Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 63

Chapter 63

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The Blackwood family home was a traditional courtyard estate, grand and understated, yet undeniably impressive.

Night had fallen, and the long corridors were lit with warm yellow lights, creating a captivating atmosphere.

Tracy tugged Aubrey further inside.

“Tracy, I just came to return your money today. I didn’t bring a gift; it’s not appropriate to see your parents.” Aubrey resisted.

“You don’t need a gift,” Tracy insisted, holding onto her arm tightly, refusing to let go. “Besides, my parents are out for the evening. It’s just us young people hanging out.”

“What young people?” A pang of unease shot through Aubrey. As she recalled, neither Damon nor his older brother lived with their parents.

Surely Damon wasn’t here too, was he?

Passing through the ornate Chinese–style corridor, they arrived in a spacious, laid–back entertainment room.

The sight of Damon’s back sent a jolt through Aubrey, freezing her in place.

“My friend, Aubrey,” Tracy announced brightly.

Inside, all eyes turned to Aubrey, except for Damon.

Alex Foster’s eyes fixed on Aubrey. He stood up unconsciously, a strong hand of cards clutched in his hand, and a wide, brilliant smile curved his lips. “Aubrey,” he said, “long time no see.”

Aubrey turned at the sound, her eyes landing on Alex Foster, whom she hadn’t seen in six years. She managed a small smile, nodding in greeting. “Long time no see,” she replied.

Just then, Zachary set aside his game, walking over to Aubrey with a welcoming smile. “Aubrey?” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Aubrey nodded at him. “Hey, Zach.”

“Come on in,” Zachary said, his hand politely settling on her shoulder as he guided her deeper into the room.

He led Aubrey toward the lounge area where a low coffee table sat.

Alex, noticing her approach, immediately slid over, creating an empty space in the middle. “Aubrey, sit here,” he offered.

The room felt suddenly packed, especially with so many familiar faces, and Aubrey felt a suffocating wave of awkwardness wash over her.

Once she was seated,

Zachary, who had always doted on her like a younger sister, spoke with a steady, serious tone, reminding the younger men present, “Look after Aubrey. Don’t let her feel neglected.”

“I’ve got her, big brother,” Tracy said with a smile, patting his shoulder before settling down beside Aubrey.

After Zachary left, the atmosphere instantly fell into an awkward silence.

Everyone knew Damon and Aubrey had dated for four years, and that she’d dumped him at the height of their love.

This was supposed to be their reunion after six years apart.

In reality, only they knew in their hearts that whether six years had passed or just one, it felt like a world away.

Damon sat on the love seat opposite Aubrey, his strong, lean body leaned back casually against the cushions, his long legs stretched out wide. One hand held his cards, the other rested on the armrest.

After she settled into her seat, his gaze remained fixed on her, unmoving.

His deep, inscrutable eyes held a cool, distant intensity that left Aubrey utterly flustered. Her composure shattered instantly, and her anxious gaze had

nowhere to land.

She wanted to speak up, to clarify she hadn’t come here to stumble upon him, or intentionally put herself in his path.

There were too many people, making it impossible to explain, and Tracy wouldn’t let her leave. Staying just made her feel completely out of her depth.

Someone who had tried to forget with time couldn’t possibly withstand repeated encounters like this.

Aubrey’s breathing hitched, her heart thundering against her ribs, threatening to leap into her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Damon’s eyes.

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Anyone could see her palpable discomfort.

Everyone waited in silence for Damon and Aubrey to acknowledge each other, but they both remained urterly silent, an unseling quire that pricked at

the air.

Tracy glanced at Damon, thinking. That kind of intense stare would make anyone uncomfortable.

“What are you guys playing?” Tracy finally broke the suffocating quiet.

Logan chimed in. “With this many of us, it’s naturally a game of cards.” He raised an eyebrow, taking Aubrey in. He teased, “Aubrey, six years, and you look exactly the same as you did in college, just a little thinner. Don’t you ever age?”

Aubrey offered him an awkward smile.

