Chapter 124: Lizzo - Truth Hurts
"Then tell her the truth. Trust her with the fall."
"You really have turned yourself into the gloom to my happiness," Damien said with a huff of amusement, shaking his head as he moved toward the kitchen counter He reached for the kettle, filled it with fresh water, and flicked it on.
Veyron didn’t dignify that with a response. He knew Damien was deflecting, and he’d let it slide—just for now.
"How is the pain?" Veyron finally asked, lowering himself into the armchair.
Damien returned moments later with a steaming mug, a curl of vapor rising from its surface. The aroma was rich—coffee laced with blood syrup, a concoction that smelled oddly comforting. He handed it to Veyron.
"I haven’t felt any pain in a while," Damien said.
"That’s good," Veyron nodded slowly. "But if the pain returns—and you and I both know it will—and she asks questions... as a married couple, she’ll be living with you. Sleeping beside you. She’ll see the way you stiffen, the way your jaw locks, the way you clutch your chest at night. She might panic and say something to somebody."
Damien sat down across from him. He cradled his cup.
"She knows about the pain already," he admitted. "I passed it off as something minor. You know—stress, tension. I’ve gotten good at lying to her in the softest ways. But Luna is a smart woman, Veyron. She watches everything, and she doesn’t forget. I just...I don’t want to spend what’s left of my life making her sad. I don’t want her to look at me and see a countdown. I don’t want her to pity me. I want her to love me. Is that too much to ask?"
Veyron took a long sip of his drink. He looked into the mug.
"But she does love you," he said finally. "She’s marrying you, Damien. Because she wants to. That counts for something."
Damien offered a weak smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes.