Chapter 25: The Breaking Point
January 28, 2026.
It built slow, like snow piling on a roof—quiet, steady, until the whole thing groans.
Ryan kept texting Mia about me. Casual stuff. “How’s Lila?” “Tell her I said hi.” “Is she coming to the Super Bowl watch party?”
Mia mentioned it every time we talked. Laughing. Teasing.
I brushed it off.
Damien didn’t.
He never exploded. Just got quieter. Touches lingered longer. Eyes darker when I mentioned going out.
He started asking small questions.
“Who’s going?”
“You driving?”
“Text me when you get home.”
Not controlling. Just… checking.
I answered every time.
But the air between us thickened.
The night it broke was a Thursday.
Mia had a work happy hour. Invited me last-minute. “Ryan’s buying a round for everyone. Come!”
I almost sa
