It had been two days since I last saw Miranda. I tried not to show it, but I missed her.
I missed the way she lit up every room she walked into, how she could make me laugh without even trying. I missed her voice, her touch, and yes, her stubbornness too.
We hadn’t talked much since our last encounter, and if I were honest with myself, the silence between us was starting to gnaw at me.
It wasn’t like I needed to explain myself or anything, but I felt the tension in the air every time I thought about her, and that wasn’t a feeling I liked. Not one bit.
I’d been busy with work, but I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to see her. So, without hesitation, I headed to her place.
The drive felt longer than it should have. I kept replaying everything in my mind, the last conversation we had, how she’d looked when I left, how we hadn’t really talked things through. I couldn’t let things be left hanging like that.
When I arrived at her apartment building, I walked up to her door, knocked a couple of times, and waited. The sound of footsteps on the other side didn’t come right away.
I knocked again, a little harder this time. Still nothing.
I wasn’t the type to stand around, so I tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. The door creaked open as I pushed it gently, stepping inside. The apartment was empty.
I looked around, feeling a bit foolish now. The place was quiet, and the silence felt thick.
Her scent lingered in the air, vanilla, maybe lavender? I couldn’t quite place it, but it always seemed to settle into my senses, comforting me. But today, it felt… off. As if something was missing. Her.
I stepped further into the room, glancing around the living room, the kitchen, the hallway. She wasn’t here. I stood still for a moment, wondering where she could have gone.
I turned to leave, feeling the weight of disappointment settle on my chest. As much as I hated the silence, I hated the uncertainty even more. I needed to clear the air between us. I needed to know where we stood. I couldn’t stand this half-in, half-out limbo any longer.
Just as I reached the door, I heard the faint sound of a car pulling up outside. My pulse quickened.
Miranda? Was that her? I couldn’t shake the hope that maybe she’d come back, and just in time for me to explain myself. I stepped back outside, looking toward the parking lot. A car pulled in, the engine shutting off with a soft hum.
And then I saw her.
She was getting out of the passenger seat, and I immediately recognized the car. It wasn’t hers, though. It was a sleek black sports car, one I didn’t recognize.
My curiosity piqued, I watched as the driver got out. He was tall, much taller than me, with sharp features and a confident stride.
As he walked around the car, I couldn’t help but notice the way Miranda hugged him. She even smiled up at him, that smile that could light up an entire room.
Something inside me twisted. A knot formed in my stomach as my mind raced.
Who was this guy? Why was she so familiar with him? They didn’t seem like strangers. They had the kind of familiarity that made my chest tighten with… jealousy?
No. It couldn’t be. I wasn’t the jealous type, but seeing her so close with him, sharing that moment, sent a ripple of something dark through me.
Before I knew what I was doing, my feet were moving. I was marching toward them, my pace quickening as my thoughts scattered. I had to know who this guy was.
I had to know why they were so comfortable with each other. My heart was beating faster now, a mix of emotions swirling inside me.
As I approached them, I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping my hand around Miranda’s waist, pulling her against me with a force that almost startled her. Her breath caught, and she turned her head, eyes wide in surprise.
“Miranda,” I said, my voice coming out a little more sharply than I intended. “How was your day, darling?”
She froze for a moment, clearly shocked by my sudden appearance. Her eyes darted between me and the guy she had just hugged, the stranger whose identity I still didn’t know.
“What the hell, Damon?” she breathed, her voice a mix of surprise and confusion. “What are you doing here?”
