Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Later that night, Tracy’s phone buzzed with a message from Damon.

[If Aubrey tries to crash in your room tonight, find an excuse to turn her away.]

Tracy stared at her brother’s text, completely baffled. Where had that come from? Why on earth would Aubrey suddenly want to sleep in her room?

Just as she started typing a reply to ask what was going on, a soft knock sounded at her door.

Tossing her phone onto the bed, Tracy went to answer it.

She pulled the door open to find Aubrey standing there, her hair down and slightly tousled. She was dressed in long autumn pajamas, clutching a pillow ind a light comforter to her chest with a sheepish, embarrassed smile on her face.

Tracy couldn’t help but marvel–her brother was freaking psychic.

Tracy, can I crash in here with you tonight?” Aubrey asked, looking more than a little sheepish.

Tracy’s mind worked overtime, trying to conjure up a halfway decent excuse.“What’s up? Why the sudden slumber party request?”

Your brother took me to see a horror movie,” Aubrey grumbled, her tone sharp with lingering annoyance. “I’m still totally creeped out. I can’t close my yes without seeing things.

Tracy bit back a laugh.

Her brother really did know Aubrey better than anyone. It was brilliant–and totally devious.

Jack in the day, Tracy had loved competing with her brother for Aubrey’s attention. She used to love sleeping in the same bed as her; Aubrey always

ad this faint, clean scent that was better than any sleep aid. She was so soft, too, like hugging a life–sized plushie.

but now, she had to keep her eye on the prize. She couldn’t let a moment of pity sabotage her brother’s master plan.

ince Aubrey had amnesia and couldn’t remember their past, Tracy cleared her throat and channeled her best “sorry, not sorry” energy. “I’m so sorry. Aubrey, but I really can’t. I’m a total light sleeper–if there’s anyone else in the bed, I’ll be tossing and turning all night. And I have to be up early for work tomorrow. Why don’t you go ask my mom?”

Is your mom sleeping alone?” Aubrey asked in a hushed voice.

racy shook her head.“Nope. She’s with my dad.”

Aubrey let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as a look of pure, unadulterated misery settled on her face.

My brother sleeps alone, too,” Tracy added with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Besides, he’s got that big, protective energy–exactly what you need to Eep the ghosts away. You should go stay with him,”

But…” Aubrey started, her voice trailing off.

Don’t worry, Damon is a total gentleman. He’s not going to take advantage of you.” Tracy stepped out of her room, gently nudging Aubrey toward Jamon’s bedroom door. As they walked, she continued her persuasion.“Besides, you’ve shared a bed with him for years. Don’t let a little thing like mnesia make you shy now. You’ll get used to it again.”

I really can’t just… show up there,” Aubrey whispered, feeling a flush of heat creep up her neck.

You two are basically an old married couple. There’s nothing to be embarrassed abouy.” Tracy maneuvered her right in front of Damon’s door and jave it a sharp knock. Before Aubrey could even think of a protest, Tracy was already retreating down the hall.“Goodnight, Aubrey!” she called out, lisappearing around the corner.

she moved fast, clearly terrified that if she lingered for even a second, Aubrey would catch her and drag her back.

The door swung open almost instantly. It happened so fast that it felt as if Damon had been standing right behind it, waiting for her the entire time.

Aubrey’s first instinct was to bolt, but before she could react, Damon was there, leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. He looked devastatingly handsome–clean–shaven and fresh–with a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. His dark eyes were calm and steady, possessing a magnetic depth hat made her breath hitch.“Come in,” he said, his voice a low, smooth rumble.

‘I… I was just passing by. Tracy was the one who knocked,” Aubrey stammered, her heart suddenly hammering against her ribs. A wave of inexplicable nerves washed over her.“I’m going back to my room…”

With that, she started to turn away, desperate to escape the intensity of his gaze.

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Damon’s voice drifted over her shoulder, low and laced with a playful, ominous edge. “So, you’re not worried about something… crawling onto your bed tonight?”

Aubrey froze. Flashbacks from the movie flickered through her mind like a horror reel. She let out a heavy breath, torn between sheer terror and mounting irritation.

He wasn’t even trying to be subtle anymore. This wasn’t some hidden conspiracy.

It was a blatant power move, and he was playing his hand in broad daylight.

“Don’t overthink it. This house is way too big and empty tonight, and I’m the only one offering to share a bed with you.” Damon stepped out, smoothly plucking the pillow and duvet from her arms before disappearing back into his room.

