The Life we never Planned

Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

ANGELA

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Damian.

His smile.

The way he had held my hand.

The way he had looked at me when I finally said yes.

You're my girlfriend now.

The words should have made me happy.

Instead, they made my chest ache.

Because I hadn't told him everything.

I had said yes.

But a part of that yes had come from fear.

From the threats.

From the documents.

From knowing that I needed someone powerful enough to protect me.

And Damian didn't know that.

He thought I had chosen him simply because I wanted him.

Maybe I did.

That was what made everything more complicated.

I genuinely liked him.

I liked being around him.

I liked the way he looked at me.

I liked how safe I felt when he held my hand.

But there was another reason.

A reason I was hiding.

And the more I thought about it, the more guilty I felt.

My phone vibrated.

I looked at the screen.

Damian: Good morning, girlfriend.

I stared at the message for several seconds.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

I didn't know what to say.

Finally, I typed.

Me: Good morning.

His reply came almost immediately.

Damian: Did you sleep well?

I swallowed.

Me: Yes.

It was a lie.

A small one.

But it still felt like another weight on my chest.

Another message appeared.

Damian: I already miss you.

I closed my eyes.

“Damian…”

Why did he have to make this harder?

He was being genuine.

That was the problem.

There was no game in his words.

No manipulation.

He really liked me.

And I had accepted him while keeping something important from him.

My phone rang.

It was Benedicta.

I answered.

“Hello?”

“Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“Then come over.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

“Because I want to see your face.”

“I don't understand.”

“I want to know whether you're happy or guilty.”

My stomach tightened.

She knew me too well.

“I'll come.”

I ended the call.

For a few minutes, I sat on the edge of my bed.

Then I looked at Damian's message again.

I already miss you.

My eyes burned.

I whispered to myself,

“I’m sorry.”

I wasn't sure whether I was apologizing to him...

Or to myself.

But I knew one thing.

The longer I kept the truth from Damian, the worse this guilt was going to become.

And someday, he was going to find out why I really said yes.

I just hoped that when he did...

He would still believe that I loved him.