Tracy shot back, “Aubrey’s naturally gorgeous, unlike you. In just six years, you’ve gone from a handsome young man to a greasy, middle–aged dude.”

“Tracy, no personal attacks!” Logan frowned, clearly displeased.

Tracy just gave him a mischievous, unapologetic grin.

Alex’s gaze lingered on Aubrey’s pretty face. He leaned closer, extending the cards in his hand. “Aubrey, why don’t you play?”

Aubrey shook her head instantly. “No, you guys go on.”

Alex pointed to the few remaining chips in front of him, grumbling, “Tracy just stepped out for a bit, and we’ve played a few rounds of poker, one dealer takes on two others. Damon’s won every single hand. The losses are piling up. Help me out for a few hands.”

Aubrey glanced at the pile of chips in front of Damon, stacked high and brimming.

Rather than just sitting idly, she figured she might as well play

Some cards to make herself feel a little more at ease.

“I’ll give it a try,” Aubrey said, taking the cards from Alex. She sat up straight and slowly fanned them out.

Alex on her left, Chloe on her right, the two of them leaned in close to Aubrey, like loyal guardians on either side, craning their necks to peer at the cards she held fanned out in her hands.

Damon let out a slow breath, withdrew his gaze, and opened his cards. Then he picked up the three cards on the table and turned them over.

Once again the ‘Dealer,‘ he played first, throwing out a three of clubs.

Aubrey immediately threw down four Jacks. “Bomb!”

Everyone present was stunned. Even Chloe and Alex, seeing the cards in her hand, were dumbfounded.

Damon had only played the smallest card, and she used a bomb?

Damon’s handsome brows furrowed slightly, a trace of a sneer playing on his lips. He stared at Aubrey and asked, “Do you even know how to play this game?”

Aubrey had been there for quite a while, and this was the first thing Damon had said to her–a question dripping with doubt.

Aubrey didn’t answer his question, instead glancing at Logan.

Logan immediately declared his loyalty. “Don’t worry, just play. I’m on your side. We’re both ‘players‘.”

Aubrey offered a slight smile and laid down a straight. “Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.”

Damon’s face hardened. “Pass.”

Logan, naturally, passed. He wasn’t about to play against his own.

Aubrey laid down another straight: “Five, six, seven, eight, nine.” She had only one card left in her hand, the smallest, a three. “Single card,” she announced.

Tracy and Alex stared, dumbfounded by her aggressive play.

If Damon had managed to counter her, she would have been guaranteed to lose.

Yet, every eye in the room was fixed on Damon. As the Dealer, he’d only played a single card the entire game. If he didn’t play now, he would be ‘sprung,‘ meaning he’d have to pay double.

Damon held a strong hand, but he had no bombs and no straights.

He swept his cards together, his eyes boring into Aubrey. His voice was flat, yet its casual indifference held a barbed edge. “You’re even this ruthless

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Aubrey felt a strange nervousness just talking to him. She feigned a calm she didn’t feel as she replied, “Isn’t playing cards just gambling? I’m betting you don’t have a bomb or a straight. If I don’t take a gamble now, Logan and I together wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

Tracy laughed into her hand.

Alex clapped his hands, a genuine awe in his voice. “That was badass. If it were me, I’d never dare play like that. Holding onto just a three, that’s practically a death trap.”

Damon tossed his impressive hand onto the table, conceding defeat, and began dealing out the chips.

“Aubrey, you’re incredible!” Tracy threw her arms around Aubrey, beaming. “You totally cleaned out my brother! Hell have to pay double! I’ll go get you some juice.”

“Thanks,” Aubrey said, her mood instantly softening. She leaned forward to gather the cards.

Aubrey, the winner, shuffled the cards. Her fair fingers moved with a light, soft grace, a slight unfamiliarity evident in their movements.

Alex asked, “How’s your mom, Aubrey?”

“She’s doing really well, actually. They just transferred her to a standard room.”

Damon watched her shuffle, his gaze suddenly darkening.

Alex added, “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Seriously, don’t worry about it being a bother. We should connect on WhatsApp later.”

Aubrey: “Okay, thank you.”

