Chapter 269: The Ultimatum

As I stepped out of the restaurant, it felt like Dianne’s voice was following me.

I could still hear her calm, measured tone echoing in my head as I walked along the sidewalk, irritatingly reasonable, which, honestly, is the worst kind of attitude when someone’s trying to ruin your evening.

Is love really about one person giving up everything for the other?

I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets, keeping on my way, the cool evening air making me wish I’d worn something warmer. That question gnawed at me.

Mostly because I’d asked myself the same thing.

Over and over again.

For days.

The difference was when I asked myself that question, I could brush it off as just fear, or maybe guilt or exhaustion...my mind doing its usual trick of mixing every possible disaster and serving it right back to me.

But Dianne brought it up too, she hadn’t sounded emotional or angry...she wasn’t even trying to hurt me.

She’d sounded so certain.

That made it that much worse.

Waiting at a crosswalk, I took out my phone and looked at Damien’s name flickering on the screen...it glowed far too brightly against the dimming street. My thumb hovered over the call button.

I could tell him, right now and I could say, "Your sister cornered me at this ridiculously pricey restaurant and basically suggested I sacrifice our relationship so you could get your inheritance back."

That’s a totally healthy conversation starter.

Really mature, definitely how you maintain stable relationships.

I imagined Damien picking up, hearing my voice, instantly sensing something was off, and asking what happened.

Then what?

I’d spill everything and he’d probably get mad. But not at me...at Dianne.

Then he’d likely tell me I was being ridiculous for believing any of it. And some stubborn part of me wasn’t sure I could handle that.

What if he was wrong? What if Dianne was right?

What if I really was the one standing in the way of Damien getting the life he’d prepared for since childhood?

The pedestrian signal switched.

I crossed the street without even registering where I was headed, my feet seemingly more certain of the path home than my mind was about anything else.

Streetlights blurred past in soft yellow streaks, while my thoughts spiraled around the same tired track. By the time I reached Preston Hall, I’d made my decision.

I couldn’t keep this from him.

Not after he’d spent so long telling me I didn’t have to carry burdens alone.

If I was truly going to be honest with him, I couldn’t just pick and choose when to be honest based on whether it was convenient.

The familiar sight of Preston Hall appeared, all polished stone and inviting lighting, but tonight, nothing impressed me.

I just felt drained. The kind of fatigue that creeps behind your eyes and makes every choice feel heavier than it should.

The elevator ride upstairs was almost silent, and once the doors opened, I lingered outside our apartment, hand hovering over the handle.

I could hear faint music playing from inside as I opened the door.

"You’re late," Damien’s voice called from the living room.

I looked up to see him sitting on the couch with his laptop open and one sleeve pushed up his forearm as he read something on the screen.

He glanced up and his expression softened when he saw me. "There you are."

"Hi."

His eyes narrowed a bit and something in my voice must have given me away. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I responded.

The lie slipped out too fast, landing like a wet paper bag.

Damien closed his laptop, setting it aside decisively, clearly not planning to return to it anytime soon. "Come here."

I kicked off my shoes and made my way over, the floor cool beneath my socks. He reached for me without hesitation, one hand resting at my waist as he pulled me closer. I leaned into him, resting my head briefly on his shoulder.

His familiar scent surrounded me, warm and comforting, and for a split second, I almost thought about not telling him anything.

Maybe I could just stay here.

Pretend Dianne had never called and we could spend the evening complaining about work together, me snatching whatever snack he’d bought, letting him kiss away my worries again.

That thought was tempting.

Very tempting.

But my conscience was suddenly a little too vocal.

Damien’s fingers combed through my hair, slow and tender, a gesture so familiar it almost hurt.

"Something happened," he said.

I lifted my head. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Notice everything especially when I’m thinking of shutting up and hoping the problem goes away on its own?"

His mouth quirked into a half-smile. "Yeah, I can see why it’s becoming a problem."

"Seriously?"

He studied me, his eyes roaming over my face as if he were cataloging every little sign I hadn’t managed to hide. "You’re quiet."

I sighed, recognizing that tone all too well.

I sat beside him.

Damien shifted closer, his knee brushing against mine, a steady, warm connection.."What happened, Sunshine?"

I stared at my hands as I didn’t say anything for a few seconds, the apartment felt oddly quiet.

There was just the soft hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen and the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, but otherwise, it felt like the world was on pause around us, just waiting.

I swallowed. "I need to tell you something."

At once, Damien’s expression shifted, his softness sharpening into something more alert. "Alright."

"I’m not sure how to start."

"Start wherever you can."

I looked at him, then took a breath that felt thinner than it should have. "Dianne and I met today."

His entire demeanor stiffened, and it was so sudden it almost made me jump. "She contacted you?"

"Um...yes."

"When?"

"After work."

"Where did she take you?"

"Dianne."

"Where?"

I rubbed my forehead, already feeling this conversation slip away from me. "An expensive restaurant."

His jaw clenched. "I told her to stay away from you."

Damien looked at me intently as I spoke, "You told her to stay away from me, but she didn’t seem to take that seriously."