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"Your last name's Cohen, right? I heard it in class and thought it sounded familiar."
"Yeah."
"I didn't get the impression your parents like my father too much. They're smart."
"You're right, they don't like him. They said I should steer clear of you."
Damon breaks into guffaws, grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling me toward him so I land face-first in his chest. "And you decided to do the exact opposite?" His aftershave catches me unprepared, the mix of musk and the manly scent coming off his skin dizzying me. I'm trembling with the awareness of our closeness.
"Yeah."
He laughs the same heartfelt laugh for a full minute before calming enough to say, "I like you, Dani Cohen. Very much. You always say what you think, don't you?"
"My brother keeps telling me this."
"He's right."
"Where did you live before?" I ask.
"Rhode Island, but I don't want to talk about home. You do the talking while I busy myself finishing your burger."
"What do you want me to talk about?"
"What are you doing this weekend?"
"Oooh, I'm doing a movie marathon with my brother. He lives in a penthouse in San Jose and has a home theater."
"What are you watching?" he asks
between bites.
"All movies based on comic books from the last twenty years."
"Doing your homework before the big superhero reboot comes in cinemas? Like anyone needed a new version."
"I know, right? But I'm a sucker for comic book-based movies, so I'll go see it."
"Me, too. We could go together." He throws the words casually, but my pulse starts jackhammering. Taking the very last bite of my burger, Damon lies on his back, resting his head on his palms. "Do you hang out with your brother often?"
"Yeah. We mostly watch movies, go shopping, or eat out. Sometimes, during the summer vacation, we go sailing. He's a bit of an adrenaline junkie, does skydiving and stuff, but doesn't take me with him for that."
"You'd like to skydive?" There is so much disbelief in his voice...it's almost insulting.
"No idea. How can I like something if I've never tried it? You can't discard anything as bad until you've tried it," I say. His eyes glint so darkly it sends a shiver down my spine. I like this—both the glint and the shiver.
"Careful, Dani; this type of thinking can get you into trouble."
"You know all about it, don't you?"
"Trust me, I do. I’m walking trouble. You should stay away from me. It’s catchy." Something in his tone tells me this is the last thing he wants to say on this topic.
"How do you get along with your dad?"
Any trace of a smile melts from his beautiful face. "You mean when I don't want to punch him? I hate him. He hates me, too."
"I don't think that's true. Why would he have taken you in otherwise?"
"Remorse or something. I don't know. But it's clear he doesn't want me here. We avoid each other, and when we do end up in the same room, we fight. I feel like a prisoner in that fucking house. It's so big you could fit ten families inside, but it feels like a prison."
