Damian remained where he was long after she was gone. Like he was completely frozen to the spot. He didn't move or say a word. He couldn't.
The room felt different without her. Quieter, but not calmer. If anything, the silence pressed harder, filling the space she had occupied only moments before. Her presence lingered in subtle ways he hadn't expected — the faint echo of her voice, the memory of the way she had stood her ground without defiance, the softness in her eyes when she spoke of caring. She shouldn't care about someone like him. he didn't deserve it.
He exhaled slowly and turned back toward the desk.
The picture frame lay where it had been left, face down. He had taken it out after what Alex had said to him to remind himself of the past and why he couldn't forget himself. But it made no difference, her presence for just a moment was enough to make him forget himself once again.
For a moment, he considered leaving it that way.
Instead, he reached for it.
