare, overshadowed by the unease he stirred in her.
Aria tried to focus on her studies, but even her sanctuary—the library—was no longer safe. Every creak of the door or rustle of movement sent her heart racing, wondering if Damien had found her again. And while he hadn't approached her since that day, his shadow lingered in her mind.
---
That Friday, after school, Aria stayed behind to finish a project in the art room. The quiet hum of the fan and the scent of paint were calming, a welcome escape from the chaos of her thoughts. She had nearly finished when the lights flickered.
She froze, her hand pausing mid-stroke.
The flicker was followed by a dull thud, like the sound of a door slamming in the distance. She glanced at the clock. It was late—most of the staff had probably left by now.
Forcing herself to stay calm, she packed her supplies quickly, her movements brisk and deliberate. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
She turned a corner and stopped dead in her tracks.
Damien was there, leaning against the wall, his dark eyes fixed on her.
"Working late, Bennett?" he asked, his voice smooth but laced with something that sent a shiver down her spine.
"What do you want, Damien?" she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended.
His smirk faded, replaced by something more serious. "We need to talk."
"I don't have anything to say to you," she snapped, moving to walk past him.
But he stepped in her path, blocking her way. "Too bad. I'm not giving you a choice."
Her pulse quickened. She glanced around, realizing how isolated they were. "You can't keep doing this," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Doing what?" he asked, his tone dangerously low. "Talking to you? Watching you? Thinking about you?"
Aria's breath hitched. "Why are you doing this?"
Damien stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tightening. "Because I can't stop."
The admission hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.
Aria took a step back, her heart pounding. "That's not my problem."
"It is now," he said, his voice soft but firm.
His words were a mixture of warning and promise, and they left her feeling more confused than ever. She didn't understand him—his anger, his possessiveness, or the way he seemed to oscillate between wanting to push her away and pulling her closer.
"Why me?" she asked finally, her voice barely audible.
Damien hesitated, his expression flickering with something she couldn't place. Vulnerability? Regret?
"Because you make me feel things I don't want to feel," he said quietly.
Before she could respond, the sound of a door slamming nearby made them both jump. Damien's posture stiffened, his gaze darting toward the source of the noise.
"Stay here," he said, his tone shifting to something protective.
"What?" Aria whispered, her confusion growing.
"Just stay here," he repeated, his voice more urgent.
He moved toward the sound, leaving her standing there, her thoughts spinning.
---
The sound had come from the gymnasium. Damien pushed the door open cautiously, his senses on high alert.
Inside, he found two juniors—Max and Tyler—messing around with gym equipment. At the sight of Damien, they froze, their laughter dying instantly.
"Didn't realize the gym was still open," Max said nervously, his voice cracking.
"It's not," Damien replied coldly.
Tyler nudged Max, and the two quickly gathered their things, mumbling apologies as they hurried out.
Damien lingered for a moment, his fists clenching and unclenching. He didn't know what he'd been expecting—some sort of threat, maybe—but the thought of anyone else being in the building with Aria had set him on edge.
When he returned to the hallway, Aria was still there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"What was it?" she asked, her voice tentative.
"Nothing," he said shortly.
"Then why—"
"Because I don't trust anyone," he interrupted, his tone sharp. "Not around you."
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't respond.
---
That night, Damien lay awake in bed, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He didn't understand himself anymore. He was angry—angry at her for making him feel things he didn't want to feel, angry at himself for being unable to let her go.
She was under his skin, in his head, and it was driving him mad.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a message from Ryan.
"Dude, you've been weird lately. What's going on?"
Damien stared at the screen for a long moment before tossing the phone aside. He couldn't explain it to Ryan—or anyone else. How could he? How could he admit that the girl he was supposed to be tormenting had become his obsession?
And worse, that he didn't know if he wanted to protect her or destroy her.
---
The weekend passed in a blur, and by Monday morning, Aria was dreading school. She had barely slept, her mind replaying Damien's words over and over.
When she arrived, she found a small note tucked into her locker.
"This isn't over."
She stared at the words, her stomach twisting. She didn't know if it was a threat or a promise.
And that terrified her.