Damien's pov
"Why are you just standing there? Come here."
My voice broke through the steam, low and steady.
The sound of it seemed to scrape along the walls, sinking into the heat like a slow command. The water hissed in the background, the only other thing brave enough to make noise.
Aria didn't move at once. She looked at me for a second, her eyes sharp and cautious, as if weighing her options before stepping closer.
Her fingers twitched at her sides, betraying nerves she tried to hide. Even her breathing came too fast, shallow and uneven, like she was trying to keep her calm by force.
She stood beside the bath, tense and unsure, her mind clearly somewhere else.
The haze from the water softened her shape, but I could still see the small details—the slight parting