Alex: “Do you have any plans to stay and build your career in New Haven City?”

Aubrey slowly dealt the cards, her gaze distant. “No,” she replied softly.

Damon picked up his glass, took a slow sip, then turned his head to stare out the window, a barely perceptible sigh escaping his lips.

Logan also took a drink from his glass, then leaned forward, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Aubrey, are you single?”

Aubrey pressed her lips together, a wave of discomfort washing over her.

It was the last thing she wanted to talk about. Still, she managed a polite nod.

Alex jumped in, a grin splitting his face. “I’m single too!”

Logan shot him a look, a brow quirked. “Nobody asked you.”

Aubrey quickly changed the subject, eager to move on. “What’s the punishment if you lose all your chips?”

Logan picked up his cards, a mischievous glint in his eye. “We have to call the person with the highest score ‘Daddy‘.”

Aubrey’s hand, mid–deal, froze. A bewildered frown creased her forehead as she looked from Logan to Alex, her gaze finally snagging on Damon.

She was utterly baffled.

These men, almost thirty, with impressive degrees, impeccable manners, and high–flying careers–were they really playing such childish games? Didn’t high schoolers do stuff like that, trying to get a rise out of their friends?

Were men truly just overgrown boys, always wanting their friends to call them ‘Daddy,‘ no matter how mature they seemed?

That was a far deeper blow to their pride than losing money.

Aubrey continued to deal the cards. “This bet’s on me, then. If I win, you guys have to call me ‘Queen‘.”

Logan immediately agreed. “Oh, that’s perfect! Losing to you is way better than losing to either of them.”

Of the three playing Dealer, Aubrey was the youngest.

Damon propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to pick up his cards. “And if you lose?” he drawled, feigning indifference.

Aubrey blurted out, “I’ll call you ‘sir.“”

Damon let out a cold snort. “That’s way too easy on you.”

Logan nodded in agreement. “He’s already older than you, so just calling him ‘sir‘ doesn’t really give him much of an advantage, does it?”

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Aubrey finished dealing the cards, took a deep breath, and forced a smile. “So, what kind of punishment do you

two want?”

Damon’s dark eyes narrowed as he gazed at her, a hint of dominance in his expression. “Call me your master,” he challenged.

Tracy, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

Alex and Logan froze, staring at Damon for a long moment before they, too, burst out laughing. This game just got a whole lot more interesting.

Aubrey was stunned. She let out a slow breath, her gaze locking with Damon’s deep, dark, and utterly unreadable eyes. She’d planned to subtly throw the game, to call him Damon–a small penalty–and spare him the humiliation of his friends calling him ‘Daddy.‘ She’d even suggested her own system. But Master? He wanted her to call him master?

“Fine,” Aubrey said, her competitive spirit flaring. Her demeanor instantly turned serious.

The atmosphere at the table instantly grew tense, the battle for pride escalating to a whole new level.

Aubrey was dealt another terrible hand.

Anyone else would have folded with such a hand, but Aubrey’s personality was inherently ruthless, with a hint of wolfishness.

She risked it all and declared herself the ‘Dealer.‘

Damon and Logan, both holding strong hands, were utterly stunned when Aubrey revealed the Big and Little Jokers, along with a 5 of Clubs.

Such sheer luck made Alex and Tracy gasp.

“Holy crap!”

“Aubrey, with a hand like that, only you would dare to declare.”

The 5 of Clubs perfectly linked all the lower cards in her hand.

Aubrey laid down a straight: “Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Jack, Queen.”

Damon countered with four Twos. “Bomb!”

Aubrey immediately played the Big and Little Jokers. “Beat that!”

Logan stared, his jaw practically on the floor.

Aubrey then played six Clubs, one after another, leaving her with just a single card. She shot Damon a teasing smile. “I’m down to my last one. Can you stop me?”

Damon exhaled softly, turning his head to Logan beside him. “Where’s your bomb?”

Logan shrugged. “None.”

“What about your bomb?”

“Nothing here either.”

Damon laid down his cards, admitting defeat once again.