"She's not worth it, Damien."
Jake's voice echoed in my mind. I didn't know why those words kept haunting me every time I closed my eyes to sleep. I rolled to my side, restless and frustrated. Maybe I should start counting sheep to forget it.
Jake wouldn't have said that if Damien had really moved on, right? He must have known that Damien was still living under the shadow of his ex.
I sighed. I should've thought about the aftermath of that kiss before I let him close to me. Now here I was, lying awake, overthinking everything and feeling… insecure.
Because honestly, it felt too good to be true. The chemistry between us was undeniable — or at least, I thought so.
He was too good to be true… and too dangerous for my heart.
I liked him.
Too much.
And that terrified me.
Because once I fell, there might be no way back.
I thought of Ruby — the girl everyone said was his ex. She was beautiful, confident, radiant. A complete goddess. Compared to her, I felt small, ordinary, and replaceable. Maybe I was just a distraction to him. A rebound.
I buried my face in my hands. "Get a grip, Amelia," I muttered to myself and began counting sheep.
---
The next morning, I dragged myself to campus for Fluid Mechanics class. I was exhausted — thanks to my sleepless night and the thoughts of Damien stuck in my head.
After class, I had no reason to stay, but my feet betrayed me. Instead of heading home, I found myself walking toward the dance club rehearsal room.
Don't ask me why. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe I just wanted to see her.
Before I could reach the door, a girl stepped out, panting and leaning on her knees like she'd just finished a marathon. She looked up and smiled at me.
"Hey," she said breathlessly. "Can I help you?"
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. Maybe this was a mistake.
"The practice is tough," she continued with a laugh, glancing back into the room. "I wasn't ready for this level of training, and it's only my first week."
So she was new too.
"I can see that," I said politely, managing a small smile.
"Are you joining?" she asked cheerfully. "I saw you at the booth during the club promotion day."
I blinked. She remembered me?
"Oh—uh, I'm not really a dancer," I replied. "I was just drawn to the video playing that day."
At the mention of the video, her face lit up. "Right? Damien's performance was amazing. She's like a legend here. My role model, honestly." Her expression softened. "Too bad she left."
That made me pause. "Left? What do you mean?"
"You didn't know?" she asked, looking surprised. "Girl, you missed the biggest story of this campus."
I stayed quiet as she continued, clearly enjoying her role as the unofficial gossip girl.
"She dated our star quarterback — Vaughn Cooper," she said dramatically.
Of course. I knew that part.
"But she broke up with him," she added. "And then, three months later, she just… disappeared. No one's heard from her since."
My eyes widened. "What?"
"Yeah," the girl whispered, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Some say he went crazy trying to find her. Her friends blamed him for what happened. But no one really knows the truth."
A chill ran down my spine.
Everything suddenly made sense — the stares, the whispers whenever Damien and I were seen together. It wasn't just gossip or jealousy. It was because I had unknowingly stepped into the middle of an unfinished love story.
"I can't believe you didn't know," she said with a shrug. "Anyway, I'm Taylor." She smiled and offered her hand. "You are?"
I hesitated before shaking it. "Amelia."
"Nice to meet you, Amelia," she said warmly. "You should join the club. We could be dance partners."
Before I could reply, one of the senior dancers gave me a suspicious glance from the room. My nerves spiked.
"I—uh, have to go," I said quickly, giving Taylor an apologetic smile before walking away.
---
That night, I lay awake again.
So this is what it feels like — being afraid to fall for someone who's out of reach. Maybe it was better to protect my heart before it shattered completely.
Now that I knew more about Damien's past, I didn't know if I should feel relieved or regretful. Relieved that I found out before falling deeper… or regretful because knowing the truth ruined the warmth I felt whenever I thought of him.
What if Ruby came back? They still had unfinished business.
A week passed. I ignored Damien's messages, pretending to be busy. He must have noticed.
Or maybe he already knew I was just in denial.
I sighed as I packed my books after Bioenergy class. As I walked down the hallway, I saw Damien ahead with two of his football buddies, laughing about something.
My heart skipped. I turned to avoid him, but he spotted me. Just then, he accidentally bumped into a girl, making her books scatter across the floor.
I took the chance to escape, rushing down the hall, my pulse racing.
By the time I turned the corner, I was breathless — both from running and from realizing something I couldn't deny anymore.
I really liked him.
---
Later that evening, I lounged on the couch, listening to Jake on the phone.
"The deal is insane," he said excitedly. "It's worth billions, Lia. Can you imagine?"
I smiled. "You sound happy."
He chuckled. "I am. Oh, and there's this new intern at work—"
I sat up. "Oh? What about her?"
He laughed softly. "At first, she was such a pain. But she's actually smart. Funny too. Kind of got under my skin."
I gasped playfully. "Jake Spencer, are you saying you like someone?"
He groaned. "Relax. I've only known her for a month."
"Still," I teased. "That's progress."
He laughed. "Maybe. Anyway, how's your love life?"
The question caught me off guard. Usually, Jake only threatened guys who talked to me — not asked about my dating life.
I hesitated, glancing at my phone. I couldn't exactly tell him that I'd kissed his best friend.
"Nothing new," I said lightly. "College is good. My love life is a disaster as usual."
He chuckled. "Don't say that. You'll find someone."
"Maybe," I whispered. "I just… miss you."
"I miss you more, Lia."
After we hung up, I set my phone down. A moment later, it buzzed again.
Damien: Okay, you're definitely ignoring me. I saw you today.
Damien: Talk to me. What happened?
I bit my lip, my heart aching a little. But I didn't reply.
Instead, I turned off my phone and tried to distract myself with TV — flipping through channels without really watching.
The door bell rang suddenly.
I frowned, walking to the door and pulling it open.
And my heart almost stopped.
Damien stood there.
---
To be continued… ✨💥