The night air felt cooler than usual, brushing against Ayla's bare shoulders as she stepped out of Leon's car. The drive back had been quieter than their earlier banter at the restaurant, but not in an uncomfortable way. They'd talked about things she hadn't opened up to anyone about in a long time — dreams she'd forgotten she had, the weight she carried without telling anyone.
Somehow, with Leon, she didn't feel the need to hide.
But all of that froze the second a pair of headlights swept across the driveway.
Leon noticed first, his easy expression flattening into something more guarded. Ayla turned just in time to see Damien's sleek black car pulling up, slow and deliberate, like a predator circling prey.
Her pulse kicked up. Of all nights for him to come back…
The engine went silent. Damien stepped out, every inch of him composed but dangerous, his eyes flicking between them like he was weighing a threat.
"Going somewhere?" His voice was calm, but it held the kind of stillness that made the air heavier.
Ayla straightened, forcing a casual tone. "My car broke down earlier. Leon happened to be driving by and offered to drop me home." The lie slipped out effortlessly, but her stomach knotted.
Damien's gaze didn't waver. He didn't believe her — she could tell. His eyes lingered on her dress, the soft waves of her hair, the faint hint of perfume. Date night written all over her.
Leon, however, didn't bother hiding his smirk. "So she's not allowed to be friends with me now?"
Damien's mouth curved into a crooked smile, but it was anything but friendly. "Thanks for dropping my girlfriend off. I really appreciate it." He let the word girlfriend hang in the air, heavy and deliberate.
A muscle in Leon's jaw twitched. The air between them thickened, tension crackling like a storm about to break.
Ayla, sensing it spiraling, stepped in. "Thanks, Leon. Goodnight."
Leon's eyes stayed locked on Damien for a moment longer before he glanced at Ayla. He gave her a short nod, acknowledging her words, then turned and got into his car.
The engine rumbled to life, and with one last glare at Damien, Leon pulled away from the curb. The red glow of his taillights faded into the distance, but the weight of the encounter stayed behind, pressing down on the driveway like a shadow that refused to lift.
Ayla turned to Damien, forcing a small smile. "You didn't tell me you'd be arriving tonight. I'd have come by the airport to pick you up." She was trying to soften the tension, to pull them back into something that resembled normal.
Damien's eyes didn't soften. "I thought to surprise you," he said smoothly. Then, after a pause that cut sharper than any raised voice: "Didn't know I'd be the surprised one here. Going out with your ex now?"
Her throat went dry. He wasn't buying the first lie — not when her car sat parked neatly in the compound, clearly not broken down.
She cleared her throat, summoning another excuse. "My dad was the one who set up the date for us. He wants us to be friends even when we no longer date." Another lie, this one heavier, but she hoped he'd bite.
Damien studied her for a moment, then smiled — slow and unreadable. He stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. "I missed you so much," he murmured against her hair.
The embrace felt warm, but beneath it, Ayla could feel the tight coil of tension that hadn't really left.