Page 8 of Mutual Desire

“What?” Damien’s voice rose slightly, the frustration creeping in. “No! Of course, I want you, babe. How could you even think that?”

Craig’s lips pressed into a thin line, his silence cutting deeper than words.

“I spent the whole day working on Nick’s software. It completely drained me,” Damien explained, his voice almost pleading. “That’s all this is.”

Craig’s expression remained suspicious, his eyes searching Damien’s face as if still unconvinced.

“Babe, listen—”

Craig looked away, his expression unreadable. “I’m going home,” Craig interrupted, his voice cold and sharp.

Damien blinked, stunned by the abruptness of Craig’s reaction. It felt like a punch to the gut.“Are you... are you serious?” Damien asked, barely able to process it.

“I think we both need to cool off a little. Let’s call it a night,” Craig said icily.

Damien felt like the floor had been pulled out from under him.What the actual fuck?

“No. What I need is a hot bath and a massage from my man. That’s the only thing I need tonight, Craig,” Damien replied, his voice low, the sharp edge of anger finally breaking through his exhaustion.

Craig’s voice dropped, quiet but firm. “Damien, the same way I’m respecting your decision tonight, respect mine for wanting to take some time away from… us.”

A bitter laugh slipped from Damien’s lips. “Oh, I get it. So, this is payback for not wanting to fuck? Is that it?”

Craig’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what is it about, Craig?” Damien demanded. “Because I’m exhausted, and instead of understanding that, you’re making this about you.”

Craig shook his head, looking weary. “No. You were right. We should’ve never started this conversation.”

“Craig—”

“Go to bed, Damien. Get some rest.”

Before Damien could protest, Craig leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. Then,he quickly grabbed his car keysfrom the table and walked out of the living room. A few seconds later, Damien heard the door slam shut, confirming that Craig was gone, leaving him standing in the middle of his apartment, anger and hurt twisting in his chest.

What the hell had just happened?He couldn’t wrap his head around Craig’s reaction. Since when had being tired become a crime? Damien replayed the argument in his mind, trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong. Sure, he had forgotten it was Craig’s day off, and he’d apologized for that. But the fight wasn’t really about that. Craig leaving the way he did shocked Damien—he’d never just walked away from an argument before.

But Damien reassured himself. He would patch things up with Craig, no matter what. In their three years together, Craig had always treated him with love and respect, and Damien wasn’t about to let one argument change that. He knew how rare a man like Craig was, and he wasn’t going to be careless with their relationship.

The exhaustion weighed heavier now, dragging him down like a stone. He made his way to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes. He desperately needed a shower, something to wash away the stress of the day. The cold water from the shower offered a brief reprieve, but the ache in his chest lingered. He stayed in the bath for what felt like forever, letting the cold water cool his aching muscles. He nearly fell asleep in the tub.

Finally, clean and relaxed, he sprawled out naked and drained on the bed. He knew tomorrow wouldn’t be any easier. A presentation he didn’t want, a relationship on shaky ground—everything felt like too much.

He sighed, pulling the blanket over him. Sleep came slowly, dragging him into its depths. And in the quiet darkness, Damien knew the hardest part was still to come.

FOUR

The Collision

Zombie.

That was the only word Damien could think of to describe his reflection in the mirror minutes after dragging himself out of bed. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, thanks to Nick calling bright and early, using himself as Damien’s personal alarm clock.

The phone call still echoed in his mind.

“You can't be serious, Nicolas,” Damien had muttered groggily, struggling to keep his irritation in check.

Nick, as expected, was unapologetic. “Were you sleeping? It's already nine, Clarke.”

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