Chapter Four — The Rules
1072 Words
I didn’t go to the campus event.
Not because Damien told me not to.
At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
I simply wasn’t interested.
That was my excuse.
The truth was, his message had gotten into my head.
Don’t go to that event.
Who did he think he was?
My boyfriend?
My father?
My personal security guard?
Absolutely not.
The next morning, I walked into the lecture hall determined to ignore him.
It lasted approximately thirty seconds.
“You didn’t go.”
I stopped beside my seat.
Damien was sitting behind me.
I turned slowly.
“Good morning to you too.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I don’t remember owing you an answer.”
His eyes stayed on me.
“You didn’t go.”
I dropped my bag onto my seat.
“And you’re keeping track of my movements now?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know?”
He didn’t answer.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Exactly.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“You’re welcome.”
I frowned.
“For what?”
“For not going.”
I stared at him.
“You are unbelievable.”
“I’ve been told.”
Before I could reply, Maya dropped into the seat beside me.
She looked between us.
“What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” I said.
Damien answered at the same time.
“She listened to me.”
Maya’s eyebrows shot up.
I turned toward him.
“I did not.”
“You stayed home.”
“Because I wanted to.”
“Sure.”
Maya looked at me.
“Okay…”
I ignored both of them.
The lecturer walked in a few seconds later, and the room became quiet.
Our project was due in less than six weeks.
Which meant I had to spend six weeks with Damien Carter.
Six weeks.
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
After the lecture, Damien caught up with me outside.
“We need to work on the project.”
“I know.”
“Library?”
“I have a class.”
“After?”
I checked my schedule.
“Four.”
“Fine.”
He started walking away.
I called after him.
“Damien.”
He turned.
“What?”
“You’re not in charge of me.”
His lips twitched.
“I know.”
“Then stop acting like it.”
He smiled.
“I’ll try.”
That smile annoyed me more than his usual smirk.
Because for once, he looked genuinely amused.
I walked away before he could say anything else.
At four, I arrived at the library.
Damien was already there.
Again.
“You’re always early,” I said.
“You’re always late.”
“I came exactly on time.”
“Which is late for me.”
I sat down.
“Can we just work?”
“Yes.”
For the next hour, we actually focused.
Our project was starting to take shape.
And, annoyingly, Damien was good at it.
Really good.
He had ideas I hadn’t thought about, and every time I disagreed with him, he somehow managed to explain his point until I understood it.
“You’re enjoying this,” I said.
He looked up.
“Enjoying what?”
“Being right.”
“I usually am.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Arrogant.”
“Stubborn.”
“Annoying.”
“Beautiful.”
I froze.
He froze too.
For one second, neither of us moved.
Then he cleared his throat.
“I meant—”
“I heard you.”
His eyes met mine.
“You did.”
I looked back at my laptop.
“Let’s just finish this.”
Neither of us mentioned it again.
But something had changed.
The air between us suddenly felt different.
Too quiet.
Too warm.
Too close.
I reached for my notebook at the same time he reached for it.
Our fingers touched.
I immediately pulled my hand away.
“So dramatic,” he muttered.
“You’re the one who made it weird.”
“I didn’t.”
“You called me beautiful.”
“You are.”
I looked at him.
He didn’t look away.
My heart skipped.
Just once.
I hated that it did.
I quickly looked back at my laptop.
“We’re here to work.”
“Right.”
He went quiet.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.
I glanced at the screen.
A message from Ethan.
You disappeared yesterday.
I typed back.
I wasn’t feeling it.
Another message came immediately.
Then let me take you somewhere this weekend. Just you and me.
I stared at the screen.
Before I could respond, Damien spoke.
“No.”
I looked up.
“What?”
“You’re not going.”
I frowned.
“You read my message?”
“You smiled.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
He closed his laptop.
“Amara.”
“What?”
“Don’t.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“You can’t keep telling me what to do.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you keep doing it?”
His expression changed.
For the first time, he didn’t have a sarcastic answer.
He looked almost frustrated.
“Because I know what happens when you trust the wrong person.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
He looked away.
“Nothing.”
“No. You don’t get to say something like that and then say nothing.”
“Forget it.”
“Damien.”
He stood up.
“We should go.”
I watched him pack his things.
Something was definitely wrong.
And for the first time, I wondered if his strange behavior had nothing to do with me.
Maybe there was something he wasn’t telling me.
Something from his past.
Something he didn’t want me to know.
He walked toward the exit.
I followed.
“Damien.”
He stopped.
I stepped closer.
“What happened to you?”
He turned around.
Our faces were only inches apart.
His eyes held mine.
For a moment, he looked like he was about to tell me everything.
Then his expression hardened.
“Stay away from Ethan.”
And he walked away.
I stood there, completely confused.
Because Damien Carter had never cared who I talked to before.
So why did Ethan bother him so much?
And what exactly did Damien know that I didn’
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