nervously. “Was it?” he asked darkly.
“Yes, you said…”
“I never said. You said,” he said folding his arms across his chest and glowering at me.
“Well, I was sav ing you from having to say it.”
I couldn’t meet his gaze a moment longer , so I began to analyze the wood floors beneath my feet. Silence moved awkwardly between us and just when I thought we would be standing there all night, Damien spoke up.
“So you and Nik?”
“He’s my brother’s best friend.”
“Is he? He’s not more to you than that?”
“We’re friends.”
“Are you? Because the way he was looking at you seemed like more than just friends to me.”
“Looking at me? That’s how Nik looks at every female. He could charm the pants off anyone.”
“Even you?”
My eyes rolled in frustration. “No. He has never charmed my pants off.”
“But you wouldn’t mind him trying?”
The truth was, a few weeks ago I would have said that yes, I’d want him to at least try, but Damien had ruined that for me. I couldn’t imagine myself pantless with anyone but him.
I arched an eyebrow at him and couldn’t believe I had the gall to ask, “Are you jealous?”
Damien’s cheeks darkened as he looked away. “No.”
“Well, you sound jealous. Is that why you were lurking around my door back there?”
“I wasn’t lurking,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was walking by.”
“You were lurking,” I said with a small smile. “You’re mad with jealousy.”
The thought was so absurd t hat a giggle escaped my mouth and a moment later it turned into full-blown hysterical laughter. I doubled over and clutched my stomach as I wheezed. Tears dripped down my face and I struggled to breathe. I don’t know why I found it so funny, but I had a feeling it had to do with just seeing Nik. Even though he seemed pretty broken up over his ex, he always seemed to lighten my mood. The affect of seeing Nik had obviously carried over into my interactions with Damien.
When I finally contained myself, I looked up and saw Damien pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes were closed and his frown had deepened. He looked incredibly annoyed.
“Sorry. Sorry,” I said grasping my sides. “I’m done now. I don’t know why that was so funny.”
“Me either,” he said glumly.
His gloomy disposition had me tilting my head in concern. “You okay?”
“Just my head,” he replied.
“You want some Advil?”
“No.”
“ Why? Are you one of those holistic types who don’t believe in medication?”
“No.”
“Is it a migraine?”
He shot me a look of annoyance. “What’s with the fifth degree?”
“Look, you’re super hard to read and I’m just wondering if I can help. My mom used to get really bad headaches and I know that they’re usually from stress. Are you stressed?”
He didn’t reply which I took as a yes.
“How can I help?”
“You can’t,” he bit out.
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re the reason for them,” he finally spat.
Now I was starting to get angry. “Why are you blaming me for your headaches?”
“Because they started ever since you moved in.”
I placed my hands on my hips and stared at him. “So it’s my fault?”
“Yeah, it’s your fault.”
I poked my finger into his side. “Well, I’m not going anywhere so you’re just going to have to deal.”
“I liked you better when you were timid and didn’t talk.”
“I’m sure you did. It was easy for you. You barely knew I was alive.”
His eyes met mine and he shook his head in exasperation. “I knew you were alive.”
“Yeah,” I nearly snorted. “Sure.”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine and I watched as his jaw clenched. “How could anyone not notice you?”
I shrugged. “Happens all the time. I manage to make it through most of my day unnoticed.”
“Bullshit,” he said grumpily before murmuring, “If that were the case I wouldn’t be so fucking miserable all day long.”
“Excuse
“Yes, you said…”
“I never said. You said,” he said folding his arms across his chest and glowering at me.
“Well, I was sav ing you from having to say it.”
I couldn’t meet his gaze a moment longer , so I began to analyze the wood floors beneath my feet. Silence moved awkwardly between us and just when I thought we would be standing there all night, Damien spoke up.
“So you and Nik?”
“He’s my brother’s best friend.”
“Is he? He’s not more to you than that?”
“We’re friends.”
“Are you? Because the way he was looking at you seemed like more than just friends to me.”
“Looking at me? That’s how Nik looks at every female. He could charm the pants off anyone.”
“Even you?”
My eyes rolled in frustration. “No. He has never charmed my pants off.”
“But you wouldn’t mind him trying?”
The truth was, a few weeks ago I would have said that yes, I’d want him to at least try, but Damien had ruined that for me. I couldn’t imagine myself pantless with anyone but him.
I arched an eyebrow at him and couldn’t believe I had the gall to ask, “Are you jealous?”
Damien’s cheeks darkened as he looked away. “No.”
“Well, you sound jealous. Is that why you were lurking around my door back there?”
“I wasn’t lurking,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was walking by.”
“You were lurking,” I said with a small smile. “You’re mad with jealousy.”
The thought was so absurd t hat a giggle escaped my mouth and a moment later it turned into full-blown hysterical laughter. I doubled over and clutched my stomach as I wheezed. Tears dripped down my face and I struggled to breathe. I don’t know why I found it so funny, but I had a feeling it had to do with just seeing Nik. Even though he seemed pretty broken up over his ex, he always seemed to lighten my mood. The affect of seeing Nik had obviously carried over into my interactions with Damien.
When I finally contained myself, I looked up and saw Damien pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes were closed and his frown had deepened. He looked incredibly annoyed.
“Sorry. Sorry,” I said grasping my sides. “I’m done now. I don’t know why that was so funny.”
“Me either,” he said glumly.
His gloomy disposition had me tilting my head in concern. “You okay?”
“Just my head,” he replied.
“You want some Advil?”
“No.”
“ Why? Are you one of those holistic types who don’t believe in medication?”
“No.”
“Is it a migraine?”
He shot me a look of annoyance. “What’s with the fifth degree?”
“Look, you’re super hard to read and I’m just wondering if I can help. My mom used to get really bad headaches and I know that they’re usually from stress. Are you stressed?”
He didn’t reply which I took as a yes.
“How can I help?”
“You can’t,” he bit out.
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re the reason for them,” he finally spat.
Now I was starting to get angry. “Why are you blaming me for your headaches?”
“Because they started ever since you moved in.”
I placed my hands on my hips and stared at him. “So it’s my fault?”
“Yeah, it’s your fault.”
I poked my finger into his side. “Well, I’m not going anywhere so you’re just going to have to deal.”
“I liked you better when you were timid and didn’t talk.”
“I’m sure you did. It was easy for you. You barely knew I was alive.”
His eyes met mine and he shook his head in exasperation. “I knew you were alive.”
“Yeah,” I nearly snorted. “Sure.”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine and I watched as his jaw clenched. “How could anyone not notice you?”
I shrugged. “Happens all the time. I manage to make it through most of my day unnoticed.”
“Bullshit,” he said grumpily before murmuring, “If that were the case I wouldn’t be so fucking miserable all day long.”
“Excuse
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