DAMIR
It had been a week since that horrific night.
Eli was healing faster than anyone had expected. His voice had returned to its usual delicate tone, the wounds on his lips and neck were closing up, and the bruises along his jaw had faded into faint marks. Alena had been monitoring him closely, and despite the emotional trauma, his physical condition was improving well. But the emotional distance? That wasn't healing….not even slightly.
Juseon had decided to stay in the mansion instead of coming by every day. I could tell he was still carrying guilt for not being there when Eli needed him the most. We were both living in a kind of suspended tension, tiptoeing around Eli's silence, hoping that one day soon, he would look at us…look at me…the way he used to.
But he never did.
He answered now. Short, direct, emotionless replies. If I asked how he felt, he'd mutter, "Fine." If I told him Alena wanted to check him, he'd nod and comply. But never once did he look me in the eye for more than a second. Never once did his voice carry the softness it used to when he called my name. And worst of all, he never smiled at me anymore.
That afternoon, as the sun flooded the marble tiles of the mansion's vast dining hall, I decided to try again. Juseon was already seated, casually flipping through some papers, waiting for the cook to finish setting lunch. I leaned back in my chair and called up toward the staircase.
"Eli? Lunch is ready. Why don't you come eat with us today?"
Silence.
I waited, listening, hoping for even the sound of his footsteps, but nothing came.
Juseon sighed. "Let him be, Damir. You know he needs time."
I didn't respond. I picked up my fork and began eating, the food somehow tasteless. But just as I'd started on the second bite, a sound caught my attention, bare feet on the stairs. I looked up.
Eli descended slowly, his usual oversized hoodie hanging off one slender shoulder, exposing the soft curve of his collarbone. He paired it with his trademark short shorts that barely covered the tops of his thighs. My heart clenched at the sight…not with lust, but with a thousand shades of guilt and longing.
He didn't spare me or Juseon a glance.
Just then, the front door burst open. "Bitch, I'm back!" Lian's unmistakable voice rang through the halls.
Eli's face lit up like the sun had risen just for him.
"Lian!" he chirped, and the sound of that one word so full of life and emotion cut into me deeper than any knife ever could.
They met halfway across the room and hugged tightly, Lian ruffling Eli's hair and joking about his ghostly pale skin. They walked over to the table and sat directly across from me and Juseon.
The conversation was entirely between them.
"Oh my God, you should have seen his face when I told him I still had our scandalous leaked gossip group chat archived. He nearly choked!" Lian chuckled.
Eli giggled, covering his mouth. "Stop it! You better delete that, I swear to God!"
"Never. That's my insurance."
More laughter.
But the moment I tried to interject "What group chat was that?" Eli's smile vanished. He turned to his plate and busied himself with his fork.
Juseon tried too. "You boys used to get into trouble even in middle school, huh?"
Eli didn't even flinch. It was like we weren't there at all.
The meal went on that way. Giggles, inside jokes, light jabs all between them. Juseon and I were like shadows sitting at the table. Whenever I attempted to smile at Eli or say something playful, he shut down instantly.
After they finished, Eli quietly picked up his plate, walked into the kitchen, rinsed it, and began heading upstairs.
"Eli," I called softly.
He paused on the first step.
"Baby… are you still mad at me?"
His back was to me. I couldn't see his face.
"I'm sorry. For everything. I never wanted to hurt you."
He turned slowly. His eyes were wide, glistening, red-rimmed. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks. The kind that didn't come with sobs, just quiet devastation.
He stared at me, right through me. And without a word, he turned again and continued up the stairs.
I stood there, paralyzed. The sound of his door closing upstairs echoed like a final verdict.
Behind me, Juseon let out a long sigh.
"Be patient with him," he said gently.
I didn't respond.
Lian, still licking his spoon from dessert, didn't hesitate.
"I swear to God, Damir," he said casually, but his voice was cold. "If Eli cries again because of you… I'll break your fucking head. And I mean that."
He tossed the spoon into the sink and followed Eli upstairs without another word.
And I… I just stood there. Watching the empty staircase. Wondering if I'd ever be forgiven.
Wondering if I even deserved to be.