Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The word “truth” was incredibly seductive to Damon.

He let Ethan in

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Erhan wandered around, taking in their shared apartment. It was clean, cozy, comfortable, and spacious, and a surge of my coiled in his gut.

Jamon leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket, his gaze fixed coldly on Ethan, clearly unwelcoming.

After circling the room, Ethan returned to the sofa and sat down. He pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and produced a lighter. Just as he was bour to spark it, Damon’s voice cut in, stopping him

Aubrey doesn’t like the smell of smoke. If you want to smoke, go outside.”

than paused, a sneer playing on his lips. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, tucked it back into the pack, and slowly rose to his feet, heading for he balcony.

Jamon followed.

The two men stepped out onto the balcony. Ethan closed the glass door, then stood beside Damon at the railing, both looking out at the complex’s andscaped grounds.

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than sigh

sighed, a note of exasperation in his voice. “Aubrey, that foolish girl, with a man who loves her so much, she still takes him for granted. She w dinded by vanity, she insisted on chasing after me. I told her plenty of times, my dad’s money wasn’t necessarily going to me, but she just wouldn’t isten. She kept throwing herself at

Jamon cut him off, his voice cold. “Say another word of nonsense, and you’re gone.”

Ithan let out a soft sigh, then turned, leaning back against the railing, facing away from Damon. He turned his head, gazing at Damon’s stern, rofile “Five years ago, Aubrey did try to get into my bed, but we never had sex.”

Jamon’s hand tightened on the railing.

than’s tone grew serious.“Aubrey’s emotional betrayal only proves she never loved you. But I never intended to betray you. Aubrey and I grew up zgether, like childhood friends. In my heart, she’s practically my sister. Tell me, could you ever make a move on someone you consider your own

ister?

Jamon’s face clouded over, and he remained silent, his knuckles white against the railing.

than continued, “There’s another reason. You’re my best friend, and 1 could never sleep with your woman. That’s my bottom line.”

Why didn’t you say anything back then?” Damon asked, his voice cold.

than said indignantly, “We grew up together. I knew she was poor, and she had this strange obsession with money. When my dad wasn’t making much soney from his business, she treated me like a brother. But when I became a rich kid, she suddenly fell in love with me. She was even willing to dach er boyfriend of four years just to be with me. It was obvious she was only after my money. Back then, I thought she wasn’t good enough for you, sal retended to be with her and brought her back to Crestview City.”

opening an old wound still made it bleed, the pain just as sharp as it had been years ago.

he o

veins on Damon’s hand, still gripping the railing, bulged. He bowed his heal, eyes shut tight, and exhaled heavily

than, looking self–righteous, declared, “As soon as I get back to Crestview City, I’ll dump her. I’ll make sure she knows that betraying you for vanity nd greed has severe conseju

Jamon’s deep, hoarse voice seemed to lie laced with frost, cool and isdifferent “How much of what you’re saying in

swear, every single word I’ve said is true,” Ethan imited, holding up three fingers solemnly. “If there’s even one lie, may I drop dead on the spot.

fonestly, Ethan had made moie vows since childle

had eaten meals, and scarcely any of them had ever been sincere. Yet, here he s

ach promises were for foods to believe Damon was an atheist, trusting no one but himself

Jamon frowned, turning hai

Ithan’s eyes were earnest, stene, his expression seriou

There wasn’t a single crack in his facade.

wasn’t a

D 11:49

4 Chapter 29

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Fearing Damon’s skepticism, Exhan quickly added, “If you still doubt me, then let’s wait for Aubrey to return. The three of us can confront each other

directly.”

Just then, Aubrey pushed open the from door and came in, changing into her slippers by the shoe rack.

Damon turned to look at Aubrey. Ethan, quick on his feet, spun around, striding to pull open the glass door to the balcony. “Aubrey, tell Damon, we’ve never slept together, right?”

Aubrey’s breath caught in her throat. She froze, her hand, clutching a shopping bag, loosened its grip. The entire bag dropped to the floor.

Damon’s eyes latched onto her reaction

Their gazes locked, and the air seemed to thin around them.

Aubrey slowly clenched her fists.

She knew Ethan had always been ruthless when pursuing men, but she never imagined he would stoop so low to clear his own name, even selling our

his best friend.

Aubrey’s chest tightened with fury, her breath catching as rage consumed her. She blurted out, “Ethan, you promised me you wouldn’t say anything! What do you think you’re doing?”

Ethan turned back to Damon.“See? She admitted it, didn’t she?”

Damon’s expression visibly relaxed.

