The fallout from the library encounter left Aria shaken and confused. Damien's words, his actions—everything about him seemed like a puzzle with missing pieces. She wanted to avoid him, to stay as far away from his chaos as possible, but something about him pulled her in.
Meanwhile, Damien was spiraling. The incident in the library had been too close for comfort. The thought of someone using Aria to hurt him had struck a nerve he didn't even know he had. But it wasn't just about her safety—he was starting to question why he cared so much.
---
The next morning, Aria sat in the back of her history class, staring blankly at her notebook. She barely noticed when Emma slid into the seat next to her.
"You look like you haven't slept," Emma said, her voice tinged with concern.
"I haven't," Aria admitted.
Emma leaned closer. "What happened last night? You disappeared after school."
Aria hesitated, debating how much to reveal. "I got an email… someone wanted to meet me at the library. It was a setup."
Emma's eyes widened. "What? Are you okay? Did you tell anyone?"
"Damien showed up," Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Emma's expression darkened. "Of course, he did. He's always lurking around you."
Aria shook her head. "He stopped the guy from doing anything, Emma. He… protected me."
Emma scoffed. "Protected you? Aria, he's the reason you're in this mess. Don't let him manipulate you."
Aria wanted to argue but stopped herself. Emma didn't understand—how could she? Even Aria didn't fully understand Damien or his intentions.
---
By lunch, the whispers had quieted, but Aria could still feel the weight of people's stares. She kept her head down, focusing on her tray of food she had no intention of eating.
"Mind if I join you?"
She didn't have to look up to know it was Damien.
"You're not exactly subtle, are you?" she said without looking at him.
"I don't do subtle," he replied, dropping into the seat across from her.
Aria sighed, finally meeting his gaze. "Why are you here?"
"Because we need to talk," he said firmly.
"About what?"
"About what happened last night," Damien said, his tone serious. "You need to tell me if anything like that happens again."
"Why do you care?" Aria demanded, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Because I do," he said, his voice low and intense.
She stared at him, trying to decipher his expression. For a moment, she thought she saw something vulnerable, something raw. But then it was gone, replaced by the familiar mask of control.
"Fine," she said finally. "But only because I don't want to end up in another situation like that."
---
Later that day, Aria found herself in the library again, her thoughts too loud to ignore. She was searching for anything to distract herself when she noticed a shadow fall across the table.
"Bennett," Damien said, his voice softer than usual.
She looked up, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to show you something," he said, sliding into the seat next to her.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper and placed it in front of her. Aria unfolded it carefully, her breath catching as she read the words.
It was a list—names, dates, and locations. At the bottom, there was a single note: "Aria Bennett is his weakness."
"What is this?" she whispered, her hands trembling.
"It's a hit list," Damien said bluntly. "Whoever sent that email isn't just messing around. They want to hurt me, and they're using you to do it."
Aria felt a cold wave of fear wash over her. "Why would they do that?"
Damien hesitated, his jaw tightening. "Because I've made enemies. And now they think you're the way to get to me."
"Why me?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"Because you matter to me," he said, his voice barely audible.
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
---
That night, Aria couldn't sleep. Her mind replayed Damien's words over and over, along with the image of the list. Whoever was behind this wasn't just targeting her—they were targeting him, too.
She pulled out her laptop, determined to find answers. But hours of searching yielded nothing, and the frustration was starting to set in when she remembered something Damien had said: "I've made enemies."
What kind of enemies? And why?
---
Meanwhile, Damien was sitting in his car, parked outside the school. He had spent the evening following leads, trying to trace the origin of the email. But whoever was behind it was good—too good.
His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. It was a text from Ryan.
"Need to talk. Call me."
Damien sighed and dialed the number.
"Finally," Ryan said when he answered. "Where have you been, man?"
"Busy," Damien said curtly. "What do you want?"
"I heard about the email," Ryan said, his tone serious. "You think it's connected to—"
"Yeah," Damien interrupted. "I'm working on it."
"Be careful, Damien," Ryan said. "Whoever this is, they're not messing around."
"I know," Damien said, his voice grim.
---
The next morning, Aria found a note tucked into her locker.
"Meet me at the track. 7 PM. Don't be late."
She stared at the note, her heart pounding.
Damien was waiting for her after school, leaning casually against her car.
"Got another note?" he asked, his expression unreadable.
"How did you know?" she asked suspiciously.
"Because they're predictable," he said. "I'll come with you."
"No," she said firmly. "I'm not letting you drag me into more of your drama."
"This isn't about drama, Bennett. This is about keeping you safe," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
She hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But stay out of sight."
---
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Aria made her way to the track. She spotted a figure standing near the bleachers and felt a surge of fear.
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice shaking.
The figure stepped forward, and she recognized the boy from the library.
"Miss me?" he asked with a smirk.
Before she could respond, a shadow moved behind him, and Damien emerged, his expression murderous.
"I warned you," Damien growled.
The boy's smirk faltered, but he didn't back down. "You can't protect her forever, Carter."
"We'll see about that," Damien said, stepping closer.
Aria watched in stunned silence as the two boys faced off, the tension crackling like electricity in the air.
She didn't know how this would end, but one thing was certain—her life would never be the same.