Damien’s POV
The door slammed and my hand jerked out before I even thought about it, hitting the frame like I could shove it open with my own anger. I planted my shoulder against it, feeling the resistance, feeling her on the other side, silent but there, and the tension in my chest ratcheted higher, knotting every muscle in my body.
“Aria, open the door,” I said, voice low but hard. Not raising it wouldn’t get her to move. I could almost hear the faint catch of her breathing through the wood, the slow careful way she must be holding herself, and it made my jaw tighten and my hands itch like I was about to tear the door down just to make her flinch.
I pressed my palm against the surface, feeling the cool finish under my skin, solid and unyielding, just like her. My fingers curled sligh
