Elara
I knew I had to end it before it dragged on any further.
Damian’s insistence on waiting for my “boyfriend” had already turned uncomfortable in a way I couldn’t quite explain.
The longer I let him believe that lie, the more complicated everything became.
So when he said it again—that he would wait until my boyfriend arrived—I shook my head.
“There’s no need for that,” I said carefully, keeping my voice steady.
“I can be discharged on my own.
I’m already feeling much better.”
Damian didn’t respond immediately.
His eyes lingered on me for a moment, as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth or simply pushing him away.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“I’ll manage.”
His jaw tightened slightly, though he said nothing more.
After a short pause, he finally stood.
“Fine,” he said quietly.
“Do what you want.”
There was something restrained in his tone, like he didn’t fully agree but had decided not to argue with me anymore.
He gave a small nod to the doctor before turning to leave.
And just like that, he was gone.
The room felt quieter than it should have.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to focus.
This was better.
Less complicated.
Less dangerous in ways I didn’t fully want to name.
A nurse came in shortly after to finalize the discharge papers.
As she handed me the documents, she added casually, “Your bill has already been settled, by the way.”
I frowned.
“Settled?”
”Yes,” she said.
“Dr.
Blackwood took care of it before leaving.
Everything is cleared.”
For a moment, I just stared at her.
That immediately made my chest tighten for a different reason.
Damian didn’t seem like someone who would leave things incomplete.
He handled problems directly, even when they didn’t belong to him.
But this was different.
This was my responsibility.
I’ll pay him back.
I thanked the nurse quickly, folded the papers, and left the hospital with more urgency than before.
Outside, I stood near the curb and checked my phone, trying to book a ride.
My fingers were still slightly unsteady from the medication, but I managed.
The sound of a car pulling up interrupted my thoughts.
A black sedan slowed beside me.
When the window rolled down, I saw Damian.
I blinked in surprise.
“You’re still here?”
”I was nearby,” he said simply.
“Get in.”
”I already booked a taxi,” I replied.
His gaze flicked to my phone briefly.
“Cancel it.”
”That’s not necessary.”
”Elara,” he said, my name coming out more patient than demanding, “get in the car.”
There was no anger in his tone, but there was also no room for negotiation.
I hesitated only a moment before sighing and opening the door.
I had been inside it once before, but this time everything felt more aware, more intimate in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge.
Once we started driving, I reached into my bag.
“I transferred the hospital fee back to you,” I said.
Damian didn’t immediately respond.
Then, without looking at me, he said, “You didn’t have to.”
”I did,” I replied.
“I can’t accept that.”
”You’re very committed to not owing people,” he said.
“I just prefer being responsible for myself.”
He gave a faint, almost amused exhale.
“Noted.”
The silence returned, but it didn’t stay quiet for long.
Damian’s voice came again, calmer but sharper in meaning.
“Do you plan to pay me back for the entire night as well?”
I frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
”I stayed with you,” he said.
“I monitored your condition, took you to the hospital, dealt with paperwork, and ensured you were stable.
That takes time.”
I shifted slightly in my seat.
“I don’t have extra cash right now.”
”I didn’t say money,” he replied.
That made me glance at him.
His expression remained neutral, but there was something faintly different in the way he was looking at the road.
“Then what?” I asked carefully.
A short silence followed.
Then Damian said, almost casually, “You could just kiss me.”
The words landed so unexpectedly that my entire body went still.
“What?” I said immediately.
“That’s inappropriate,” I said quickly, as if that explanation alone should end the conversation.
“I have a boyfriend.”
The moment I said it, something shifted in his expression.
“That boyfriend again,” he said quietly.
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
”He’s never there,” Damian said, his tone still controlled but noticeably tighter now.
“Every time I see you, you’re alone.
Or sick.
Or dealing with something you shouldn’t be handling by yourself.”
”That doesn’t mean anything,” I replied.
“It means a lot,” he said.
Then, the car slowed slightly until it pulled to a stop.
The engine remained on, but the energy inside the car changed immediately.
He turned slightly toward me, his jaw was clenched.
“Why do you keep defending someone who doesn’t show up for you?” he asked.
“That’s not your concern,” I said firmly.
“It becomes my concern when I’m the one taking care of you,” he replied.
My chest felt tight for reasons I didn’t want to examine.
“This is exactly why I said it’s inappropriate,” I said.
“You don’t get to do things like this and then act like it means something—”
I didn’t finish the sentence.
Because Damian leaned in and claimed my lips without warning.
It happened fast enough that I didn’t have time to process it properly.
One moment he was beside me, the next he was closer, his hand steady on the wheel while his other hand didn’t move at all.
For a second, my mind stopped working.
Then reality snapped back all at once.
I pushed him away immediately, breath uneven, heart pounding so loudly it drowned everything else.
“What are you doing?” I said, voice shaking with anger more than shock.
Damian didn’t answer right away.
He just looked at me.
And, that silence was the worse.
Without waiting for his response, I opened the door and got out.
I couldn’t believe that he just did that without my consent.