26: Ally and friend

Elaine’s POV

Damon's gaze met mine, I detected a flicker of guilt shadowing his features, a subtle shift from his usual demeanour of ease and camaraderie. His shoulders look really bunched with so much tension I don’t understand.

The air between us seemed heavy with unspoken words, his usual affable banter conspicuously absent in the tense silence that enveloped the chamber. I don’t like this especially not after that freaking nightmare I had.

I furrowed my brow in confusion, my mind grappling to make sense of the palpable unease that emanated from Damon's hesitant demeanour. He looks like he doesn’t want to be anywhere around me. It hurts even though I knew it was just a matter of time.

His usual jovial mannerisms were noticeably subdued, replaced by an uncharacteristic solemnity that left me feeling unsettled and uncertain. I didn’t say anything, have nothing to say since he is the one that usually fills in the silence.

The absence of his customary jokes and lighthearted conver