Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 26

Cloudbreak Heights was sprawling, nestled right at the foot of the mountain.

Late at night, the deeper they ventured into the grove, the more profound the darkness grew.

There were no security cameras, not even a single streetlight.

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A biting late–autumn wind howled through, its chill piercing to the bone. Unseen in the deep dark, the leaves rustled with an eerie, whispering sound, like unseen phantoms circling close, a sound that made Aubrey’s skin crawl.

Aubrey wasn’t superstitious, but she was terrified of the dark, and this situation was utterly spine–chilling

The two figures ahead seemed to know the path intimately, picking up their pace, winding through the darkness until they suddenly vanished from her sight.

The moonlight barely bled through, allowing her to vaguely make out a hazy, dark stretch of woods.

Suddenly, Aubrey felt footsteps approaching from behind, and fear instantly surged through her entire body, making her scalp prickle.

She whirled around in a panic.

All at once, a dark silhouette loomed over her tall, commanding, muscular… like death itself expanding, growing larger and larger before her eyes.

She thought it was a ghost; a strangled gasp escaped her as her legs went weak. She stumbled back, lost her balance, and started to fall.

“Aubrey, careful!” The dark figure suddenly reached out, hooking an arm around her slim waist.

Pulled back by the force, Aubrey tumbled into a warm, solid chest. The pleasant scent of pine wafted into her nostrils, and a familiar voice instantly calmed her terrified heart. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

It was Damon

She exhaled slowly, wondering how he’d followed her. He’d scared her half to death.

“What are you doing here?” Damon asked.

Aubrey pressed herself against his chest, rose on her tiptoes, and clamped a hand over his mouth, anxiously turning her head toward the bushes

Someone there?” Madison’s voice came from the bushes.

Aubrey panicked. She quickly grabbed Damon’s arm and pressed him against the nearby tree trunk.

Damon was utterly bewildered, about to open his mouth to ask, but Aubrey was lightning–fast. She clapped her hand over his mouth again and squeezed out a hushed whisper from her throat: “Don’t speak.”

Damon kept silent, pressing his lips together. His breath filled with the sweet, soft warmth from Aubrey’s palm.

From within the bushes, two figures stood up and scanned their surroundings.

The old man grumbled impatiently.“You’re too jumpy,” he said. “It’s so late, who would be out here! Come on.”

“You rascal,” she purred, look at you, all hot and bothered.”

The two of them, eavesdropping behind the big tree, stiffened, both awkward and utterly mortified

Damon looked up at the sky, while Aubrey stated down at the ground.

If their eyes met at that moment, all the awkwardness and unspoken understanding would be instantly magnified, becoming unbearable.

Aubrey knew exactly what they were about to do and had been mentally prepared. If she had some alone, is wouldn’t have been nearly so awkward

But now Damon was here–her ex boyfriend–and she desperately wanted to find a hole to grand ima

Five years ago, they’d practically done it every day, except for lar period. They knew washes intimately. The gasps the body heat, the sweat all came back to a vividly

Her heart hammering, she instantly rolled from Dan’s chest, taking a step back

Suddenly, Damon reached out, his arm wrapping around her waist, the other hand cupping the back of het head. He pulled her flush against him again, lowering his head until his lips were practically brushing her raslobe, his searing breath glosing over her ear

“Aubrey, what kind of kink is this for you?” he murmures, his voice rough with desire.

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Aubrey’s hean pounded faster, her breath hitching. Nervously, she pressed her hands against his chest, attempting to put some distance between them.

Just then, from behind the bushes, came more of the old man’s crude and frankly unbearable remarks,

Aubrey gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut

Why did she have to be eavesdropping on something like this with her ex–boyfriend?

She was utterly monified! Dying of embarrassment!

Damon’s warmth enveloped her, and even though she’d had no ulterior thoughts a moment ago, she found herself starting to crave his body.

Her knees went weak, and a sudden, hollow ache bloomed low in her stomach.

Aubrey licked her dry lips, her voice a soft murmur.Tm here for something important. You need to leave.”

“What important thing?”

Heat rushed to Aubrey’s cheeks, creeping up her neck and burning her ears.

Just then, a deep, guttural cry echoed from behind the bushes.

Aubrey startled, the words tumbling out before she could stop them, a shocked whisper escaping her lips. “Already? That fast?”

She immediately pushed Damon away, pulled a mask from her bag, and charged forward. Her flashlight blazed, recording video, a voice recorder clutched in her other hand

Her sudden appearance sent the two people tangled together into a panicked frenzy, desperately searching for their clothes.

Aubrey aimed the camera at their faces. “You’re engaging in such scandalous and indecent acts in a public ares of this community. Do you have no

shame, no basic morality?”

They frantically pulled on their clothes.

The old man scrambled to his feet, furious, his finger jabbing toward Aubrey.“Who are you?! What does this have to do with you!!”

“I live in this complex, soy

so yes, it absolutely concerns me. Do this again, and I’ll drag you both to court, making sure everyone in the complex knows

abour your sordid affairs.”

The old man’s arrogance bristled “You dare? Just try me. See if I don’t make you disappear!”

Madison panicked, quickly pulling on her clothes, her hands flying to cover her flushed face as she stammered apologies. Tm so sorry. There won’t be a next time, I promise. Please, stop recording. Don’t make a big deal out of this

Aubrey immediately switched off her phone’s video recording and the flashlight beam “Since you’re promising there won’t be a next time,” she said, her voice even, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything. I won’t tell anyone. You two can go.”

