It started with thunder in the distance.
Ariana had planned to leave the gala early, but the heavens had other plans. The rain came down in sheets, fierce and relentless, beating against the windows of the Manhattan skyscraper. Guests huddled inside, the party winding down, yet no one dared to step outside.
Ariana pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she stood by the window, watching lightning streak across the sky.
"Car's not coming?" Damien's voice came from behind her.
She didn't turn. "All the drivers are stuck. Roads are a mess."
"Mine, too." He stepped beside her, close enough to feel the electricity—not from the storm, but from their silence.
Minutes passed.
"You should've left with Sienna," Ariana said quietly.
He snorted. "She left hours ago. PR shot secured. Nothing more."
Ariana turned to face him. "Then why do it at all?"
"Because it's easier to fake normal than to explain what this is."
She stiffened.
"What is this, Damien?"
He hesitated. Then: "I don't know. But it's real."
Silence swallowed them again, heavier this time. The lights flickered.
"Looks like we're stuck here," he murmured, glancing around the nearly empty venue. "They're setting up spare rooms for anyone who can't leave."
Ariana gave him a sharp look. "You're not suggesting—"
"No. I'll take the room down the hall." He paused. "Unless you want me closer."
She looked away. "Don't push me."
Later that night, as the storm raged and wind howled against the tall windows, Ariana tossed in the plush guest room bed. Every sound made her heart race—and her thoughts returned to him.
A soft knock startled her.
She opened the door, and there he was, damp shirt clinging to his frame.
"I couldn't sleep," he said, voice low. "Can we just… talk?"
They sat across from each other on the couch.
For once, no teasing. No bravado. Just words.
He told her about the pressure of being his father's heir, the loneliness despite the power. She shared her fears of being unwanted, of never fitting in no matter how hard she tried.
By the time the storm began to die down, they were inches apart.
And when he brushed a strand of hair from her face, the silence between them cracked.
He kissed her.
Soft. Tentative. Like he was giving her a chance to pull away.
But she didn't.
Not tonight.
When they finally parted, breathless and trembling, Ariana whispered, "This changes everything."
Damien nodded. "I know."
And somewhere outside, the storm finally passed.