Damian's POV
"You're back," I said, getting up, relief calming my tensed nerves. "I missed you," I grinned, moving toward him with my arms wide open.

He took a step back, turning away from my gaze. "I have something to tell you," he said, his voice slightly trembling.

I dropped my hands, smiling at him. "I have good news. All the articles have been taken down; they'll never publish something like that again. We should celebrate!"

I clung to the flicker of hope I had left—yesterday, the empty wardrobe, and the look on his face right now; everything pointed to our castle crumbling. I wanted to believe things would suddenly turn around if I ignored those signs—was this what they called denial?

"I... I have a house now, so I moved out," Bentley stammered, lifting his gaze to meet mine. "I'm here to say goodbye," he confessed, his voice unsteady, as if there was a lump in his throat.

"Y-You can still live here," I said, forcing a smile.

There was a short pause before he replied. "When we first met, you said I should move out after I got a house—that was our agreement."

"It doesn't matter what I said back then, please, stay," I begged, my voice already weakened.

Forcing the words out, he answered, "I can't." He turned to the door. "Goodbye—"

"What about us?" I asked in a hoarse voice, firm enough to bring him to a halt. "Are you just going to abandon me? Abandon... us?" I stared at him, waiting for an answer. "I took down those articles like you told me to. What else can I do to make you stay?"

"Nothing. I have to leave—"

"So, you're breaking up with me?" I asked, not sure if I wanted an answer to that.

Bentley let out a tired sigh, shaking his head as if he didn’t want to have that conversation. "I just need time to figure things out... alone," he replied, emphasizing the last word. "Please, don't look for me. I'll come to you when everything's okay."

He was about to go when I spoke. "Aren't you going to kiss me... maybe a hug? Anything to hold onto while you're gone?"

His feet remained glued to the spot for a while, his head bowed; he refused to look me in the eye. He turned his back; my eyes widened, and my chest heaved rapidly. I watched him twist the knob and walk out, leaving me hanging.

I exhaled and paced up and down the room, attempting to calm my completely messed-up mind.

He left, couldn’t even look at me, and I asked for a kiss. How imprudent. I'm such a fool. Should I chase after him and beg him to come back? No, that'll just make things worse. Would he still answer my calls? How would I check up on him if he doesn’t?

Weakened by the excruciating pain throughout my body, I settled on the couch. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked myself, my raspy low tone lingering with unidentified regrets.

I gave in to sleep, my eyelids growing heavy. I wanted to sleep away the pain and wake up without any bad memories of him.

***

Bentley's POV
I couldn't bring myself to destroy my plan with my own hands—if I were to kiss him, I'd never go back; I'd follow my heart and end up in his arms.

I took a taxi to my new house. I leaned against the car window—the area was pretty much deserted; a few stalls by the street and countable cars passing every three hours. I wanted to live in a quiet town. Back when I was a boy, I’d imagine myself all grown up, living in a small, cozy apartment, breathing in solitude with a book in hand. That day was closer than I thought.

It took me a while to unpack and put everything in order. I washed up and updated my subscribers about taking a week’s break—the comments were flooded with questions about the dating rumors and the rest, some heartfelt, wishing me well and anticipating my return.

Unlike most cozy rooms I’d seen online, mine had a big bed. I knew I would live alone, yet I bought a big one, almost the size of the bed at Damian's. The reason? I’ve got no idea. I grabbed one of the white pillows, squeezing it to my aching chest like it would numb the pain.

It hasn't even been seven hours since I left, and I miss him this badly. He’s no longer a door away but one hundred and forty miles away. How was I going to survive without anyone to read stories to, eat meals with great enthusiasm, laugh with, shower me with affection, and cling to me in bed?

I blinked twice, the notification from my phone pulling me out of my thoughts. My eyes widened; it was a message from Damian, and it read:

Hi, it’s me.
How are you feeling? Congrats on the new home; I knew you could do it. How's the place? Are you settling in well?
I know you told me not to look for you, and I won’t.
And you're right, I can't imagine what you're going through. Whatever it is, you can reach out to me whenever you like.
I'll wait for you to come back to me.
I love you. Good night.

For a moment, the sadness, pain, fear, and ache vanished—my heart felt as light as a feather, free from the anxiety of future battles I had to fight. I lifted my head with a smile, fighting back the tears daring to fall; they would come down like a waterfall if I let a drop slip.

I sniffed, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. I paused, weighing the possible outcomes of any action I chose to take. If I didn’t reply, he might give up, and things would stay as I wanted. If I did, we’d start chatting frequently—I feared I’d wake up one morning, pack my bags, and run back into his arms without a second thought.

I received a late-night text from my parents about their arrival. Waking up early, I put everything in place and prepared breakfast. I even had extra time to freshen up and put on nice clothing.

My heart jumped at the ding of the doorbell—it sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

I adjusted my t-shirt and tucked back the stray strands of hair. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, a wide grin on my face. "Welcome, Ma, Pa," I greeted, gesturing with my hands for them to enter.

Author's note:
Yay! We get to meet Bentley's parents... I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Well, see you in the next chapter!

Thanks for reading.❤️