The Edge Of Surrender

Chapter 7

Damon's kiss left me breathless, his touch lingering on my lips long after he dropped me off at my dorm. My heart still raced, every beat echoing the intensity of the night as I walked to my room, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. The moment I opened the door, Lily’s wide-eyed stare greeted me, her face a mixture of relief and fury.

"Aless! What the hell!" she practically screeched, rushing over to engulf me in a bone-crushing hug. "Where were you? I’ve been calling and texting for hours! Do you even know what time it is?"

Her voice trembled with a mix of panic and anger as she pulled back to glare at me, her hands gripping my shoulders like a lifeline. The intensity of her concern hit me harder than I expected, and I winced slightly when she lightly smacked my arm. But despite the situation, a small smile tugged at my lips.

"I’m sorry, Lily," I murmured, my voice soft, almost apologetic as I hugged her back. "I didn’t mean to scare you."

"You scared the hell out of me," she muttered, giving me another quick squeeze before releasing me. "It’s six in the morning, Aless! Six! Why didn’t you pick up your phone?"

I glanced at the bed, exhaustion suddenly crashing over me like a tidal wave. My cheeks flushed as the memory of Damon’s hands on me, his lips tracing fire along my skin, flooded back into my mind. The heat of the night, the intensity of his gaze—it was a miracle I was even standing after everything that had happened.

"I went for a walk and, uh… lost track of time," I said, trying to sound casual, as if my world hadn’t just been turned upside down. "I’ll make it up to you, I promise."

Lily’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she crossed her arms over her chest, giving me her best death glare. "You better," she huffed, but there was a note of relief in her voice as she let out a sigh and flopped onto her bed. "Next time, leave a note or something. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night."

"I will," I assured her, already sinking onto my own bed. Sleep was calling, but my mind was trapped in a loop, replaying every second of the night. Damon’s hands, his lips, the way he had looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered—it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The thought of him sent shivers down my spine, a dangerous thrill that both excited and terrified me.

As I drifted off to sleep, a small, almost wicked smile tugged at my lips. Damon Blackwood was dangerous, in more ways than one, but damn, did he know how to make a girl feel alive.

Later that afternoon, I woke up feeling oddly refreshed, the morning’s turmoil replaced by a strange sense of calm. The sunlight streaming through the window felt warm, almost comforting as I dressed quickly for class. The forty-five-minute lecture on human anatomy flew by in a blur, my mind split between the lesson and the memory of Damon’s touch, the way he had ignited something within me that I couldn’t quite name.

After class, I stopped by the campus café to grab a coffee, hoping the familiar routine would ground me, when I heard a voice call my name.

"Aless!" I turned to see Alex approaching with a bright smile. His face lit up when he saw me, and I couldn’t help but smile back, though my thoughts were still half-lost in the maze of emotions from the night before.

"Hey, Alex! How have you been?" I asked as he joined me at the counter. I took a sip of my coffee, savoring the warmth as it spread through my body, a stark contrast to the cold knot of uncertainty in my chest.

"I’m good, really good," he replied, matching my step as we headed towards a table by the window. The sunlight outside seemed too bright, too cheerful for the storm brewing inside me. "Feels like we haven’t talked in forever. How’ve you been adjusting after, you know, the whole initiation thing?"

I glanced around, lowering my voice slightly. The memory of the initiation, the way Damon had commanded the room, still made my heart race. "It was… something," I admitted, leaning in a little. "I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. Was it just me, or did it feel a little… extreme?"

Alex chuckled, leaning back in his chair, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Yeah, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. But Damon—he’s got a reputation for taking things to the next level. I’ve heard stories, you know. Crazy stuff. The guy’s practically a legend around here."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Damon’s name. "You know him? Like, personally?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, but the anticipation in my chest was undeniable.

"Not really," Alex shrugged, "but I know people who do. He’s a tough guy to figure out. I mean, I’ve heard about him beating the crap out of some guy just for looking at his girlfriend the wrong way. It was brutal. He took on five guys by himself before his friends even jumped in. And then, like magic, his dad made the whole thing disappear."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Girlfriend? The word slipped out before I could stop it, my voice barely a whisper, laced with something between disbelief and dread.

Alex’s face softened when he saw my reaction. "Oh, I didn’t mean to freak you out. It’s… complicated. They’re on-again, off-again, you know? A bit toxic, to be honest. They cheat on each other all the time, but somehow they always end up back together."

"Of course," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady, but the icy feeling in my chest was spreading, rooting itself deep inside me. I stared down at my coffee, the warmth doing little to thaw the chill that Damon’s name had left in its wake.

"Hey, you okay?" Alex asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "I didn’t mean to upset you."

"No, no, it’s fine," I lied, forcing a smile that felt like a mask. "I was just… surprised, that’s all."

"Do you know if he has any siblings?" I asked, swirling my coffee, trying to steady the tremor in my hands.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze drifting as if piecing together fragments of rumors. "I think I heard he has a twin or something. I mean, I’ve never seen him outside of initiations and sports, but now that I think about it, he must have siblings because he can’t be rugby and football captain at the same time. I’ve also heard he’s into boxing. If someone asked me, I’d be sure to assume he’s a triplet."

His words made my heart race, my mind spinning with the implications. My assumptions had been right, but why was he keeping it a secret? What was the purpose behind the mystery, the layers of deception?

I couldn’t believe how foolish I’d been, letting myself get swept up in Damon’s intensity. Had I been just another conquest, another girl to satisfy his insatiable appetite? The thought made my blood boil, anger mixing with the hurt that clawed at my insides. I had been so caught up in the rush of being wanted, of feeling special, that I had ignored the warning signs.

But then an idea struck me, one that sent a thrill of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Maybe I didn’t have to be the victim in this story. Maybe there was another way, a way to take back control.

"So, what are you doing later?" I asked, trying to sound upbeat, casual, as if the world hadn’t just shifted beneath my feet.

Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Why? What’s up?"

"My friends and I are hitting up this club downtown. You should join us. It’ll be fun."

He hesitated for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he grinned. "You know what? Why not? I could use a night out. Just a heads up, I’m gay."

"Great! We can flirt with the bartender together," I teased, winking at him. We both laughed, the sound lightening the atmosphere, if only for a moment.

But as I walked away, the smile slipped from my face. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to push down the hurt, the anger at myself for letting Damon get under my skin. I’d been so swept up in the thrill of it all that I’d forgotten to protect myself, to guard my heart.

No more. If Damon Blackwood thought he could play with me, he was in for a surprise. I wasn’t going to let him—or anyone else—control me. Not anymore.