CHAPTER 56: HE’LL COME BACK

Daisy’s eyes remained on him. She was speechless for a moment.

"Who told you?"

"Your eyes..." Elias said calmly, his gaze steady. "Every time you looked at me, you looked glad that it was still me, not him."

"Nonsense!" She stood up instantly, closing the distance in one angry step. "Should I poke your eyes so you could see clearly?"

But Elias didn’t flinch. If anything, he looked more amused than threatened.

"I already told you," he murmured, leaning a little closer. "You’re transparent."

She gritted her teeth. "You’re just delusional."

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "But at least I’m not the one lying to myself."

Daisy opened her mouth, then shut it again. Her breath came sharp and shallow. She hated how easily he could stir her up. Hated even more that there was a sting of truth behind his words.

"I don’t need this." She turned her back to him, brushing past the curtains toward the window. "You think you know everything just because you’re in his body."

"I never said I know everything," he said behind her. "Just the parts of you that you try hardest to hide."

"I didn’t hate him! Who are you to tell me what I feel and what I don’t?" she snapped, spinning around to face him again. Her voice shook, not with weakness, but with the weight of everything she hadn’t said until now.

"I didn’t hate him," she repeated, slower this time. "I was angry. I was hurt. But I never hated him."

Elias studied her, the grin gone from his face now. "Then why did it look like you were relieved when he disappeared?"

Her mouth parted to argue, but the words tangled in her throat. She searched for a defense, but none came out.

"I..." she began, but her voice trailed off.

A silence settled between them. It wasn’t the kind of comfort. It was pressed, heavy and uncomfortable.

Elias finally broke it, his voice quieter than before. "Maybe you didn’t hate him. But you were afraid of him. Or what being with him meant."

Daisy’s hands clenched at her sides. "You don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Maybe not." He took a small step forward. "But what I do know is this—I’ll keep him buried deep inside here," he tapped his temple lightly, "and keep reminding myself that you hate him. That way, it’ll be easier for me to stay... and take over as the one you need."

Daisy’s breath caught in her throat.

"You—" Her voice trembled with disbelief. "You’re using that against him?"

"I’m using what you gave me," Elias replied, expression unreadable. "A reason to stay."

She stared at him, her pulse pounding. "That’s sick."

"I’m not here to be noble, Daisy," he said calmly. "I’m here because I want to be. And if your hate or whatever you want to call it—is what lets me stay, then I’ll hold onto it."

"You lie..." Her voice wavered, but her eyes didn’t. "You say that, but you’re afraid too."

He tilted his head slightly, curious. "Afraid of what?"

"That he might come back." Her hands curled into fists. "And for the record, I didn’t hate him at all..." she held his gaze. "Yes, we fought yesterday—but no, I didn’t hate him. I’m sure he knew that."

Then she stepped closer, closing the distance between them. Rising onto her toes, she wrapped her arms gently around his neck.

"I know Theo Kingsley would listen to me... and he’ll come back."

Then, without hesitation, she gently stepped on his feet, leaned in, and pressed a kiss to his lips, soft, certain, and full of everything she never got to say.

When she pulled back, her eyes didn’t waver. "So tell him," she whispered, "I’m not done with him yet."

Elias gazed at her in disbelief, as if the kiss had knocked the wind out of him. His lips parted, but no words came out, just the quiet thunder of something crashing inside him.

Then he moved.

In one swift motion, he leaned in, cupped her face, and kissed her back—deeper this time, with a desperation that betrayed how long he’d been holding back last night. There was no hesitation, no calculation. Just want. Need. And something else neither of them dared to name.

His hand slid to the back of her neck, anchoring her to him as if he was afraid she’d vanish.

When they finally broke apart, breathless and trembling, Elias rested his forehead against hers.

"I don’t know if you kissed me... or him," he said, voice low. "But either way, I’m not letting go."

Daisy looked at him for a long moment, her chest rising and falling with a slow breath.

’Let’s gamble’, she thought. ’Maybe he’ll come back.’

Elias didn’t wait for more signs. He leaned in again, kissing her like he was trying to erase every doubt she had left. It wasn’t gentle this time, it was firm, almost hungry. Her fingers gripped the front of his shirt, but she didn’t push him away.

His hands slid to her waist, then down to the backs of her thighs. In one motion, he lifted her off the ground. She gasped, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. He carried her to the bed and lowered her onto the mattress, never breaking the kiss.

Hovering over her, he braced one hand beside her head. The other brushed her hair back, his eyes searching hers.

"Are you sure you won’t stop?" Elias’s voice was low, rough. "Because you know I won’t stop at just a kiss..."

Daisy’s fingers tightened around the back of his neck, pulling him just a little closer. Her eyes didn’t waver.

"I know," she whispered, her voice steady now. "I’m not asking you to stop."

His weight settled over her, one arm slipping behind her head. Then he kissed her again—deeper, slower, more certain.

For a while, there were no words. Just breathe, heat and the sound of skin brushing against fabric.

And in the back of Daisy’s mind, one thought echoed over and over:

’Come back. Come back. Come back.’