The poisoned arrow that had festered in his heart for five long years was finally being yanked out, and with its removal, a raw, forgotten part of him stirred back to life

Ethan, utterly remorseless, yelled back at Aubrey, “You’re a gold–digger! You left Damon for money. You screwed him over, fine, but don’t you dare drag me down with you!”

With that, he hastily yanked the glass door shut, clearly terrified Aubrey would press the issue further.

He turned back to Damon, offering a conciliatory smile.“You believe me now, don’t you? I’ve never done anything to betray you. Aubrey was completely her choice. Please, don’t take your anger out on me.”

Your breakup with

Damon’s mind was a maelstrom, a tangled mess of conflicting thoughts. He turned, gazing out at the city below, his outward composure a stark contrast to the tumultuous storm raging within his heart.

Ethan walked to stand beside him, clearly reveling in their shared proximity.

Damon Du you really think you can provide for her?”

Ethan’s triumphane smile abruptly faltered.

Ethan had gone to such lengths to twist things, but all Damon heard was that Aubrey hadn’t physically cheated. She was simply materialists, driven by a powerful obsession with money.

Seruusly+

he seriously going to try and win Aubry back with money?

Ethan, bristling with indignation, snapped,“Damon, a woman like that? You’re actually still thinking of schoning her back with money? Are yo completely of your mind?”

Damun murmured,

“You’re not the last person to tell me

tar

Edhan dlenched his tremlding Firs, fed his head back, and took a deep shaky breath, his for pale with fury

Ethan printed bu teeth The you will

Damon was alent for a long time. He then get two words, Holy,‘I don’t kei

Erhan scoffed, letting

would lacherr tha

His voice, when he finally spoke, was like a friend proding grily “If you don’t love her, why would you want her back!”

Damon replied, his voice unburdened, “Thd

Ethan’s eyes widened in realization. He leaned i an, lowering his virker as he presink, “Then why are you livi with hert Are you just playing with her, planning to dump her once you’ve had your fill, to get revenge for her dumping you all those years agol is that

Chapter 24

Daman’s deep rues narrowest sharply, and he stared at Ethan in shock, falling silent.

In the living

groom

Aubrey sued motionless, watching the two men outside on the balcony.

Separated by the glass door, she couldn’t hear a word they were saying

Their backs looked remarkably harmonious,

Had they made up?

Ethan’s silver tongue v

was truly something else.

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He was probably spinning a narrative, painting her as materialistic, emotionally unfaithful, and relentlessly pursuing him. Then, he’d clear his own name from the “cheating scandal by emphasizing they’d never actually been intimate.

Whatever.

She had told just

as many lies as Ethan to end things with Damon back then

She’d definitely used Ethan, manipulating him to ensure her breakup went smoothly.

To be blunt, their friendship–Ethan’s and Damon’s–had shattered because of her.

Ethan betraying her now to get Damon back was, admittedly, understandable.

They’d broken up; her objective had long been met.

Now, the fact that Ethan hadn’t exposed her father’s imprisonment meant he’d already shown her more grace than she deserved

She had no right to interfere, much less to protest.

Aubrey scooped up the bags from the floor and headed into the kitchen, putting away the food. She then emerged with the rest of the groceries.

Passing through the living room, she saw them still out on the balcony, deep in conversation.

Her uncase only intensified. Ethan had once mentioned that some straight men, when an ex wounds them too deeply, lose all faith in women, growing utterly repulsed, He’d even suggested their sexual orientation could naturally shift toward men

The more Aubrey thought about it, the more her anxiety coiled within her. She gripped the bag tight, wrestling with her turmoil for a long moment before

Finally snapped. Unable to hold back, she rushed toward them, every instinct screaming.

She yanked open the glass door.

Damon and Ethun, hearing the sudden sound, turned their heads to face her

Aubrey’s heart pounded. She swallowed hard, forcing the words out.“Damon,” she blunted, her voice a little shaky, “The fat in my bathroom in‘) running Could you could you take a look at it for me?”

Damon’s brow furrowed in a slighe frown of surprise. They’d been cohabiting for months, and this was the very first time Aubrey had ever asked hum

“Alrighe” Damon said, his voce even He turned, bashing past her, and arred the living room, heading dustly for her bedroom

Once Damon had disappeared into the mom. Filan bit his lower Hip, lila eyes nanowed into alas as he glared at Aubrey, hos vous a furious

uld you pull a

“My fully lanken How is that a duty truck? Autory

speed busk, indignusly “You set gens fingeness, and you

Edlaan Sterling

1. od. Joning his vasalow “Tarry single wind Ei

with me beause I had more money than him Weren’t to your word? What I’m singiga mothing compared to the cool things you

יין

Auliary Teli a pang name. You completely

apped, “You nod

Tham tha muthikat we never

crually slept togethe

“1”

Ethan Sterling found half utterly spreidess

Aubrey ignored him, turning and nai

„but she slammed the do

< Chapter 20

Enraged, Ethan stomped his foot outside the door.

