Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79

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Aubrey, fearing he might step out in just his towel, turned back to the bed, lay down, and switched off the bedroom light.

She pulled the thin blanket over herself, turning onto her side with her eyes closed.

With her vision obscured, her hearing grew razor sharp. She couldn’t control it, her ears constantly straining to catch his every move.

Moments later, the bathroom door creaked open. She vaguely heard Damon’s bare feet padding lightly, steadily, as he walked past her bed, leaving a aint, almost ethereal scent of shower gel in his wake.

t was like a feather brushing her nostrils, and her heart skipped a beat.

He left the bedroom and waited out in the living room.

A few minutes later, a soft knock came from the door. Damon re–entered the room, carrying something.

Then came the shuffle of slippers.

Damon went into the ensuite bathroom, put on his underwear and pajamas, finished getting ready for bed, and came out to bed.

This time, once

nce he lay down, the room finally fell silent.

Only the soft, even sound of their breathing remained, along with the erratic thrum of their hearts.

Aubrey hadn’t taken a sleeping pill, so deep sleep eluded her, but her mind was profoundly weary. Still, with Damon in the room, an inexplicable sense of security settled over her, and her heart felt unusually calm.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon’s soft voice, hoarse and low, broke the silence. “Aubrey, are you asleep?”

Aubrey hesitated for a beat before whispering back, “Not yet.”

Tomorrow’s the weekend. No work tomorrow, right?”

No.”

Want to talk?”

About what?”

How’s work going?”

It’s fine.”

Are you settling into New Haven City okay?”

I am.”

Is Alex pursuing you?”

The sudden, loaded question caught her completely off guard. She stiffened, utterly frozen, and remained silent.

Because she wasn’t sure of the answer herself, and a part of her didn’t even dare to consider it.

Alex’s behavior verged on pursuit, yet he never made any overt moves or declarations. He simply used work as an excuse to get closer, their meetings nvariably circling back to cases.

For the half–minute Aubrey remained silent, Damon’s heart felt as though it had been ravaged by a furious storm, leaving his entire being in utter disarray.

He couldn’t help but ask again, “Do you have feelings for him?”

Aubrey let out a heavy sigh, her heart heavy with exhaustion. “Damon, please stop this, okay?”

“If you don’t want me to keep pressing, then answer me honestly.”

“He seems to be pursuing me, but right now, I just want to focus on my work, establish myself in New Haven City, and make a name for myself.”

“So, you don’t have feelings for him?” Damon pressed, refusing to let it drop.

“No.”

Damon offered a small, knowing smile “Good”

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Aubrey returned a helpless, weary smile. “Can I go to sleep now?”

Clearly, the answer

wer was no.

He continued to press, “What could you possibly have to talk about with Alex for an entire hour?”

Aubrey turned onto her back, staring at the dark ceiling, and sighed helplessly.

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He was her ex, and yet his jealousy still burned so fiercely. If she didn’t make things crystal clear, he wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight. She figured it would just fester inside him, a constant, painful prick at his heart, making him truly miserable.

She still loved him, even if they couldn’t be together.

She never wanted to hurt him, not unless it was her absolute last resort, and she certainly didn’t want him to suffer.

Evans Corp has a two–hundred–million–dollar commercial dispute, and Alex brought me in to represent them. We basically just talk about work.”

Damon rolled onto his side, his gaze fixed on her small figure on the bed, shrouded in the dusky night, his voice relaxing a fraction. “A business lawyer needs a wide network. The alumni reunion is next month. Are you going?”

I don’t want to.”

Is it that you don’t want to go, or you don’t want to go with me?”

Aubrey fell silent. He’d seen right through her, and she was at a loss for words.

Every college friend who knew her knew she and Damon had dated for four years. There was no doubt they’d be the subject of endless gossip among heir old classmates at the reunion.

Damon, we can’t be lovers, and we can’t be friends.” Aubrey’s voice was heavy with a plea. “It’s truly best if we just stop seeing each other.”

We don’t have to be lovers, and we don’t have to be friends, but New Haven City isn’t that big. We’re bound to see each other.”

Always seeing each other won’t do either of us any good.”

If it eases the ache of longing, how could that not be a benefit?”

That phrase, ‘eases the ache of longing,‘ made Aubrey’s eyes sting and her heart clench with a sudden, sharp pain. The air itself seemed to thicken with n inexplicable sorrow, and tears instantly welled, blurring her vision.

he knew Damon’s heart was heavy with pain, and hers was too.

But what could she do?

I wasn’t her fault, but reality was just that cruel.

Damon had to choose between his career and her, and she couldn’t bear the thought of him sacrificing his dreams, his incredible aerospace career, for

er sake.

he wiped away her tears, turned her back to Damon, and lay facing away from him, squeezing her eyes shut, fighting to hold back the fresh flow of

ears.

Aubrey?” When she didn’t respond, Damon called her name softly, a hint of concern in his voice.

he offered no reply.

Damon didn’t press her, letting her have her space to sleep.

hat night, Aubrey found herself falling asleep surprisingly easily, even without her usual sleeping pills. Lying in bed, the initial wave of sadness was eavy–the thought of never seeing Damon again, of finally severing their lingering connection. Then, her thoughts drifted to a different kind of Forry: the air conditioning set to twenty–six degrees Celsius (seventy–nine degrees Fahrenheit). Would Damon be too warm?

ost in her thoughts, she suddenly drifted off.

I was a deep, dreamless sleep. Waking up slowly, her mind felt remarkably clear and rested, a comfort she hadn’t felt in days.

had been ages since she’d slept this deeply. When her eyes fluttered open, sunlight filtered through the pale curtains, bathing the room in a soft, hazy

low.

he propped herself up, sitting on the edge of the bed, and glanced at the floor beside her. Damon was gone. The sleeping bag and pad had been neatly olded and tucked away in the cabinet.

Aubrey ran her fingers through her long hair, then threw back the covers. She smoothed down her dress, got out of bed, and headed for the bathroom

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< Chapter 79

On the bathroom vanity, Damon’s toothbrush and cup sat right beside hers, his towel hanging next to her own.

A familiar sense of resignation washed over her, like an ex–boyfriend successfully making himself at home.

Once she’d freshened up, she stepped out of the room.

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The living room was empty too. On the dining table, a covered plate of breakfast sat, and tucked beneath it was a note.

Aubrey pulled out the note. It was a handwritten message from Damon, his beautiful, sweeping handwriting across the paper. A single, short sentence: “Remember to eat breakfast every day.”

No other words, just that one line, yet it was brimming with profound care.

Aubrey carefully folded the note, tucking it into a small box in her drawer. Then she sat down to eat the delicious breakfast Damon had made for her.

While others spent their weekends relaxing, Aubrey was determined not to waste a single moment.

Staying home, doing nothing, would only worsen her depression.

Besides the commercial dispute with Evans Corp., she had also taken on a class–action lawsuit brought by local villagers.

The case centered on the Elite Group’s chemical plant, which was accused of illegally discharging wastewater, leading to severe health issues among nearby residents. The evidence, however, was clearly insufficient.

She had scheduled her investigation for the weekend.

After finishing breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out.

It was a bright June day, the sun shining brilliantly, the breeze warm and dry.

On her way to the subway station, she had a vague feeling someone was following her. But when she glanced back, there was no one there, only cars whizzing by.

Was she being too sensitive?

Was she losing her mind? Developing paranoia?