I didn’t waste time once Damian slumped into the chair, his usual stormy expression daring me to push too hard. For a second, I almost gave in to the impulse to throw my hands up and leave. But no. I’d already promised myself I wouldn’t let him dictate how this went anymore. So I leveled my gaze on him and asked, evenly, “Which subject are you weakest at?” He didn’t answer. The silence stretched, thick and intentional, I knew he did that because he thought ignoring me would drive me out first. But I didn’t look away. I folded my arms and waited, letting my glare settle on him like frost. If he wanted to make this difficult, fine. I had patience he didn’t know about. A clock ticked on the wall, each second sharpening the edge of the tension between us. His fingers tapped against the tab

