Risking It All

Chapter 20: Fractured Hearts

Eva’s apartment door felt heavier than usual as she pushed it open, stepping into the dimly lit space. Her head was pounding from the weight of her own thoughts, her heart aching from the whirlwind of emotions. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, letting out a deep breath. Everything felt like it was closing in on her—Damien, Alex, her guilt, her desire. She wanted nothing more than to escape the mess her life had become.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking the silence. She pulled it out, her heart sinking when she saw Alex’s name flash across the screen. For a split second, she considered letting it go to voicemail, but the gnawing guilt inside her wouldn’t let her. She sighed and answered.

"Hey, Alex," she said softly, trying to sound steady even though her emotions were all over the place.

"Eva," his voice came through, soft and familiar, but with an edge of uncertainty. "Can we talk? Please. I need to see you."

Her heart clenched at his words. She couldn’t face him, not after everything that had happened with Damien. Not after the confusing mess she had found herself tangled in between the two brothers.

"Alex," she started, her voice breaking, "I can’t. Not tonight. I’m… I’m sorry, but I need some space."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and she could almost hear the disappointment in his silence.

"Okay," Alex finally said, his voice quieter now. "But just… please don’t shut me out. I care about you, Eva."

Her chest tightened, and she quickly ended the call, unable to respond. She collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands as the tears began to fall. How had she let things get this complicated? She had hurt Alex, she had hurt Damien, and now she felt like she was hurting herself most of all.

Her phone buzzed again, and she didn’t need to look to know who it was this time. Damien. She couldn’t deal with him right now either. Not after their argument, not after everything that had happened between them. She let the call go unanswered, her heart pounding in her chest.

The phone buzzed again. Then again.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, tossing her phone onto the coffee table as she curled up on the couch, her tears falling faster now. She wanted to scream, to run away from everything, but all she could do was lie there, feeling utterly lost.

The sound of the front door opening jolted her from her thoughts. Eva quickly wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself as her sister, Natalie, walked in, immediately sensing the heaviness in the air.

"Eva?" Natalie’s voice was gentle, but filled with concern as she approached the couch. "What’s wrong?"

Eva couldn’t hold it in any longer. The sobs came before she could stop them, her body shaking as she broke down. Natalie quickly sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, hey, shh… What happened?" Natalie asked softly, stroking her hair like she used to when they were kids.

"I messed up, Nat," Eva choked out, her voice barely audible between sobs. "I messed everything up."

Natalie didn’t say anything right away, just held her close, letting her cry. Eva didn’t need words right now, she just needed to let it all out. And that’s exactly what she did, sobbing into her sister’s arms until the exhaustion took over, and her tears finally slowed.

"You haven’t messed anything up that can’t be fixed," Natalie whispered after a long pause. "We’ll figure it out, okay? You just need some time."

Eva nodded weakly, not sure she believed her, but grateful for her sister’s presence all the same.

The next morning, Eva dragged herself out of bed, the weight of the previous night still pressing down on her. She barely slept, and her eyes were swollen from crying. But she had to go to work. She had to face everything. Avoiding it wasn’t an option, even though every fiber of her being wanted to hide away.

She stepped into the office, her nerves already frayed. The tension in the air was palpable the moment she walked through the doors. Damien was there, seated at his desk, his eyes dark and stormy as he shuffled through papers. The moment he saw her, his jaw tightened.

"Eva, can I see you for a minute?" Damien’s voice was clipped, but not loud enough to draw attention. The air between them crackled with unspoken words, with the anger he was holding back and the guilt she was drowning in.

She swallowed hard and nodded, walking into his office and closing the door behind her. Damien stood up, pacing for a moment before turning to face her.

"Why didn’t you answer my calls?" His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the anger in in his tone.

"I couldn’t…" Eva started, but she didn’t know how to finish. She couldn’t explain how overwhelmed she was, how lost she felt in the mess between them.

Damien’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping even lower. "You couldn’t, or you didn’t want to?"

Her heart sank. "Damien, I just needed time to think."

"Time to think, or time to see Alex?" His words were sharp, cutting through the air like a knife.

Eva’s eyes widened. "This isn’t about Alex. I told him I couldn’t see him—"

But Damien wasn’t listening, his frustration getting the better of him. "You think I don’t see what’s going on, Eva? You’re caught between us, and it’s driving me insane. I can’t watch you walk away and go to him. Not again."

Eva felt the anger rise in her chest. "This isn’t some competition between you and Alex, Damien! I’m not a prize to be won."

Before either of them could say another word, the office door opened, and Alex walked in, his smile tight in place, but there was something more serious in his eyes.

"Morning, Eva," Alex said brightly, ignoring Damien’s glare. "Can we talk?"

Damien’s jaw tightened even further, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Eva looked between the two brothers, feeling the tension rise in the room to an unbearable level.

"I…" she started, but Alex cut her off, his tone more gentle now.

"Just for a few minutes. Let’s grab lunch. We can talk then."

Eva shook her head, her mind spinning. "Alex, I don’t think—"

"Please, Eva," Alex interrupted, his smile softening. "I promise it’ll just be lunch. No pressure."

She hesitated, glancing at Damien, who was now glaring at his brother with barely concealed fury. But before she could say anything else, Alex reached out and gently touched her arm.

"Come on, Eva. We need to talk."

Against her better judgment, she nodded. "Fine. Lunch."

Alex smiled, but Damien’s expression darkened further, the tension between them crackling like a live wire. As Eva grabbed her things, she felt the guilt gnawing at her again, but she pushed it aside, trying to focus on getting through this without causing more damage.

As they left the office, Talia, who had been lingering nearby, watched them closely, a smirk playing on her lips. She waited until they were out of earshot before sauntering into Damien’s office.

"Damien," she said sweetly, her voice dripping with fake concern, "You wanna grab lunch? You look like you could use some company".

Damien’s eyes flashed with anger, and his jaw clenched as he stared at Talia, the frustration boiling over.