Chapter 254: The hope he couldn’t let go I

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The hope he couldn’t let go I

(Damian POV)

Damian woke before his alarm.

For several seconds, he remained still, staring at the ceiling.

Then he remembered what day it was.

Saturday.

Foundation volunteer work.

He closed his eyes again.

So this was it.

After almost two weeks of not seeing Vivienne, he would see her today.

There was no postponing it this time.

The previous Saturday’s volunteer work had been cancelled because of the midterm examinations. Then there had been the examinations themselves, followed by the practicals.

For nearly two weeks, he had managed not to see her.

And, for the most part, that had been easier than he expected.

There had always been something else to occupy his mind.

Study.

Classes.

Examinations.

Assignments.

He had deliberately allowed himself very little time to sit around thinking.

It had worked.

Mostly.

Because there had still been that irritating little part of him that kept waiting.

He hadn’t wanted to admit it.

But he had been waiting for her to contact him.

Just once.

He had told himself that if she sent him a message, even something completely ordinary, he would know that she had thought about what happened.

That perhaps she had realized she had gone too far.

That perhaps she cared enough to wonder whether he was all right.

Nothing came.

Not on Sunday.

Not during the week.

Not even after the examinations.

Nothing.

Damian stared at the ceiling.

He shouldn’t have expected anything.

That was the sensible conclusion.

Vivienne had never promised him anything.

She had never said she wanted a relationship with him.

She had never even known exactly how serious his feelings had become.

And yet—

she knew he liked her.

Surely she knew.

He had not been particularly subtle about it.

Which was why the pool party still bothered him.

It wasn’t the things she had asked him to do.

He would have done them gladly if they had been for her.

It was the reason behind them.

She had wanted Anthony’s attention.

And Damian had allowed himself to become part of that little performance.

An accessory.

Something she could use because she knew he would do what she asked.

That was what had hurt.

And afterward, she hadn’t even seemed to notice.

No apology.

No message.

Nothing.

Damian turned onto his side.

A small, bitter thought surfaced.

Perhaps she really hadn’t thought about it at all.

He hated that thought.

He hated even more that some part of him still wanted to believe otherwise.

Maybe she had simply been careless.

Maybe she hadn’t understood how it looked.

Maybe—

He stopped himself.

Enough.

He had spent almost two weeks going around in circles.

Today, he would see her.

And he needed to know what he was going to do.

The answer was simple.

He would step back.

Not cruelly.

Not dramatically.

He wouldn’t punish her.

He wouldn’t make some childish display of anger.

He would simply stop making himself so available.

If she asked for his help, he could help when appropriate.

If she spoke to him, he would answer.

If she teased him, perhaps he could even tease her back.

But he wouldn’t keep jumping whenever she called his name.

He wouldn’t let himself be used again.

And he certainly wasn’t going to behave as though those two weeks had been some unbearable tragedy.

He was twenty-two years old.

He could handle himself.

He had fallen for a girl.

It was his first time feeling this way about someone.

It didn’t mean he had to lose his dignity over it.

Damian finally got out of bed.

As he dressed, he caught himself wondering whether Vivienne would even notice that he was different.

He stopped buttoning his shirt.

Of course she would.

Wouldn’t she?

She was observant.

At least, he had always thought she was.

Then again, perhaps she wasn’t.

Perhaps she would simply greet him as though nothing had happened.

That thought irritated him.

And, strangely, another part of him wanted exactly that.

If Vivienne greeted him as though nothing had happened, perhaps he could simply return the gesture. Perhaps it would be easier that way.

He shook his head.

He was contradicting himself again.

Fine.

Let her do whatever she wanted.

He would decide how to respond when the moment came.

--

He left later than he normally would have for Foundation.

Deliberately.

The meeting was at nine.

He didn’t want to arrive twenty or thirty minutes early and spend all that time wondering when Vivienne would appear. ℴℴ𝘮

Five minutes early would be enough.

The walk from Saint Albion toward the Foundation building took him through University Town, where the Saturday morning crowd was already beginning to gather.

Students moved between cafés and shops, some carrying books, others dressed for weekend activities. A few familiar faces greeted him as he passed.

Damian answered automatically.

His thoughts remained elsewhere.

Again, he wondered whether Vivienne would act as though nothing had happened.

Probably.

She seemed capable of that.

After all, she has always been remarkably comfortable with him.

Or perhaps there would finally be some awareness on her end.

Then what?

He exhaled.

It didn’t matter.

Whatever happened, he would handle it.

He had spent two weeks learning how to step back.

He wasn’t going to throw that away simply because he saw her again.

The Foundation building eventually came into view.

Damian checked his watch.

8:53.

Good.

He still had a few minutes.

He slowed his pace.

He didn’t need to hurry.

When he finally reached the building, it was 8:55.

Exactly five minutes before the scheduled briefing.

He stepped inside.

The Foundation staff had prepared one of the smaller consultation rooms for their group.

Their six-person team would meet there before splitting up.

Sophia and Jessica would handle one area.

Peter and Oliver would take another.

And Damian and Vivienne had East Junction.

Their pilot project was the first one being implemented, which meant their pair had the most immediate responsibility. The others would follow their progress, observe what worked, and adapt the model to their own assigned areas.

Mrs. Lee was already inside, arranging the folders and materials on the table. Peter and Oliver were already there too.

Damian acknowledged them.

He took a seat.

He glanced at the clock.

8:56.

The remaining members would arrive soon.

He picked up the East Junction folder.

Work.

He could focus on work.

That was what he needed.

He looked over the preliminary notes again.

The pilot project.

The businesses they had identified.

The logistics they needed to confirm.

There was enough to occupy his mind.

Good.

He was not waiting for Vivienne.

He was simply reviewing the materials.

That was all.

8:57.

A minute passed.

Then another.

Damian heard footsteps outside.

His fingers tightened slightly around the folder.

He didn’t look toward the door.

Not immediately.

He already knew who it was.

His heart began beating faster.

He frowned.

What the hell?

It was just Vivienne.

He had spent two weeks preparing for this.

He could do this.

He could be normal.

He could be friendly.

He could step back.

He could—

The door opened.

Damian looked up.

And his carefully prepared thoughts suddenly became much harder to remember.

--

Tbc