He blinked, confused. “Okay?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding slowly. “We can be friends.”
The words felt strange, but right. Maybe friendship was all I could offer right now. Maybe it was the only thing I had left to give.
For a second, Damien just stared at me. Then a smile broke across his face—soft, genuine, and almost boyish. He let out a quiet laugh, the sound light and warm, filling the empty room like sunlight breaking through clouds.
“Thank you,” he said, squeezing my hand gently. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
I couldn’t help but smile back, just a little. His laugh had a way of softening everything around him, melting away some of the heaviness that clung to my chest.
He reached out and, without asking, gently pinched my cheek. “See? You can smile. I was starting to
