Chapter 95

Elizabeth

I should have stayed at the table.

I really should have.

Instead, I was now standing in front of Damon while Chloe and Vanessa watched from a distance like they were observing a nature documentary.

I didn’t need to look back to know Chloe was grinning.

I could feel it.

Damon glanced past me.

“Your friends seem entertained.”

I sighed.

“They’re horrible.”

A corner of his mouth lifted.

“I don’t know. They seem fun.”

I stared at him.

“You are encouraging this.”

“Possibly.”

“Traitor.”

That earned me a small laugh.

An actual laugh.

Not a smirk.

Not sarcasm.

A laugh.

For a second, I simply blinked at him.

Because I realized something.

I hadn’t heard him laugh much.

Not really.

And somehow, hearing it made my heart do something ridiculous.

Again.

I quickly looked away.

This was becoming a problem.

“So,” I said, attempting to sound normal. “Why are you here?”

Damon folded his arms.

“You sound disappointed.”

I looked at him so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.

“I’m not disappointed.”

His expression turned suspiciously amused.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

A pause.

Then—

“You answered that very quickly.”

I narrowed my eyes.

He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

Before I could think of a comeback, another voice interrupted us.

“Elizabeth?”

I turned.

A blond guy was approaching us.

Tall.

Blue eyes.

Cute in an all-American sort of way.

I recognized him immediately.

Nick Nicholas Adams.

We had Philosophy together.

He smiled when he reached us.

“I thought that was you.”

“Hi, Nick.”

“Skipping lunch with your friends?”

I laughed softly.

“Apparently.”

He smiled.

Then his attention shifted to Damon.

The smile dimmed slightly.

I suddenly remembered that Damon had a habit of looking vaguely threatening even when he was standing still.

“This your brother?” Nick asked.

I almost choked.

Beside me, Damon went perfectly still.

I looked at him.

He looked at me.

And for some reason, I had the sudden urge to laugh.

“No.”

Nick looked relieved.

“Oh. Okay.”

Silence.

I could practically feel Damon’s stare.

I kept my eyes firmly on Nick.

“So, uh, I was wondering…” Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s this music festival downtown next week.”

Oh no.

No, no, no.

I knew where this was going.

“I was thinking maybe you’d like to go.”

Silence.

Terrible.

Awful silence.

I became acutely aware of Damon standing beside me.

Very aware.

Painfully aware.

Nick smiled nervously.

“As friends. Or… you know… however you want.”

I opened my mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Because suddenly I had forgotten how words worked.

To make matters worse, Damon said absolutely nothing.

Nothing.

I could feel him watching me.

Which was somehow more intimidating than if he’d spoken.

Nick cleared his throat.

“No pressure.”

I blinked.

“Oh.”

Brilliant response, Elizabeth.

Absolutely brilliant.

“Oh?”

I covered my face with one hand.

“I mean… thank you.”

Smooth.

“So… is that a yes?”

I lowered my hand.

Nick looked hopeful.

Damon looked infuriatingly calm.

I wanted to disappear.

“I’ll think about it?”

Nick smiled.

“I’ll take that.”

He looked genuinely pleased.

Then he glanced at Damon again.

“I’ll see you later, Elizabeth.”

“Bye, Nick.”

He waved and walked away.

Silence.

Complete silence.

I stared at the ground.

The sky.

A tree.

Anything except Damon.

Finally—

“You have plans.”

I looked up.

He looked almost amused.

Almost.

“I don’t have plans.”

“You were invited to a festival.”

“I didn’t say yes.”

A pause.

“No.”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“Which means yes.”

“It absolutely does not.”

He looked unconvinced.

I folded my arms.

“I don’t understand why you’re finding this funny.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m really not.”

I narrowed my eyes.

He looked innocent.

Completely innocent.

I didn’t trust it for a second.

Then he said—

“He seems nice.”

I blinked.

What?

“He does?”

Damon shrugged.

“He asked politely.”

I stared at him.

This wasn’t the reaction I expected.

At all.

For some reason, that bothered me.

Which was ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

I looked away.

“Oh.”

A small silence followed.

Then—

“You sound disappointed.”

I nearly dropped my bag.

“What?”

His expression was infuriatingly unreadable.

“You keep saying that.”

“You keep proving it.”

I made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

“This conversation is strange.”

“I’ve had stranger.”

Honestly?

Fair.

I sighed.

“I should probably go say goodbye to my friends.”

“Probably.”

Neither of us moved.

The breeze stirred through the courtyard.

Students passed by around us.

Someone laughed in the distance.

For one strange moment, it felt like the rest of the world had faded.

Then—

“Elizabeth!”

Chloe.

Of course.

She came jogging toward us.

Vanessa followed at a much more reasonable pace.

Chloe stopped in front of us and looked delighted.

“Was that a date invitation?”

I closed my eyes.

“No.”

“It looked like one.”

“It wasn’t.”

“It definitely was,” Vanessa said.

“Vanessa!”

She laughed.

Traitor.

Again.

Chloe looked between me and Damon.

Then grinned.

“Oh, this is awkward.”

“It isn’t.”

“It really is.”

I looked at Damon for help.

He looked entertained.

Completely entertained.

Unbelievable.

Chloe pointed dramatically.

“She’s blushing.”

I touched my cheeks.

I was.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

Vanessa was trying not to laugh.

Damon was definitely trying not to smile.

I wanted the earth to swallow me.

“I hate all of you.”

“No, you don’t,” Chloe said cheerfully.

Unfortunately, she was right.

A few minutes later, after promising to text them later, I finally escaped.

I climbed into Damon’s car with as much dignity as I could manage.

Which wasn’t much.

The moment the doors closed—

Damon laughed.

Actually laughed.

I looked at him in horror.

“You are laughing at me.”

He made no effort to deny it.

“Oh my God.”

“You should have seen your face.”

“I cannot believe you.”

That only made him laugh again.

I folded my arms and looked out the window.

I could still hear him chuckling.

Which was unfairly nice.

After a moment, I realized something.

I was smiling.

I quickly stopped.

Then I glanced at him.

Dark hair.

Silver eyes.

A smile I didn’t see often.

And despite everything—

Ancient prisons.

Mysterious temples.

Being hunted as the Key—

I found myself hoping the drive home would take just a little longer.