The Things We Hide

“You can only run from darkness for so long before it learns your name.”

Lena didn’t hear from Damien for four days.

Four painfully long days.

No texts.

No late-night messages.

No sarcastic comments in the hallway.

Nothing.

And she hated how much that bothered her.

She kept checking her phone anyway.

Like an idiot.

By Friday afternoon, the silence felt personal.

Maybe Damien finally decided pushing her away was easier.

Maybe he realized she wasn’t worth the trouble.

Or maybe—

No.

Lena stopped herself before her thoughts spiraled further.

She slammed her locker shut harder than necessary.

Ava appeared beside her instantly.

“You look emotionally constipated.”

Lena groaned. “Please never say that again.”

Ava smirked knowingly.

“You miss him.”

“No.”

“You’ve sighed seventeen times in the last hour.”

“You counted?”

“I was concerned.”

Lena rolled her eyes dramatically and started walking toward class.

The hallway buzzed with loud conversations and locker doors slamming shut. Everything felt annoyingly normal.

But then whispers started.

Again.

“Did you hear?”

“He’s back.”

“Seriously?”

Lena froze mid-step.

Her heartbeat immediately betrayed her.

Ava noticed too.

“Oh no.”

Before Lena could ask—

students suddenly moved aside near the entrance doors.

And Damien walked in.

Black hoodie.

Bruised knuckles.

Expression unreadable.

But something felt different.

Worse.

The air around him seemed heavier somehow.

Like he hadn’t slept in days.

Lena’s chest tightened painfully at the sight of him.

Damien glanced around the hallway lazily—

then his eyes landed on her.

And stayed there.

For one dangerous second the entire world disappeared again.

No noise.

No people.

Just him.

Then Damien looked away first.

And kept walking.

Lena blinked rapidly.

What the hell was that?

Ava looked horrified beside her.

“Okay, no. That was intense.”

Lena swallowed carefully.

“He ignored me.”

“Girl, he practically undressed your soul with eye contact.”

“That is not comforting.”

—

By lunch period, Lena officially decided Damien was avoiding her.

Every time she approached him—

he disappeared.

If she walked into a hallway, he walked out.

If she entered the cafeteria, he left.

At first she thought it was coincidence.

Then it became obvious.

He was doing it on purpose.

And honestly?

That pissed her off.

So after school, Lena marched toward the rooftop determined to confront him.

Because Damien always hid there when he wanted silence.

Sure enough—

he stood near the fence staring over the city skyline.

Wind moved through his dark hair while cigarette smoke curled into the cold evening air.

He heard her footsteps immediately.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Lena crossed her arms.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“You literally walked away every time I came near you today.”

Damien stayed silent.

Which was basically a confession.

Anger flared inside her chest.

“Seriously? After everything, you just disappear?”

Damien exhaled smoke slowly before finally turning toward her.

And Lena’s anger weakened instantly.

Because he looked exhausted.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Like something inside him was breaking quietly.

“You don’t understand,” he muttered.

“Then explain it to me.”

His jaw tightened.

“I can’t.”

“That’s not an explanation.”

“I know.”

Lena stared at him in frustration.

Why did he always do this?

Push her close—

then shove her away again.

“What happened after the store?” she asked softly.

Damien looked away immediately.

“That wasn’t something you needed to see.”

“It was your father.”

Silence.

The word father felt dangerous around him.

Damien’s expression darkened instantly.

“He’s not my father.”

Lena frowned slightly.

“Damien—”

“He lost the right to call himself that years ago.”

Pain.

Raw pain flickered across his face before disappearing again.

Lena stepped closer carefully.

“You don’t have to talk about it.”

“Yes I do.”

That surprised her.

Damien laughed bitterly under his breath.

“Because if I don’t…” he looked at her slowly, “you’ll keep thinking there’s something worth saving in me.”

Her heart ached hearing that.

“Damien—”

“My father used to lock me in closets when he drank too much.”

Lena froze.

“He’d say it was punishment.” Damien’s voice stayed calm. Too calm. “Sometimes for hours.”