Aubrey sighed in relief, setting down the things she was carrying, and hurried into the bathroom.

Damon turned on the facet, and the water gushed out, running freely.

He shut off the faucet, looking at Aubrey by the doorway.“It’s perfectly normal.”

sgare flickerel.

Aubrey’s gaze

“Nothing’s broken. No need to fix it.” Damon headed for the door, ready to leave.

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Aubrey hastily grabbed his arm. “It’s…” Her eyes darted around, finally landing on the showerhead. “It’s… the showerhead. It’s not working, it’s clogged.”

Jamon glanced back, then turned around, picking up the handheld showerhead and pointing it at the floor before pulling the lever down.

instantly, a powerful stream of water shot onto the floor.

He raised a subtle brow, his deep black eyes holding a hint of confusion as he silently watched Aubrey, his gaze seeming to say: It’s not broken, you saw hat.

Aubrey, her guilt flaring, avoided his gaze and slowly edged closer. She discreetly lifted a hand, then flicked the shower diverter

Her small, snea

sneaky

y movement didn’t escape Damon’s peripheral vision.

Before Damon could even react, the handheld shower he was holding suddenly stopped, and the main showerhead above burst on with a vengeance. Water, like a sadden downpour, icy cold, cascaded directly onto his head.

He jolted with the cold, too late to dodge, and was instantly drenched from head to toe.

Jamon quickly stumbled back two steps, flipped the diverter off, and stared at Aubrey, utterly bewildered.

Aubrey felt a sharp pang of guilt, but keeping him here like this was infinitely better than him spending another second with Ethan, that devious jerk.

Damon slotted the handheld shower back into its cradle.

Chilled by the cold water, his hair and body drenched, not a trace of anger flickered through him.

He knew Aubrey had done it on purpose

As for why, he still wasn’t sure.

He peeled off his jacket, shaking the water from it. His palm raked through his soaked short hair, flicking off water droplets. The cold water still

rickled down his neck, making his wet shirt cling to his skin, chilling him.

Your showerhead seems fine,” Damon said, clutching his jacket as he started to walk out. “Doesn’t need fixing. I head back to my room first, grab a hot shower, and change.”

Aubrey spun around, her hand clamping onto Damon’s arm.

Damon paused, startled. His deep gaze, laced with a hint of confusion, settled on her small, ansious face. Then his eyes slowly dropped, landing on the pale, delicate hands gripping his arm.

In all their time living together, this was the first time Aubrey had ever actively sought his help And it was clearly nothing but a presense.

It was also the first time she had ever initiated physical contact with him.

was unusually soft, dmust tender.

Aubrey hesitated, a kind of nerves tightening in her chest “You… posi i am just shower in my bathrooms”

Damon wattled her, an unreadable hall smile playing on his lips, a thie of confusion sleepening in his

Aubrey also found the request abrupt and strange, immediately making her mind tace with inappropriate thoughts,

For adults, it was almost an unspoken invitation

It was akin to Damon’s bed bring right next door, per she was practically lling him, “Sleep hei

There wasn’t much difference between a bed and a bathroom, the implications were the

But she couldn’t worry about that now. Ethan wanted to turn Damon gay, and Aubrey absolutely wouldn’t allow it. She bel should be filled with a happy, traditional family: a loving wife, children, a thriving career, and all the success he could ever thought of him diverging from that path, not after everything he’d sacrificed.

She roubly bear

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do matter what it took, she had to prevent them from being alone together. She couldn’t let than win

You want me to shower here?” Damson asked, confirming.

Aubrey pointed to the shower gel and shampoo nearby. You can use any of these.” She then nummaged through the cabinet beside her, pulled out a fresh towel, and shoved à into his hand. This is new, You can use this too.”

Her bean hammered in her chest, and she fumbled around, not knowing why she was so incredibly nervous. As soon as the words left her mouth, she practical fled the bathroom closing the door behind her.

She leaned her back against the door, pressing her hands to her burning checks.

It was just about keeping

Damon in her bathroom, letting him shower, to prevent him from going out and seeing Ethan.

Why was she blushing and her heart racing like this?

A moment later, the sound of running water echoed from inside the bathroom.

Aubrey took a deep breath to compose herself and strode out of the room.

She was going to make Ethan leave.

And she’d plaster a sign on the front door No Ethan allowed, end of story

< Chapter 30