Madison, desperate to put an end to the whole humiliating encounter, practically dragged the old man by the hand, hurrying them both away into the deepening shadows.

The woods plunged back into complete darkness.

Aubrey lowered her head, the glow of her phone screen illuminating her face as she opened it to check if the saved video had clearly captured both their faces.

Damon moved to stand beside her, his voice a low rumble.“Did you take on some divorce case, playing detective to catch a cheating spouse for a client?

Aubery paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She’d been racking her brain for an excuse, and just like that, Damon had handed her one on a silver planter

“Mm–hmm” Aubrey nodded, playing along effortlessly

“Hiding in the shadows, secretly filming, would have been enough,” Damon mused, a hint of curiosity in his tone. “Why come out and spook them?”

“It was too late. Hiding and secretly filming wouldn’t capture their faces, and just an audio tevording wouldn’t be enough” Aubrey saved all the evidence, tucking it into lure Loag, and looked up at him, bathed in the moonlight. “Besides, some secretly filmed videos are illegal and can’t be used evidence in count. But by rushing out in front of them, I could openly recand then, chông public indecency. That makes it solid eklenen.”

Damon gave a soft, knowing sindle and nodded. “Point taken,” he said “Let’s go Home”

Aubrey pulled off her mask, tucking it into her bag. She walked beside him, through the haay, moonlit neighborhood, as they slowly made their way toward the streetlights.

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Damon suddenly reached out, taking hold of her heavy briefcase. When his fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, a jolt of electricity shor through her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to pull away.

“That looks hravy. Let me take that for you,” Damon said, tightening his grip on the briefcase’s handle.

Aubrey hesitated for a few seconds before letting go.

A cold breeze swept by, dispelling the heat that had risen between them.

The rest of the way, neither of them spoke, the awkwardness and shyness of their recent interaction still lingering in their minds.

Aubrey tucked her hands into her jacket pockets, secretly exhaling with her head bowed.

After an encounter like that, as a woman, she couldn’t help but blush, her heart pounding and her body flushing with heat.

She wondered if Damon had had a girlfriend all these years

If he was like her and had been abstinent for five years,

a young, vigorous man, how incredibly pent up must he be?

Arriving back on the ground floor, they entered the elevator, one after the other.

Aubrey leaned against the elevator wall as Damon pressed the seventh–floor button and turned to look at her.

She happened to be looking at the back of Damon’s head, and the moment he turned, their gazes locked

Just now, in the unlit grove, the awkwardness had been easy to hide.

Now, the light was stark and bright, and the instant their eyes met, the awkwardness flared anew.

Aubrey’s checks flushed inexplicably. Embarrassed, she averted his gaze, her breath catching in her throat. The elevator suddenly felt cramped, stifling, and suffocating. A strange wave of heat washed over her, leaving her utterly disoriented and uneasy.

Damon, however, seemed completely unfazed, turning the awkwardness into a playful jab.“Not all men are that fast.”

His reaction time was really something

He was only just now connecting the dots to what she’d ranted about the old man in the

grove.

Aubrey’s checks flushed even hotter. She knew exactly how much stamina and raw intensity her ex–boyfriend possessed.

She just couldn’t bring herself to joke so casually about something so suggestive with him.

Not when she still had feelings for him. Not when she couldn’t pretend to be nonchalant.

She offered an awkward, small smile, not responding.

Once home, she kicked off her shoes and slipped Into slippers. Aubrey turned to take the briefcase from Damon’s hand.“Thanks,” she said, her voice a lærde tight.

With a polite thank you, she immediately retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her.

Damon shipped into his slippers, his gaze trailing Aubrey’s retreating figure until her bedroom door clicked shut. Only then did he let out a heavy sigh, walking into the living room to place his phone on the coffee table before collapsing onto the sofa, closing his eyes, and trying to clear his head.

Aubrey pulled out her laptop, opened the photo album, and found the pixtures of the three witnesses. She then cross referend them with the vidna Juostage

Sure enough, the old man was one of the three winner

Aubrey’s hean pounded wah caitement She immediately sopied the video and treated a backup

A surge of triumple posed through bes

Living in this complex was finally yielding sesul

Madison was having an alfali

Gavin from the police department was also Madison’s relative

Just a little more digging, and once the chain of evidence was formed, clearing her father’s name would be within

11:48

Chapter 26

Aubrey worked late into the night, then took a shower and dried her hair.

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Wearing a fuzzy long–sleeved pajama set, her hair a wild mess, she dragged her tired feet out of her room, an empty cup in her hand.

The living room lights were on

She looked around; Damon was nowhere in sight. She headed to the water bar and poured herself a glass of warm water.

Sipping her water, she walked back towards the living room

As she scanned the room, she noticed the front door was

was ajar

Damon hadn’t closed the front door?

He was always so careful; he wasn’t the type to be careless,

Curious Aubrey walked over, pulled the door open wider, and peeked out.

Sure enough, by the elevator, Damon and Skylar were talking face–to–face.

They weren’t far, so Aubrey quickly pulled her head back, pressing herself against the shoe cabinet door to listen.

Damon asked coldly, “How did you find me?”

Skylar admitted guiltly, I had people watching your office, and they followed you for two days.”

Damon put one hand on his hip, taking a deep breath. “Skylar, go live your own life. Go shopping with your girlfriends, travel the world with them, go to parties Just stop clinging to me.”