Risking It All

Chapter 8 : Three is a crowd

Eva did the one thing she said she would never do, she ran.

As she stepped out of Ryder Media's towering building, the cool breeze hit her cheeks, but it did little to clear her head. The tension between her and Damien still lingered, like an unsaid question hanging in the air. Alex’s lighthearted words earlier—“I just want to make sure you’re okay”—had only added to her confusion.

Two brothers. What am I doing? Eva thought, pausing outside a coffee shop. She pressed a hand to her temple. Her daydreaming tendencies had always gotten her into strange situations, but this? This was the stuff of romantic comedy clichés. If this were a rom-com movie, she’d be tripping over a sidewalk c***k and spilling coffee on a stranger in the next five minutes.

But life wasn’t that simple, and neither were her feelings.

As she pushed open the door to the café, the smell of freshly brewed coffee greeted her, along with the hum of light conversation. She scanned the room for a quiet corner to sit, needing a moment to regroup, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

It was a text from Natalie, her overly perfect, overly supportive sister.

Natalie: Dinner tomorrow at Mom’s? She said to bring that nice guy from work if you want.

Eva sighed, shaking her head at the message. Natalie always had a way of meddling in her love life, even when Eva didn’t ask for it. She hadn’t even told Natalie about the tangled mess she was in with both of the Ryder brothers. If Natalie knew about Damien and Alex, she’d probably march into her floor and schedule an intervention.

Eva stuffed her phone back into her bag and walked up to the counter to place her order. A caramel macchiato and a double chocolate chip cookie—her go-to comfort combo.

After grabbing her coffee and settling into a seat by the window, Eva pulled out her notebook. She needed to work on her writing. It had been days since she’d made any progress on her manuscript, but her brains had turned to mush. She couldn't write anything so she started writing down how she felt. Every single thing.

But as soon as her pen touched the paper, her mind wandered—back to Damien’s brooding eyes and Alex’s carefree charm.

Damien. Every time she thought about him, her heart did a weird flip. He was magnetic in a way that made her insides feel like they were in a constant state of unrest. He was intense, yes, but there was something undeniably attractive about the way he let his guard down—if only for a moment. That confession of his earlier in the office, that he cared more than he should, echoed in her mind like a haunting melody.

But then there was Alex. The complete opposite. Alex was light where Damien was dark, playful where Damien was serious. And while Damien was warning her off Alex, Alex was stepping in to make sure she was okay. The more she thought about it, the more tangled everything felt.

Maybe Natalie was right for once. Maybe I just need to focus on myself and stop getting caught up in… whatever this is.

The door to the café swung open, and Eva didn’t even have to look up to know who had walked in. She could feel his presence—Damien. Of all the coffee shops in Manhattan, of course he’d pick this one today.

“Eva.” His voice was soft yet commanding, a mix of surprise and something else—something deeper.

She glanced up, startled to find him standing there, looking more casual than she was used to seeing him in. No suit today, just a fitted black sweater and jeans, but he still carried that air of authority, like he owned the entire café just by walking into it.

“Damien,” she said, her voice betraying her nerves. “What… what are you doing here?”

He gestured to the seat across from her, his lips curving into a small, almost self-deprecating smile. “Mind if I join you?”

Eva blinked, momentarily speechless, then quickly nodded. “Sure, yeah.”

He sat down, folding his hands in front of him, his gaze unwavering. “I didn’t expect to run into you here. I was just grabbing something before a meeting.”

“Same,” she mumbled, although she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to explain herself.

They sat in silence for a moment, the bustling sounds of the café fading into the background. Eva felt her pulse quicken under his stare, and she nervously fidgeted with her cup.

“I shouldn’t have been so… abrupt earlier,” Damien finally said, his voice softer than she’d expected. “With Alex, I mean.”

Eva raised an eyebrow. “You were trying to warn me about him. Again.”

Damien exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Alex is complicated. He means well, but he can be reckless with people’s emotions. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Eva bit her lip. She knew there was more to this. More to his protectiveness, to the way he seemed so torn between pushing her away and pulling her in. But part of her was tired of being caught in the middle of whatever rivalry they had going on.

“I appreciate that,” she said, trying to choose her words carefully, “but I’m not some delicate flower, Damien. I can handle myself.”

“I know you can,” he said, a glint of admiration in his eyes. “That’s what makes this so difficult.”

“Difficult?” Eva’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you trying to say?”

Damien leaned forward, his gaze intense, and for a second, the air between them felt electric again—just like it had in his office earlier.

“I’m trying to say that I care about you, Eva,” he said quietly. “But I’m not the kind of man you should be with.”

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She blinked, trying to process what he’d just said. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not… like Alex,” Damien continued, his voice tight with emotion. “I’m not easygoing. I’m not fun. I don’t do lighthearted relationships. And you deserve better than someone who drags you into their mess.”

Eva’s breath caught in her throat. Was he pushing her away again? Or was he opening up, letting her see the vulnerable side he kept so well hidden?

Before she could respond, the door to the café opened once more. And in walked Alex, his eyes immediately locking onto Damien and Eva sitting together.

“Well, well, well,” Alex drawled, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he approached. “This looks cozy.”

Eva’s stomach flipped. The Ryder brothers, once again, standing on either side of her—one brooding, the other playful, and both making her question every decision she was about to make.

As Alex slid into the chair next to her, flashing his usual charm, Eva couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. She was living in a romantic comedy.

And she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry about it.