Left empty–handed in the dimly lit hallway, Aubrey felt a sudden chill crawl down her spine. The silence around her felt heavy, almost suffocating.

She was backed into a corner; she had no choice.

It was either face the ghosts of her imagination alone or face Damon.

Setting her jaw, she followed him into the room and clicked the door shut behind her.

When she turned around, Damon was already settling her pillow against the headboard, smoothing her blanket over one side of the massive bed.

The room was perfectly climate–controlled, bathed in the soft, amber glow of the lamps. A faint, calming scent of lavender lingered in the air.

Damon picked up a few books he’d already laid out on the nightstand.“Do you want to read for a bit,” he asked, his eyes meeting hers, “or are you ready to sleep?”

I think I’ll read for a while,” Aubrey managed, her posture rigid. Her mind felt hollow, wiped clean of any memory of what it was actually like to share a bed with him.

Without those memories, even the concept of intimacy felt foreign, like something she’d only ever read about in books. How was she supposed to act natural sharing a bed with a man when she felt like a total novice again?

Damon was gorgeous–easy on the eyes in a way that made her heart skip a beat–but the sheer physical attraction only added to the knot of nerves tightening in her stomach.

Damon set his book aside and walked to the other side of the bed. He slid under the covers and leaned back against the plush headboard, his attention shifting to his phone.“Go ahead and read,” he said, his voice low and steady.“I won’t bother you.”

Okay,” she murmured. Aubrey climbed in, her body tense as she pulled the duvet over her legs. She made sure to leave a decent amount of space between them, a sterile no–man’s–land in the center of the mattress.

She flipped the book open and tried to focus on the words, but they were just ink on paper. Nothing was actually sinking in.

The room settled into a heavy silence, and the air between them seemed to thrum with a sudden, localized heat.

After a few minutes of failing to focus, Aubrey realized she was completely distracted by his presence. He was keeping to himself, though–acting like a perfect gentleman, exactly as Tracy had described.

Finally, she snapped the book shut, her curiosity getting the better of her.“When we were dating… how long did it take for us to sleep together?”

Three months.”

“You mean the same day we officially became a couple?” Aubrey asked, her eyes widening in shock.

“No, it took me three months of chasing you. Once we were official, it took three daysto hold hands, a week for our first kiss, and three months before we finally slept together. We moved in together shortly after that.”

Aubrey set her book down and let out a long, weary sigh. She slid down under the covers, muttering a complaint to herself. “I can’t believe I was so easy back then. I was way too easy to win over.”

Damon turned his head to look at her, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. “Has it ever occurred to you that may be it was love at first sight for you. too? The pursuit was just a way for us to get to know each other, but the craving… that was there from the very beginning.”

“Maybe,” she murmured. Even without her memories, she couldn’t deny the way her heart reacted to him. He was exactly her type, possessing an inexplicable, magnetic pull that seemed to draw her in effortlessly.

It didn’t matter how many years had passed or that her mind was a blank slate–the heart didn’t lie.

She rolled onto her side, turning her back to him as she closed her eyes.“I only agreed to let you court me again today,” she mused. “And on day one. you’ve already managed to get me into your bed. You’re good, Damon. If I was that naive back then, I never stood a chance against you.”

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Damon switched his phone to sleep mode. His gaze lingered on her back, his voice dropping to a tender whisper.“You’re still just as naive now.”

“No,” she murmured, her voice dropping an octave, thick with exhaustion.“I think I’m actually quite complicated now. I don’t just think about love and romance anymore. I think about my career, my future, my plans… and how to navigate things with you so I don’t end up with a lifetime of regrets.

“If you stay, you’ll regret never having a real marriage, never feeling truly secure. But if you leave, you’ll regret losing me, losing the chance at a good home. No matter what you choose, there’s a shadow of regret waiting for you.” Damon’s voice was heavy, laced with a quiet, aching sorrow.“Let’s just wait and see. Maybe your father’s name will be cleared. If he’s exonerated, could you fall in love with me again? Could you…”

Marry me? He left the words unsaid.

He had told her once that he would never propose again.

Since their college days, he had asked for her hand more times than he could count. But regardless of whether she had said yes or no in the moment, it always ended the same way–in nothing.

He didn’t want to let himself hope anymore. After all, he knew all too well how bitter the taste of disappointment could be.