Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sophie
Just as I finish changing out of my uniform and into a light blue shirt and jeans, Damian sends me a text.
Damian: Meet me in the parking lot by my bike. It’s parked in its usual place.
Sophie: Are you providing us with means of transportation? Because my car is fixed.
Damian: I thought you and my bike have a good relationship now.
Sophie: Doesn’t mean I want to be roadkill.
Damian: We’ll get there faster on my bike.
I think about arguing further, but it is a school night and we need to be home by curfew. It does make more sense to take his bike, especially if we plan to eat afterward.
Sophie: I’ll see you and your bike shortly.
After texting my friends that I’m going out with Damian—and trying to ignore the way they “ooh” and “ahh” over it—I leave the dorm and head to the parking lot.
Why does he insist on parking so far away from the dorms?
Is he worried someone will steal his bike or does he purposely want to isolate himself from everyone else?
When I’m a short distance away, I catch him leaning against his bike with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s wearing his usual white shirt, black jeans, and his leather jacket.
“Aren’t you cold?” I ask as I tighten my coat around me. “There’s no way that thin leather jacket can keep you warm in this cold weather.”
He shrugs. “It’s enough for me.”
At that moment, a gust of wind blasts at us, nearly lifting me into the air. I pull my coat closer to my body and shiver while Damian remains planted in his spot. I know he’s cold because his hair is being thrown in every direction due to the wind.
“Stubborn,” I say.
“Nosy,” he retorts.
Fine, maybe I’m being too much in his business, but is it a crime if a friend is concerned for another friend?
“Ready?” he asks. “Hop on.”
Thank goodness for the jeans. Now I don’t have to worry about flashing anyone as I get on.
Damian makes sure I’m secure before he climbs on in front of me. Then he curses under his breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to buy you a helmet.”
“Oh. Well, I guess we have no choice but to use my car.” I give him a wide smile, showing all my teeth.
“Heck no. It’ll take us forever to get to the theater in that piece of crap. No offense.”
“Actually, I take a lot of offense.”
“We’ll stop at a store on the way and buy you a helmet,” he says.
“You’re making it sound like we’re traveling across the country. The theater is only like fifteen minutes away.”
He shakes his head. “We’re not going to the theater in town. The one we’re going to is an hour away.”
“Why?”
He just shrugs.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Is there something special about that theater?”
He says nothing.
“Where are we going, Damian?”
Again, no answer.
“Dude, you can’t just throw me on the back of your motorcycle and speed away. Well, I mean that does make a good romance plot point, as long as the woman consents.” I fold my arms over my chest. “I don’t consent.”
Damian stares at me for a moment before throwing his hands up with a groan. “Do you have to ruin everything, Sophie? I’m trying to surprise you.”
My arms fall away to my sides as I perk up with intrigue. “A surprise?”
“Oh, now you’re interested?”
“Uh, duh?”
He shakes his head with a laugh. “You’re impossible.”
“But you like hanging out with me anyway.”
He sighs heavily like I’m ruining his life.
That makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, too.
I don’t hear or see him laugh often and can’t help but stare at him.
His entire face changes. It softens and fills with a light I’ve never seen on him.
And it causes a humongous butterfly to land in my stomach.
“What?” he asks.
I blink and shake my head. “What?”
“You’re kind of staring at me.”
“No I’m not. I’m staring at the fly that landed on your head.”
“It’s winter,” he points out. “Not a lot of flies around.”
“Well maybe this one is a rebel like you.”
He laughs softly. “Touché.”
He suddenly moves closer and wraps his arm around my waist. My body fills with heat and my heart pounds like a hammer as he slides me closer to him. “You were too far back,” he murmurs, his breath warm on my face.
“Oh…thanks.”
He turns his body forward and says, “Remember to hold on tight. Squeeze tight. Don’t worry about hurting me.”
“I doubt I could hurt you with all those muscles,” I mutter.
“Don’t risk it.”
My heart is still pumping my blood way too wildly as I close my arms around his waist. He feels just as muscular as he did the last time, and his body is just as warm.
Well, maybe slightly colder because the weather is colder and the stubborn mule refuses to wear a warmer jacket.
I guess my body will help keep him warm. My cheeks burn up at that thought.
“Am I squeezing you hard enough, Mr. Non Bad Boy?”
“You could squeeze tighter.”
I hold on as tightly as I can. When Damian feels it’s good enough, he starts the engine and we’re off.
