Page 32 of Damon

Finishing off my drink, I said, “I think it’s time for you to leave, Damon.”

The smile he flashed me was absolutely devilish. He tossed back the rest of his drink before rising from his seat. Helping himself to the vodka I’d left on the counter, he poured another. Looking all too satisfied with himself, he sauntered into the living room.

I followed, determined to make him leave. He flopped down on the couch and stretched out. Clearly he didn’t plan to go anywhere.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Let’s order delivery. What are you in the mood for?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

ATHENA

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Standing over him next to the couch with my arms crossed, I stared down at Damon. “You need to leave. I am beyond finished with this night and with you.”

He rolled his eyes before picking up the TV remote from the coffee table. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Sing me a new one some time. You have Netflix, right?”

He turned on the TV, searching through the apps section with the menu guide. I gaped at him in disbelief. This man really had some nerve. Although I knew that already.

“So you’re staying?” I awkwardly shifted from foot to foot. Clearly, he seemed to be making himself at home.

“Looks like it.” Damon partially sat up, patting the couch next to him. “Come. Sit. I’m starved. What do you feel like eating?”

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he turned it on and started surfing through a delivery app. There was a change to his vibe, like he was more relaxed than usual. I studied him with curiosity and a little disdain. When he continued to pat the cushion next to him, I let out an annoyed huff and grudgingly sat down.

“I suppose I could go for Chinese,” I muttered, snatching the TV remote from his grasp.

He nodded, still staring down at his phone. “Sounds good to me. What do you want?”

Since when did we hang out together on the couch and share a meal? This whole scenario felt completely out of character for Damon. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe I just really didn’t know him that well and this was a side of him I’d never seen before. A more relaxed, normal side. If a guy like Damon could ever be considered normal.

We placed our meal order with Damon covering the bill. Even though I offered to pay for my share, he waved me off. “It’s cool. I’ve got this. Should be here in about half an hour.”

Great. Half an hour of awkwardness to sit through. I sat stiffly, perched on the edge of the couch, unable to relax. Damon had no such problems. He plucked the remote from my hand, settling back against the couch cushions as he opened the Netflix app and began to scroll.

“What do you want to watch? Looks like you’ve been watching a lot of K-dramas. Interesting.” Damon paused to read the description of one particular show before moving on to another.

I stared at him in stunned silence before saying, “You really are crazy, huh? What makes you think we can simply sit here and watch a movie while eating Chinese food like it’s no big deal?”

“Because it is no big deal. Would you prefer that we do something else?” His gaze swung my way, his intent clear in the devious look he shot me.

“How can you sit there so unbothered? You dragged me out to a serious crime tonight. You were injured, Damon, and the cops are probably looking for you right now. Doesn’t any of that concern you? Not to mention that you and I are not exactly friends.” I had great difficulty understanding how he remained so calm at a time like this. Tension held me tight in its grasp. I kept expecting the police to storm in any moment.

Damon turned to better face me, propping himself up with an elbow against the back of the couch. He studied me for a moment. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t have fun tonight. I’m not sure why you’re being so uptight now. That’s not like you, Athena. You’re usually much more go with the flow from what I’ve observed.”

Against my better judgment, I asked, “And how much observing me have you done?”

“Enough to know that I’m exactly what you need right now. Stop fighting it. We make a good team. We did the job, enjoyed the rush, and now we can sit back and relax. We’ve earned it.” He turned back to the TV, continuing to scroll through Netflix. His next question surprised me. “What made you want to become a teacher anyway?”

Of all the things Damon had done so far, this had to be the most disturbing. Sitting in my living room like he belonged here, asking me questions about my life. Engaging in this conversation would change our dynamic. Turning it into something more than the situation he’d forced upon me. Answering his question would destroy the imaginary boundary line I’d created in my mind.

“When I was in eighth grade, I struggled with some of the material. Mostly math. I had this teacher, Mrs. Fontaine, she took the time to sit with me and understand where I was going wrong and why. She helped a lot.” I paused, not sure if I wanted to continue. I forged on anyway. “When my dad died later that year, she was the one who noticed something was off with me. She hooked me up with the grief counselor, and even when I wasn’t in her class anymore, she always checked in with me. I guess that’s why I wanted to be a teacher.”

Telling Damon this deeply personal stuff about me felt uncomfortable but strangely good at the same time. Only Storm knew my entire history. The other girls knew bits and pieces. When I glanced over to find him watching me with this strange expression on his face, I had a moment of regret.

“Stop looking at me like that.” I gave him a shove, unable to budge his heavy frame.

“That’s pretty deep, cream puff. I can respect that.” Damon’s expression softened into something calm and reflective. “My dad died too, or at least that’s the story my mother stuck to. I always had a feeling she lied. It doesn’t really matter though. I never felt like I was missing anything growing up.”

“Are you an only child too?” I asked, starting to relax.