The rooftop suddenly felt colder.

“When I was ten, he broke my arm because I spilled alcohol on the floor.”

Lena’s chest tightened painfully.

Damien kept speaking like he wasn’t describing trauma.

Like he was reading facts from a textbook.

Detached.

Emotionless.

Which somehow made it worse.

“My mom tried protecting me at first.” He laughed quietly. “Then eventually she stopped trying.”

Lena couldn’t breathe properly.

No wonder Damien looked at the world like it already ruined him.

No wonder violence sat so naturally inside him.

“You know what the funny part is?” Damien asked softly.

Lena shook her head.

“He was right about me.”

His eyes met hers again.

“I became exactly like him.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You are NOT him.”

Damien stepped toward her suddenly.

Close enough to make her heartbeat stutter.

“You saw me at the store.”

“You were protecting yourself.”

“I scared you.”

Lena opened her mouth—

then closed it again.

Because yes.

For one moment…

he had scared her.

Damien noticed the hesitation immediately.

And it destroyed something inside him.

“There it is,” he whispered bitterly. “Truth.”

Before Lena could respond, Damien turned away sharply.

“We’re done here.”

Anger flared inside her again.

“No.”

His shoulders stiffened.

“No?”

“You don’t get to decide what I feel.”

Damien slowly looked back at her.

Dangerous.

Conflicted.

“You should hate me.”

“Why?”

“Because eventually everyone does.”

Lena stepped closer until only inches separated them.

“Maybe I’m not everyone.”

Silence crashed between them violently.

Damien stared at her like she’d said something impossible.

And suddenly Lena realized how close they were standing.

Too close.

Her pulse became unbearably loud.

Damien’s eyes dropped briefly to her lips again.

That dangerous tension returned instantly.

Electric.

Terrifying.

Real.

Lena stopped breathing.

“Kiss me,” she whispered before she could stop herself.

The words shocked both of them.

Damien’s entire body froze.

For one second—

two—

three—

he looked like he wanted to.

Desperately.

Then suddenly he stepped backward like she burned him.

“No.”

Humiliation hit Lena immediately.

“Oh.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I do.”

“You think you do.”

Anger replaced embarrassment fast.

“What is WRONG with you?”

Damien laughed bitterly.

“You really want the full list?”

“You push me away every time things become real!”

“Because real things break!”

His voice echoed sharply across the rooftop.

Silence followed instantly afterward.

Damien looked horrified at himself for yelling.

Lena’s chest tightened painfully.

There it was again.

That sadness beneath his anger.

Like he hated himself more than anyone else ever could.

“I’m trying to protect you,” he whispered.

“From what?”

His eyes looked almost empty now.

“Me.”

And for the first time—

Lena realized Damien truly believed he was poison.

—

That night Lena couldn’t sleep.

Again.

Rain tapped softly against her bedroom window while Damien’s words replayed endlessly in her mind.

Real things break.

Maybe he was right.

Maybe people like Damien didn’t know how to love without destroying everything.

But if that was true—

why did she still want him anyway?

Her phone buzzed suddenly at 2:13 AM.

Damien.

Her heartbeat quickened instantly.

DAMIEN:

I’m sorry about earlier.

Lena stared at the message for several seconds.

Then typed back.

LENA:

You hurt my feelings.

Typing…

I know.

Another message came immediately.

That’s why I stay away.

Her chest tightened painfully.

LENA:

You can’t keep disappearing every time you get scared.

No response.

Then finally—

You make me feel things I forgot how to feel.

Lena’s breath caught.

The vulnerability in that sentence nearly shattered her.

LENA:

Is that bad?

Three dots appeared.

Vanished.

Appeared again.

For someone like me? Yes.

Lena bit her lip nervously before typing slowly.

LENA:

Maybe I’m a little broken too.

This time Damien replied instantly.

Don’t romanticize broken things, Lena.

But she already was.

That was the problem.

—

Saturday evening arrived with another storm.

Lena sat inside a tiny bookstore café trying to focus on homework.

Keyword:

Trying.

Because Damien occupied every corner of her brain lately.

