Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-Five

Lauren's POV

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the first thing I felt was the sharp, pounding ache in my head. The room was dim, the curtains only partially drawn, letting in slivers of sunlight that made me wince.

I rolled over, expecting to find the bed empty, but there was a faint dent in the sheets beside me. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered. Damien.

I groaned silently, hoping and praying that I had imagined him being here, that it was just a piece of my drunken delirium. The thought of him actually being here, of him hearing my embarrassing confession, made my stomach twist with dread.

I forced myself to sit up, the pounding in my head intensifying with each movement.

“Please, let it have been a dream,” I whispered.

Deep down, I knew better. I could still feel the warmth of his hand, the weight of his presence beside me. And the words I had let slip in the haze of alcohol.

“I love you.”

The memory hit me. How co