Kiss Me, Damnation

IX

Evelyn

The fight should have left me relieved. Daniel stood up for me, for us, and everyone said he’d put Adrian in his place. That’s what people whispered in the halls, what friends told me with excited smiles, as if Daniel’s punch had been the neat end to a story.

But nothing feels ended.

Adrian’s silence gnaws at me more than if he had fought back. He just stood there, took the blow, and let the world decide what it meant. And now the weight of that moment follows me through every classroom, every corridor, like an echo no one else hears.

Daniel notices, of course. He notices the way I fidget with my sleeves, the way my eyes wander, the way I’m never quite here when he’s speaking. He asks me if I’m okay, and I smile, nodding, saying of course. Because what else can I do?

I can’t tell him the truth.

Not about Adrian. Not about the note he left on my desk, or the janitor’s closet, or the way he looked at me after the fight like he was already inside my head.

And definitely not about my uncle.

That secret has been the anchor dragging me down for years, the thing I bury so deep it feels like it belongs to someone else. No one would believe me if I said it out loud. No one would understand the strange, twisted ways he’s touched me, the cruel games he plays with pain and silence. No one would see the difference between me and the monster in his house.

It’s easier to pretend it doesn’t exist.

But pretending doesn’t erase it. It lives under my skin, waiting, and every time Adrian looks at me with those eyes that seem to know too much, I feel exposed. Vulnerable. Seen.

That terrifies me more than anything.

When Daniel walks me out of school that day, I squeeze his hand a little tighter, trying to memorize the comfort in it. He offers to walk me home, but I shake my head.

“Not today,” I say softly. “I just want to be alone.”

He hesitates, searching my face, but finally kisses my cheek and lets me go.

I tell myself I want the silence. I want the air. I want a moment to breathe without everyone watching.

But the silence doesn’t stay empty for long.

**********

I sense him before I see him.

Adrian leans casually against the brick wall near the gates, like he’s been waiting all along. The bruise on his jaw is darker now, ugly against his pale skin, but it only makes his smirk sharper.

“Evelyn,” he drawls, straightening as I pass. “How’s your boyfriend?”

I freeze mid-step, heart thundering. His voice is smooth, mocking, like he’s testing how far he can push before I break.

“He’s fine,” I snap, keeping my eyes forward. “Leave me alone.”

But he doesn’t. He steps closer, slow and deliberate, until he’s just behind me. His fingers brush a strand of hair off my shoulder, a touch so light it sends a shiver down my spine.

“Beautiful as always,” he murmurs, like it’s a private joke.

I jerk away, hugging my bag tighter. “Don’t touch me.”

He tilts his head, pretending to be hurt. “Relax. I was only being polite. Besides, I could walk you home. You shouldn’t be alone with boys like me lurking around.”

“I don’t want you to,” I spit, finally looking him in the eye.

Something in his smile hardens. He leans close, his breath warm against my ear. “Then maybe I should talk to Daniel instead. Tell him about your little secret.”

My blood runs cold.

I stumble back, shaking my head before I can form words. “You… you don’t know anything.”

“Oh, I know enough,” Adrian says quietly, eyes glinting. “About your uncle. About the things he does. The things you never told anyone. Isn’t it exhausting, carrying that alone?”

My throat closes. The world tilts. How could he know? How could he reach into the one place I’ve kept locked and drag it into the light?

“Don’t,” I whisper, tears burning. “Please. Don’t say it.”

He smiles, cruel and triumphant, like he’s cracked me open. “Then don’t make me. Do as I say, Evelyn. Keep me close. Or Daniel finds out what kind of girl he’s really dating.”

My knees nearly give out, but I force myself to stand. My voice shakes, but I find enough strength to say, “You’re a monster.”

Adrian shrugs, his expression softening into something almost tender, which somehow terrifies me more. “Maybe. But at least I see you.”

And with that, he turns and walks away, leaving me trembling in the fading sunlight, my secret no longer safe.