The café door suddenly opened.

Cold wind rushed inside.

And Damien walked in.

Lena blinked rapidly.

He froze too after spotting her.

For a second both of them just stared awkwardly.

Then Lena raised an eyebrow.

“You stalking me now?”

A tiny smile tugged at Damien’s mouth.

“Maybe.”

That single word sent warmth flooding through her chest.

Damien approached slowly before sitting across from her.

Neither of them mentioned the rooftop incident.

Neither mentioned the almost-kiss.

But the tension remained there anyway.

Sharp.

Unavoidable.

“You actually study?” Damien asked while glancing at her books.

“I’m trying to graduate.”

“Overachiever.”

“You literally read philosophy books for fun.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“I’m mentally ill.”

Lena burst out laughing unexpectedly.

A real laugh.

Damien stared at her quietly afterward.

“What?”

“I like hearing that sound.”

Her cheeks warmed instantly.

Dangerous.

Everything about him felt dangerous.

A waitress approached their table smiling politely.

“What can I get you?”

“Black coffee,” Damien answered.

The waitress nodded before looking at Lena again.

“And for your boyfriend?”

Lena nearly inhaled oxygen incorrectly.

Damien looked suspiciously entertained.

“We’re not dating,” Lena said quickly.

The waitress looked unconvinced.

“Right.”

After she walked away, Damien smirked slightly.

“You panic easily.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re blushing.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

The confidence in his voice startled her.

Because somehow…

he already knew.

Lena looked away quickly.

Outside, thunder cracked loudly.

The café lights flickered once.

And suddenly every customer gasped.

The power went out completely.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Only emergency lights remained glowing faintly red.

People murmured nervously around them.

Then Lena felt something warm brush against her hand beneath the table.

Damien.

Her breath caught immediately.

He wasn’t fully holding her hand.

Just touching it lightly.

Like asking permission.

Lena slowly intertwined their fingers.

And Damien went completely still.

The darkness around them suddenly felt intimate.

Private.

His thumb brushed softly against her skin once.

That tiny movement nearly destroyed her.

“You should stop looking at me like that,” Damien whispered quietly.

Lena’s heartbeat stumbled.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m someone worth loving.”

The vulnerability in his voice hurt.

Because Damien genuinely couldn’t understand why anyone would care about him.

Lena squeezed his hand slightly.

“Maybe you are.”

Damien stared at her through the dim red lighting.

And suddenly—

he leaned closer.

This time he didn’t stop.

His hand moved gently to her face.

Lena’s breath trembled.

Every nerve inside her body screamed.

His forehead touched hers softly.

So soft.

Nothing like the violence everyone expected from him.

“You’re gonna ruin me,” he whispered.

Then he kissed her.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like he was terrified of breaking her.

Lena’s heart nearly exploded.

His lips were warm despite the cold rain outside.

And for one beautiful terrifying second—

everything felt okay.

Until screaming erupted outside the café.

Both of them pulled apart immediately.

A car crash.

People rushed toward the windows in panic.

Lena stood quickly while Damien’s expression darkened instantly.

Across the street—

a motorcycle had crashed violently into another vehicle.

Smoke filled the air.

Someone was injured badly.

But that wasn’t what froze Damien.

A black SUV sat parked nearby.

Engine still running.

Windows tinted dark.

Damien’s face lost all color instantly.

“What’s wrong?” Lena whispered.

He stood abruptly.

“We need to leave.”

“What?”

“NOW.”

The fear in his voice terrified her.

Before she could question further—

the SUV door opened.

A tall man stepped out wearing black gloves and a long dark coat.

He looked directly at Damien.

And smiled.

Not kindly.

Something cold crawled down Lena’s spine immediately.

Damien grabbed her wrist hard.

“Don’t look at him.”

“What’s happening?”

“We’re leaving.”

The man across the street continued staring at them calmly.

Like he already knew Damien.

Like he’d been searching for him.

And for the first time since meeting Damien Vale—

Lena realized there might be things far darker in his life than anger and trauma.

Things dangerous enough to make even Damien afraid.

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