The Things She Cannot Say

Lilith’s POV Dragging Damien behind the low brick wall had been an impulsive decision, one I regretted the moment we stopped moving. The panic tightened inside me like a second heartbeat. I kept imagining Lucian’s men stepping through the gate, or a caretaker glancing out the window at the wrong moment, or one of the children running right into us. I pressed my back against the cool brick, trying to steady my breath. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, forcing the words through my tightening throat. “Are you trying to die?” Damien stood too close. He wasn’t touching me, not fully, but he stood close enough that the warmth of him reached my skin. His eyes held mine without hesitation. There was something burning there, something unreadable and steady at the same time. Being under that gaze made the world around us feel smaller. He stepped closer by an inch. “Stop hiding from me, Lilith.” Heat flooded my face. It wasn’t anger or embarrassment. It was something I didn’t want to acknow