CHAPTER 131: 131 - HUG ME

131

~Damon’s POV

"Lisa... can I hug you?" I thought she was going to say no. Her face was unreadable. She hesitated, her lips parting like she wanted to refuse. My heart stopped. But then, after what felt like forever, she nodded slowly.

"Yes," she whispered.

I felt my shoulders drop with relief. Carefully, gently, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around her. I didn’t hold her too tight. I just wanted her to feel safe, nothing more. I could feel how tense she was at first, her body stiff in my arms, but after a moment, she let out a shaky breath and leaned into me, just a little.

"Thank you," I murmured against her hair. My throat ached with the weight of everything I couldn’t say. "I just... I needed you to know you’re not alone. Not anymore."

She didn’t answer, but she didn’t push me away either. That was enough.

After a while, I loosened my arms and stepped back. "I’ll let you rest," I told her softly. "You need sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?"

Lisa gave me the smallest nod, her eyes still shimmering with tears.

I watched as she slowly walked over to her bed. She sat first, almost as if she were still deciding whether she wanted me there or not, then finally stretched out. Without thinking, I moved closer and gently pulled the duvet over her. Her fingers clutched the edge of it as if she were clinging to something fragile.

"Goodnight, Lisa," I said quietly, almost like I was afraid to break the fragile peace that had just formed between us.

"Goodnight, Damon," she whispered back, her voice so faint it nearly broke me.

I turned off the light, letting the room fall into soft darkness. My chest was lighter than it had been in days. As I walked to my room, I couldn’t stop smiling. My heart kept racing like I had just run miles. My chest felt full, like I couldn’t contain the relief and happiness that swelled inside me.

But when I opened the door to my room, I saw her.

Belinda was sitting on my bed.

Her hands were folded in her lap, her long hair spilling down over her shoulders. She was smiling, but it wasn’t the smile I knew. It was a sad, broken smile. Her eyes looked red, like she had been crying too.

"Belinda?" I asked, my voice careful. "What are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Rowan and Kael?"

She stood up quickly, her lower lip jutting out in a pout as she walked toward me. "Why are you asking me that?" she said, her voice soft but laced with something sharp. "Why are you pushing me away, Damon? Why don’t you like me anymore?"

I took a small step back, surprised at her words. "Belinda... it’s not like that..."

"Yes, it is!" she cut me off, grabbing my arm with both hands. Her grip was tight, desperate. "All you want now is Lisa. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa! What about me? Why don’t you see me anymore?"

Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "I was always there for you. I never left your side. But now, suddenly, she shows up and you forget me. I hate it. I hate that you’ve chosen her over me."

I looked down at her, my chest tightening in guilt. I didn’t want to hurt her. Belinda had always been close to me, always been someone I trusted. But things were different now. I had changed.

"Belinda," I said softly, placing a hand over hers. "I don’t hate you. I never did. You’re important to me. But Lisa..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Lisa needs me right now. She’s broken, and I can’t just leave her like that. She needs someone to hold her together."

Her face twisted with anger and sadness at the same time. "And what about me? Don’t I need you too? Don’t I deserve to be chosen?"

I sighed heavily, rubbing my temple. "It’s not about choosing, Belinda. It’s not about who deserves what. It’s about what’s right. You’re strong. You’ve always been strong. But Lisa... she’s barely holding on. If I turn my back on her, I don’t know what will happen."

Her grip on my arm tightened even more. "I don’t care! I don’t care if she’s weak! You belong to me, Damon. The Luna position is mine. No one else’s. Not Lisa’s. Not anyone’s. It’s mine."

I stared at her, my chest tightening. "Belinda..."

She looked up at me, her eyes wild, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why can’t you just love me instead?"

Belinda’s words hit me harder than I thought they would. Her eyes looked so desperate, like she was holding on to something that was already slipping away.

"You didn’t even want me to become the Luna," she whispered, her voice shaking.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Belinda, it’s not like that."

She tilted her head, waiting for me to explain.

"I’m just... following the pack rules. We need to reject one before taking another."

Her brows furrowed.

I shook my head gently. "No, that’s not it. I didn’t say I didn’t care about you. I only said... Lisa needs me right now more than anyone. That’s all."

Her lips quivered. "So it’s always her now? Always Lisa?"

I swallowed hard, choosing my words carefully. "Belinda, listen. I don’t hate you. I never hated you. You’ve been by my side for a long time, and I appreciate that. But Lisa... she’s hurting. She’s lost so much. And if I don’t step in, if I don’t protect her, she’ll break. I can’t let that happen."

She blinked, eyes shining with unshed tears. "And what about me? What happens to me when you’re so focused on her?"

I took a slow breath. "When the time comes, I’ll make sure she is okay. I’ll send her off to a great place, Belinda. Somewhere she will be happy, somewhere she will be loved the way she deserves."

For a moment, she just stood there, staring at me. Then her lips curved into the faintest smile. "You’d really do that for me?"

"Yes," I said softly. "I would."

Her smile grew a little, though her eyes were still sad. She stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then... can you at least hug me? Just once. Please."

I hesitated for a second, then slowly nodded. "Alright."

She wrapped her arms around me immediately, holding me tight, almost as if she was afraid I’d vanish if she let go. I sighed and hugged her back. For a moment, we stayed like that, silent. Her face was buried against my chest, and I could feel her trembling.