Like the last time, it’s such a rush to zip down the streets with the wind blowing through my hair and the trees and buildings whizzing by.
It’s not as scary as the first time and I enjoy myself more.
Although, the thought that is basically running rampant through my mind is how good it feels to have his warm body near mine.
After a short while, Damian slows down before a store that sells motorcycle helmets. For some reason, I can’t bring myself to unlatch my arms from around his middle. It’s like they refuse to let go of him.
But I force them away and immediately feel colder. Damian shivers, which makes me wonder if my body indeed helped keep him warm.
He gets off the bike and helps me off of it.
Then he tucks his helmet under his arm and makes his way into the store, with me following behind.
I’ve never been to this kind of store before.
The guy behind the counter has tattoos all over his body and a lot of piercings.
He takes one look at me and makes a face like I wandered into the wrong store.
“How may I help you?” he asks Damian.
“She needs a helmet.” Damian gestures to me.
His eyes move between us, like he finds us a weird pairing. Hasn’t he ever read a romance book or watched a romance movie? The rebel with a motorcycle and the good girl is one of the most famous romance tropes. Not that Damian and I are together or anything.
Wait, does he think we’re together?
The man nods his head to a section in the store. “Helmets are over there. Got a lot of varieties to choose from.”
“Thanks,” Damian says before he and I make our way toward that section.
Wow, the dude wasn’t kidding. There really is a huge selection of helmets here.
“You pick,” Damian offers.
“Are you sure?” I mean, it’s not like I’m going to keep it. He’ll most likely let his future girlfriend wear it.
Future girlfriend. Why does my stomach tighten at the thought of another girl riding behind him on his bike?
He shrugs. “It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. I don’t want to waste too much time because we’ll be late for the movie.”
“If that’s the case…” I put on an evil smile as I step up to where a pink helmet with cat ears sits. “I choose this one.”
He gapes at it like it’s diseased. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“But isn’t it so cute? Look at the ears.” I bring it close to his face and say, “Meow meow.”
For a second, I worry I’m being annoying and he’ll get upset with me, but he just laughs.
“Meow meow, can I come home with you?” I ask in a squeaky voice.
“If you really want it, I guess…”
I burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding.” I put it back and look around. “Should we just get a plain black?” I frown. “That’s so boring, isn’t it?”
“Whatever you want, Sophie.”
“But it really should be your decision,” I tell him. “After all, you’ll want your girlfriend to be happy with it.”
His brows rise. “My girlfriend?”
“You’ll eventually have one, won’t you?”
He scoffs.
“Why are you scoffing?”
“I’m never going to have a girlfriend.”
“Bull.”
“I don’t want one,” he says. Then he mumbles under his breath. “I can’t.”
I have no idea what he means by that, but this is not the time or place to talk about it, not that he seems to want to spill his guts to me.
I walk to another aisle and search the options. Most of them are black with cool designs, and there is also a colorful one that looks pretty and kickbutt. But then I spot a pink one that kind of looks like the pink Power Ranger. I loved that show as a kid and always imagined I was her.
“Damian!” I call as I grab it and make my way over to him.
“Did you find one?” he asks.
“What do you think of this?” I hold it out to him.
“It’s pink like the other one.”
“It doesn’t have the ears, Mr. And it looks just like the pink Power Ranger, doesn’t it? The design is so cool and kickbutt.”
He just watches me.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t watch the show as a kid.”
“My dad introduced it to me because he loved it as a kid. It was all right.”
“You never pretended you were one of them?” I mimic some of their moves.
He just laughs.
“Well, I choose this one.” I hold it out like the spotlight is shining on it.
“Cool. Let’s go.”
We walk up to the guy and I place the helmet on the counter. He grins and says, “Sweet choice,” before ringing us up.
“I’ll pay for it,” I offer Damian.
“That’s okay. I got it.”
“I want to repay the favor for the books you bought for me.”
“You really don’t have to, Sophie.”
“I want to, Damian. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”
He sighs before surrendering.
I stick my hand into my bag for my wallet, but then I remember that my credit card doesn’t work.
My face and neck engulf in flames. “Oh, um, I forgot. I can’t pay…
” I want to slap myself a million times until I disappear from this world.
“My parents cut me off,” I stammer, my eyes moving between Damian and the man.
“Because I spent too much money on books.”
“I know,” Damian says. “I overheard your conversation with your mom.”