Playtime

Chapter 7

Kyra stared out the window, the city lights below twinkling like distant stars. The world outside seemed so far away, like it belonged to someone else. To her, it felt like everything had changed in the span of a few days, and yet nothing had truly shifted. Damon was still in her life, pulling her in, making her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

She leaned against the cool glass, her breath fogging up the surface as she exhaled slowly. Her thoughts swirled around like a storm, chaotic and unpredictable. What was she doing? What had she allowed herself to get into?

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her spiral. It was a message from Damon.

**Damon Vassallo:** *I need to see you. Tonight.*

Kyra swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in her stomach. She wanted to ignore it, to block him out for just a moment. But the truth was, she couldn’t. Not anymore.

She glanced at the clock. It was late, well past midnight, but something inside her told her she had no choice but to answer him. After everything that had happened between them, how could she possibly keep running from him? No matter how much she wanted to protect herself, a part of her was already in too deep.

Taking a deep breath, she typed a simple response.

**Kyra:** *Okay.*

Her heart pounded in her chest as she sent the message. She had no idea what to expect when Damon showed up, but she knew that whatever happened, it would be intense. Everything with him always felt like it was on the edge of something bigger—something she couldn’t control.

---

An hour later, the doorbell rang, and Kyra’s pulse jumped. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the calmness that seemed to wash over her when she opened the door to find Damon standing there, his expression unreadable. His usual confident demeanor was replaced with something more guarded, like he was waiting for something, waiting for her to make the first move.

“Kyra,” he said her name softly, like a promise, as if he knew the power it held over her.

She stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. The air between them was thick with unsaid words and lingering tension. It was almost suffocating, but at the same time, it felt familiar—like they were two pieces of a puzzle that had somehow found their way back to each other.

“Come in,” she finally said, stepping aside to allow him entry. The moment he crossed the threshold, she felt the familiar shift in the atmosphere. It was as if the entire room became charged with electricity. Damon had a presence that was impossible to ignore, a force of nature that demanded attention without even trying.

He didn’t speak as he walked into the apartment, his eyes scanning the room, taking in the details, as though committing everything to memory. His gaze landed on her again, and Kyra felt the weight of it. She could feel his eyes on her, see the way his lips curled into the faintest smirk, but there was something else in his gaze too—something raw, something vulnerable.

“What’s this about, Damon?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended, but it held the sting of curiosity and uncertainty. She couldn’t deny the pull she still felt toward him, but that didn’t mean she was willing to just fall into his arms again without understanding what he wanted from her.

“I wanted to see you,” he said simply, his voice low but steady.

Kyra frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “That’s it? You just wanted to see me?”

He took a step closer, his expression unreadable, though his eyes never left hers. “You make it sound like it’s something simple,” he said, his tone darker now, laced with something deeper. “But it’s not, Kyra. Not anymore.”

Her heart raced, and for a moment, she found herself at a loss for words. She wanted to argue, to say that this—whatever it was—had become too much, but something in Damon’s presence made it hard to find the strength to do so. Instead, she found herself stepping back, her gaze flicking to the door, as though contemplating running again.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “This thing between us... it’s... it’s too much. I feel like I’m losing myself.”

Damon’s expression softened, his gaze searching hers as if trying to read the truth in her eyes. He reached out slowly, his fingers brushing lightly against her arm, sending a shock of heat through her.

“You’re not losing yourself, Kyra,” he said, his voice low but filled with sincerity. “You’re just discovering parts of yourself you didn’t know existed.”

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes despite herself. “I don’t want to lose who I am. I don’t want to be... I don’t want to become someone else just to fit into your world.”

Damon’s hand gently cupped her face, lifting her chin so that their eyes met. His touch was tender now, almost protective. “You’re not becoming someone else. You’re becoming who you’re meant to be.”

Kyra swallowed hard, fighting the urge to break down in front of him. Everything he was saying was what she had always feared—that she was losing control, that she was becoming someone she didn’t recognize. But the way he looked at her now, with such certainty and care, made her question everything she thought she knew.

“What do you want from me, Damon?” she asked, her voice trembling with the weight of the question. “What is this? What are we?”

Damon was silent for a long moment, his thumb gently stroking her cheek, as if weighing the question carefully before answering.

“I want you,” he said finally, his voice steady but heavy with emotion. “But not in the way you think. Not just because of the attraction. Not just because of the way you make me feel. I want all of you, Kyra. The parts you’re trying to hide. The parts you don’t want to show.”

Kyra felt her breath catch in her throat. She had known that Damon wanted something more, something deeper, but hearing him admit it out loud made her chest tighten. She had never let anyone close enough to see the parts of her that she kept hidden—those parts that were vulnerable, broken, and raw. She had always kept them locked away, afraid of what would happen if someone else saw them.

But Damon... Damon saw her. In a way that no one else did. And the thought of that scared her more than anything.

“I don’t know if I can give you all of me,” she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. “I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Damon’s gaze softened, and he leaned in, his forehead gently resting against hers. “That’s okay,” he murmured. “You don’t have to have it all figured out. We’ll figure it out together.”

Kyra closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. She had always thought that being strong meant keeping everything inside, never showing weakness, never letting anyone in. But with Damon, she was beginning to see that maybe strength wasn’t about holding it all together. Maybe it was about allowing someone to help her carry the weight.

She nodded, her hand resting gently on his chest. For the first time in a long while, she felt the stirrings of hope—hope that she could let go, that she could trust him, even if it meant losing herself for a while.