Breaking The Silence

Damon

The thing about Valerie? She didn't need to raise her voice to make you feel small. She had this way of looking at you—sharp, calculating like she already knew your next move and wasn't impressed. It was part of what made her so intoxicating to be around. But now, after everything that had happened, I was starting to see it for what it really was.

Dangerous.

And yet, here I was, walking across the courtyard toward her, the weight of my parents' request hanging over my head. "Why don't you tell Valerie about the party? You two are close," they'd said. Close? Right. Sure. If they only knew.

I spotted her leaning against the railing near the entrance, her phone in hand, looking as unaffected as ever. She didn't notice me at first—or maybe she did and didn't care. Either way, I had to admit she looked good. She always did, even in that oversized sweater that seemed to belong to someone else. It added to her charm—the kind that lured you in before you realized how sharp the edges were.

As I approached, I felt the corners of my mouth lift into a polite, practiced smile. I was good at this. Playing nice. Keeping things light. Charming people into thinking I didn't have a care in the world.

"Hey, Val."

She glanced up at me, her expression blank momentarily before her eyes slightly narrowed like she was trying to figure out what I wanted. "Damon." Her tone was clipped, dismissive.

I ignored it. "Got a minute?"

"For you? Barely." She slipped her phone into her pocket and crossed her arms, tilting her head like she did when she wanted to make someone feel like an idiot.

I smirked, unbothered. "Don't worry, I'll keep it short."

Her eyes flicked to the side like she was already bored of the conversation. "Then get to the point."

"Fine. My parents are throwing a party in two weeks. Something about celebrating the last hockey game in April. You know how they get." I shrugged, my tone casual, light. "They wanted me to let you know your family's invited."

She didn't say anything at first, she just stared at me like she was trying to decide if I was serious. Finally, she let out a small, humorless laugh. "Of course. Because a simple text or call wouldn't have sufficed"

"They wanted me to let you know in person." I let the words hang in the air, knowing full well it would annoy her.

She raised a brow, unimpressed. "Uh huh, is that so?"

"Believe it or not, Val, I'm not here to start anything. Just doing what I was asked." My voice was smooth, almost disarmingly so. It was a tone I'd perfected over the years—a mix of charm and indifference that usually got me what I wanted.

Her lips curved into a cold smile. "And here I thought you'd come up with some excuse to talk to me. Guess I gave you too much credit."

"Don't flatter yourself," I said, my smile slightly sharpening. "But, since we're here, how've you been?"

Her eyes flashed, a flicker of irritation breaking through her calm exterior. "I'm fine. Not that it's any of your business."

"Good to hear." I slipped my hands into my pockets, rocking back on my heels. "And Damon?"

"Hm?"

"Don't pretend you care. It's insulting." Her tone was as icy as her stare, and for a split second, I almost admired her for it.

I chuckled, low and quiet. "Noted. I'll see you at the party, then."

She didn't respond; she just turned and walked away, her phone already back in her hand, her silence resonating more than any words she could've thrown at me.

I watched her go, the smirk still lingering on my lips. Valerie was dangerous, all sharp edges and cold fire, but that's what made her so damn fascinating.

***

I finally arrived home, utterly drained from the day. Practice had run later than usual, and by the time I made it home, the clock was nearing 7 p.m.

I tossed my keys onto the cool marble countertop, stepping into the silent house. Mom and Dad weren't home—likely out on one of their frequent date nights. Even after 23 years of marriage, they still acted like newlyweds. Dad, especially, was hopelessly smitten. It was almost laughable how devoted he was to her like she'd cast some spell on him. Sickeningly cute, as always.

I climbed the stairs to my room, finding everything as neatly organized as I'd left it this morning. I dropped my backpack onto the floor and collapsed onto my bed.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Rachel, no doubt. Since we'd started working on that school project together, she'd been texting me at random hours. It wasn't hard to see she was interested, but the hint that I wasn't had clearly gone unnoticed.

I sighed, picking up my phone and scrolling through her unread messages. Ignoring them, I sent a quick text to Alex instead. I was bored, and hanging out with him was a decent way to kill time. A notification appeared 30 seconds later—He said he'd be over in 10 minutes.

While waiting, I decided to order a pizza from Jet's so we'd have something to eat. I didn't feel like dealing with anything more complicated tonight.

***

Alex arrived Twenty minutes later, and we headed to my room. The pizza still hadn't arrived, so we just hung out, chatting aimlessly. Time slipped by until the doorbell finally rang.

I went downstairs to grab the pizza, tipping the delivery guy before closing the door. "Alex!" I called out, placing the box on the kitchen island. "Pizza's here."

We sat at the island, eating and talking about nothing in particular, when the sound of the front door opening broke the quiet rhythm of our conversation. My parents were home.

Moments later, Mom breezed into the kitchen, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor. She greeted us with a warm smile before turning her attention to me.

"Did you tell Valerie about the party?" she asked casually, leaning against the counter.

"Yes, Mom. I told her. They'll be here," I replied, taking another bite of pizza.

"Good," she said, her expression softening. "It's been ages since we've hosted anything, and I'd love to catch up with Eleanor. It feels like we haven't had a real conversation in forever."

I absently nodded as she turned to grab a glass of water, her and Val's mom's unshakeable bond as evident as ever. Their friendship was practically a legend in both families, but lately, life had kept them too busy to sit down and enjoy it.

As Mom disappeared into the living room, I caught Alex giving me a pointed look, one eyebrow raised. "So this party is a decent-sized event?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

I shrugged. "Pretty much. Any excuse to throw a party, and they're all over it. It's... excessive, but you know how they are."

"Yeah, I do," Alex said with a smirk. "Speaking of excessive, you need to focus before finals, man. You've been dragging out there on the ice."

He wasn't wrong—I hadn't been playing my best lately. There is too much on my mind and too many distractions. Still, I wasn't about to admit that outright.

"I hear you," I said, brushing it off. "It's just been an off day. Don't worry about it."

Alex gave me a skeptical look but didn't push the issue. "Better not make a habit of it. Coach won't let it slide."

"I said I've got it," I replied, my tone sharper than intended.

Alex raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just trying to help. No need to bite my head off."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, sorry. It's just... been a long day."

"No kidding," he said, taking another bite of pizza. "But lighten up a bit I'm sure it'll be fine."

I forced a half-smile, though the thought of the party still made me groan internally. With Valerie and her family in attendance, I had a feeling it would be anything but simple.