Chapter Eight — He Was Watching
1097 Words
I tried to forget the look on Damien’s face.
I really did.
But every time Ethan made me laugh that evening, I found myself wondering if Damien was still somewhere nearby.
It was annoying.
So I decided to focus on Ethan.
“So,” Ethan said as we walked across the courtyard, “what kind of music do you listen to?”
“Anything that sounds good.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is.”
He laughed.
“You’re difficult.”
“I’ve been told.”
“By Damien?”
I stopped walking.
“Why did you mention him?”
Ethan shrugged.
“Because he clearly doesn’t like me.”
I laughed.
“He doesn’t like anyone.”
“That’s not true.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
My smile disappeared.
“What do you mean?”
Ethan looked at me.
“The guy practically forgets everyone else exists when you’re around.”
I shook my head.
“You’re imagining things.”
“Maybe.”
He smiled.
“But I don’t think I am.”
We continued walking.
I tried not to think about his words.
It didn’t work.
Later that night, Ethan walked me back to my hostel.
“Goodnight, Amara.”
“Goodnight.”
He smiled before turning around.
I watched him leave.
Then I noticed someone standing farther down the walkway.
My stomach dropped.
Damien.
He was leaning against a pillar, his phone in his hand.
He looked up.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he pushed himself away from the pillar and walked toward me.
“What are you doing here?”
I crossed my arms.
“Going back to my hostel.”
“I can see that.”
“Then why ask?”
His eyes moved toward the direction Ethan had gone.
“You had fun?”
I frowned.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He walked past me.
I turned around.
“That’s it?”
He stopped.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then goodnight, Amara.”
He continued walking.
Something about his calmness irritated me.
“Damien.”
He stopped again.
“You’re jealous.”
His shoulders stiffened.
“I told you I’m not.”
“You don’t have to admit it.”
He turned around slowly.
“Why are you so interested in whether I’m jealous?”
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
He took a few steps toward me.
“Exactly.”
My heartbeat quickened.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re avoiding the question.”
“I don’t have to answer you.”
“No.”
He looked at me for a moment.
“You don’t.”
His voice was softer this time.
Then he turned and walked away.
I stood there watching him.
Why did every conversation with Damien leave me more confused than before?
⸻
The next day, things were different.
Damien didn’t wait for me outside class.
He didn’t tease me.
He didn’t even look at me during the lecture.
I told myself I didn’t care.
But I noticed.
Every single time.
When class ended, I packed my books slowly.
Maya looked at me.
“You’re waiting for someone.”
“No.”
“Then why are you packing like you’re in slow motion?”
I glared at her.
She laughed.
“Fine. I’m not saying anything.”
My phone buzzed.
Damien: Library. Four.
I stared at the message.
No greeting.
No explanation.
Just two words.
Maya leaned over.
“Is that him?”
I locked my phone.
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“You’re smiling.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
I ignored her.
At four, I walked into the library.
Damien was already sitting at our usual table.
He looked up.
“You’re late.”
“By three minutes.”
“Still late.”
I dropped my bag onto the chair.
“You missed me.”
He looked at me.
“No.”
“Then why are you keeping track of my time?”
He almost smiled.
“I don’t know.”
We started working.
For the first twenty minutes, everything was normal.
Then Damien pushed a bottle of water toward me.
“You’ve been rubbing your throat.”
I stared at the bottle.
“How did you notice that?”
He shrugged.
“You do it when you’re tired.”
I slowly looked at him.
There it was again.
Another little thing.
Another detail he shouldn’t have noticed.
“Damien.”
“Hmm?”
“How much do you actually notice about me?”
His fingers stopped moving over his laptop.
“Enough.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It is.”
“No, it isn’t.”
He looked at me.
For a moment, the usual teasing expression disappeared.
His eyes were serious.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because sometimes it feels like you know me better than you should.”
Silence.
His gaze dropped to my wrist.
The bracelet.
Then back to my face.
“Maybe you just don’t notice how much you talk.”
I frowned.
“Maybe.”
But I didn’t believe him.
Not completely.
Before I could ask another question, someone approached our table.
“Amara?”
I looked up.
Ethan.
Damien’s expression immediately changed.
“I wanted to ask if you’re free tomorrow.”
I smiled.
“Why?”
“There’s a movie showing on campus. I thought we could go.”
I hesitated.
Then I glanced at Damien.
He was staring at his laptop.
Except he hadn’t typed a single word.
“Sure,” I said.
Ethan smiled.
“Great. I’ll text you later.”
He left.
The moment he disappeared, Damien closed his laptop.
“We’re done.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“I’m tired.”
“You’re not tired.”
“I am.”
“You’re annoyed.”
He stood.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to.”
He picked up his bag.
Then he looked at me.
“Have fun tomorrow.”
There was something strange in the way he said it.
Not anger.
Not exactly jealousy.
Something deeper.
I watched him walk away.
And for the first time, I wondered if Damien’s problem with Ethan wasn’t simply jealousy.
Maybe there was another reason.
Maybe Damien knew something about Ethan that I didn’t.
And if that was true…
I was determined to find out what it was.
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