Midnight.
Cabin D was quiet.
Boys: asleep.
Air: Cold.
Me: Mentally spiraling.
I was sitting outside on the cabin porch steps in one of Damian's hoodies (he'd tossed it at me earlier like a smug prince), staring at the stars like they had the answers.
They did not.
Then—
Footsteps.
I turned, and there he was.
Damian.
Messy hair. Barefoot. And somehow managing to look like a Pinterest pin titled "Tragic Love Interest Who Hides a Lot."
He sat beside me without saying a word.
Silence.
Stars.
Breathing.
Then:
"Couldn't sleep," he said quietly.
His voice was different. Not flirty. Not cocky.
Real.
I hugged my knees. "Same. Brain won't shut up."
Another silence. But this one?
Loaded.
Then—
"I wasn't supposed to like you, you know."
EXCUSE ME.
I turned my head sharply. "What?"
Damian looked up at the sky like the moon owed him answers.
"I came here to lay low. Stay out of trouble. Focus. Blend in."
He laughed bitterly.
"And then I saw you sketching that day. And it was like... you weren't trying to hide anything. You were just being."
Oh.
OH.
My heart was pounding like a DRUM SOLO.
He turned to me.
Eyes shining.
"I like you, Lira."
"A lot."
"And I'm really freaking mad about it."
And then—
He leaned in.
Slow.
Intentional.
Heart-stopping.
Our noses nearly touched.
And THEN—
"Lira?"
Aeron's voice.
From the doorway.
We both froze like guilty toddlers.
"Everything okay?" he asked, sharp edge under the calm.
I scrambled up so fast I nearly tripped over Damian's foot.
"Y-yeah! We were just—talking. Outside. Like friends! Air is great! Oxygen is cool!"
Damian stood up slowly, jaw tight.
Aeron's eyes flicked between us like he already knew what almost happened.
Tension.
Tension so thick it could become its own zodiac sign.
Later That Night:
Back inside the cabin.
Aeron's back was to me. Silent.
Damian was lying down, one arm behind his head, like he hadn't just rocked my entire world.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, replaying that almost-kiss.
But it wasn't just the almost.
It was how much I wanted it.
And how much I hated that Aeron saw.
But also…
Why did my chest ache more for Aeron's silence than Damian's almost?
The Next Morning:
Aeron barely looked at me.
Damian?
Acting normal. Too normal. He winked over breakfast.
I choked on my juice.
Mina: "Wow, love triangle speedrun. Impressive."
I groaned into my cereal.
End of Chapter 21