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"You're impossible. Hazel?" I eye my good friend closely, though I know it's a lost cause. My phone buzzes, saving Hazel from telling me that to my face.
Stop trying to separate the lovebirds. How about you and me pairing for the project? I peer at Damon out of the corner of my eyes, squirming in my seat when I realize his gaze is fixed on me. I am very good at Googling and picking up wine for late nights, which we'll spend studying, of course.
I try to ignore the delicious shiver running through me as I text back. I'm not a wine girl. Anyway, Hazel and I have enough junk food to last us a year's worth of study nights. If you behave, I can even give you some pussies. After I press send, I look at him anxiously behind my shoulder. For some reason, he bursts into laughter as he reads my text. I look again at what I wrote. OMG. I meant cookies!!! Cookies. Stupid autocorrect.
My phone chimes again, spiking my blood with that wonderful adrenaline that flirting brings. Do you want me to believe you still haven't learned to turn off autocorrect after all this time? I think it's easier if you admit you want me. Even your autocorrect thinks you should.
I barely concentrate as the professor wraps up the class.
"I was hoping you'd argue over Hazel some more." Disappointment colors Chase's tone. "You're so much fun when you get all bossy. Did the cat get your tongue?"
"No," Hazel intervenes, pointing at my phone. "Damon did. I bet he asked her to be his project partner."
"Ah, that explains it. I bet he'll be eating something else before long."
"You are gross," I say, but as we make our way to the door, I can't help remembering how it felt having Damon's mouth down there all those months ago. Damon himself waits outside the class, propped against the wall. Chase wiggles his eyebrows, looking from Damon to me, and Hazel punches his chest lightly.
"You didn't answer," Damon says. "Do we have a deal, partner?"
"Yes, we do," I say confidently.
"Fantastic," Chase announces. "Now, can we all grab a coffee?"
"I have fifteen minutes before I have to go to the next class." I check my schedule. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Damon's jaw drop as he peers at my schedule. I know he's taking fewer classes; James informed me yesterday that Damon started working for him. He didn't give me many details, so I can't wait to question Damon.
"Exactly how many classes are you taking?" he asks.
"Never mind," I reply, jutting the piece of paper in my bag.
"He's just worried he won't have enough bang time between classes," Chase adds helpfully.
"He’s practically begging me to kick his ass," Damon mutters under his breath as Hazel and Chase walk away. "So, about that date you promised me...when can I kidnap you?" Damon says in my ear, bringing back all my dirty thoughts from earlier.
My voice is a whisper when I say, "Friday."
Chapter Twenty-Six: Damon
“I don’t think we’ve ever had an intern who works this much,” Francine, James’s HR head, comments on Thursday night. Francine, James and I are inside the elevator—the last ones to leave the office. I’m used to hard work; I’ve been doing it for years. It’s a welcome change to spend my time doing something where I can use my brain instead of my knuckles.
“I won’t stay as long tomorrow,” I tell James. “I have a date with your sister.”
James narrows his eyes. “If you hurt her, I will beat you up.”
“I used to fight, remember? I’d knock you out in no time.”
Francine’s eyes widen. “He’s got a mouth to match his brain,” she says. The elevator doors open, and we get out. There is a guard behind the reception, nodding at us before we exit the building.
After Francine leaves, James grabs my arm. “Take care of Dani.”
“I will,” I assure him. He lets me go reluctantly, heading to his car while I mount my bike.
I can understand his skepticism, but I won’t make any mistakes this time. The year I’ve been away from her has been excruciating.
The stint in boarding school was just what I expected it to be. A bunch of over-privileged teenagers stuck together twenty-four-seven...the level of
snobbism was astonishing. There was no way to let out steam through fighting while I was in there, so once I got out in June, I threw myself into fighting with a vengeance. I travelled all over Europe, using the money from fights to finance myself. Until I met Dani in London last fall.
The thing is I knew I didn’t want to keep fighting, and I desperately wanted Dani back, but I wasn’t doing anything to change my situation. I travelled a lot, and met more people than I can keep track of, but I missed her every day. Seeing Dani again was a wakeup call. I applied to Stanford for the spring intake the day after I saw her.
