Kiss Me, Damnation

XIII

Evelyn

The first thing I felt was the weight in my chest, heavy and sharp, like I had swallowed stones. The second was the steady, mechanical beeping beside me.

Hospital.

The air was too clean, the sheets too stiff, the light too cruel on my eyelids. I forced them open, and the world swam into focus.

Two figures sat by my bed.

Daniel. And Adrian.

For a second, my breath caught. Daniel’s hand was wrapped around mine, warm and trembling. His eyes lit up the moment he saw me stir.

“Evelyn,” he whispered, relief flooding his voice. “You’re awake.”

But then my gaze slid past him, and my stomach turned.

Adrian.

He was leaning back in the chair, casual, too casual, like this was his throne and he had been waiting for me to rise from slumber. His eyes—those eyes—were locked on me, burning with the same dark fire I had seen too many times before.

And I knew.

He could ruin me. Right here. Right now.

Daniel leaned closer, brushing hair from my face. “The teacher told me about your uncle. Evelyn, why didn’t you say anything? Why did you keep it from me?” His voice broke, raw with hurt.

I froze. Adrian’s lips curved in the faintest smile, a silent dare. Tell him the truth, his eyes said. Tell him everything. Or I will.

No. I couldn’t. If Daniel knew, if he looked at me with pity or disgust, if he saw me broken instead of whole, I wouldn’t survive it.

So I did the only thing I could. I lied.

“I… I didn’t want anyone to know,” I whispered, my voice scratchy. “He drinks. He… he yells sometimes. Throws things. I thought if I ignored it, it would stop.” I forced a tear down my cheek, hoping it would hide the lies in my eyes. “I didn’t want to burden you with it, Daniel.”

Daniel’s jaw tightened, anger and guilt written all over him. He squeezed my hand tighter. “You’re not a burden. You could never be a burden. I should’ve seen it. I should’ve—”

“No,” I cut in quickly, desperate. “This isn’t your fault. Please. Just… don’t make me talk about it anymore. Not right now.”

He nodded, his eyes softening, but the guilt didn’t leave.

And all the while, Adrian sat there, silent, watching. His smirk was faint but sharp, as if he was savoring every second of my performance. He knew I was lying. He knew I was protecting Daniel from the truth. And that gave him power.

Too much power.

I turned to him, my heart pounding. “Adrian,” I croaked, forcing as much ice into my voice as I could. “Thank you for… for being here. But I want you to leave.”

Daniel glanced at him, confusion flickering across his face.

Adrian tilted his head, his gaze flicking between us. He rose slowly, his movements deliberate, like a predator stretching its limbs. He leaned forward, his lips brushing close to my ear, too close for Daniel to hear.

“You can push me away in front of him, Evelyn,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. “But you and I both know you’re already mine.”

A shiver ran through me, fear and fury twisted together.

He straightened, his eyes catching mine one last time, burning with a promise I couldn’t escape. Then he turned and walked out, his footsteps echoing like a countdown.

I exhaled, shaking, my grip on Daniel’s hand tightening as though he could anchor me.

Daniel smiled at me softly, unaware of the storm that had just passed through the room. “You’re safe now,” he whispered. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you again.”

I nodded, tears spilling down my cheeks.

But inside, I knew the truth.

I wasn’t safe. Not from Adrian. Not from the boy who held all my secrets, who had marked me as his, who would never let me go.

And the worst part?

A part of me no longer wanted him to.