Chapter Thirty-Six
Sophie
“Damian’s changed ever since you two got close,” Carly says during lunch. “Do you remember the epic scowl he wore on his face since day one?”
“Oh, I remember it all right,” Addie says.
“And now he’s smiling all the time!” Carly continues.
“And he wears the largest ones when he’s near you, Sophie,” Raven adds.
“I’ve noticed it, too,” Ryder says. “He almost looks like a different person.”
“Same,” Caleb says.
I beam. “What can I say? I’m just so amazing.” My body perks up. “I never listed our romance tropes! Let’s see…” I start ticking them off. “There was a bit of enemies to lov—” My cheeks cook. “Um, well, I can’t say the lovers part—”
“Yet,” Addie stresses.
“Anyway. We have enemies to friends, tutor, forced proximity, rich boy poor girl, motorcycle, bad boy…Geez, that’s a whole lot of tropes.”
“And don’t forget the he changes for her trope,” Carly reminds me.
“Of course! That’s like the best one.”
“And grumpy sunshine,” Raven adds.
I frown. “Damian isn’t grumpy.”
“He sure as heck was in the beginning,” Ryder says, which has all of them laughing.
“Hmm, I guess you’re right.”
“Speaking of the boyfriend,” Addie says. “Look who just walked in.”
We all turn to the door and notice that Damian has indeed just walked in and heads for the buffet tables.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Yet,” they all stress.
We watch as he piles food on his plate. My friends are right—he doesn’t wear that epic scowl anymore.
His face is brighter and the way he carries himself is lighter, as though a burden has been lifted off his shoulders.
I think it’s the burden of grief. He must feel ten times better since he opened up about his dad.
It’s not healthy to keep all your feelings inside.
“The other kids still don’t accept him, though,” Caleb says.
“I don’t know if they ever will,” I admit. “He just doesn’t fit in their world.”
Once Damian is done picking his food, he makes his way to his usual table. I call, “Damian!”
He stops walking and turns toward our table. I wave for him to join us. I’ve offered him to sit with us in the past, and he rejected it every time. I understood that it’s hard for him to be social, but I would love for him to get to know my friends. If not, I get it. Maybe he just needs time.
But to my surprise, he smiles and makes his way over. Raven scoots a few inches away and motions for him to sit down near me.
“Thanks,” he says. He leans over to press a kiss on my cheek.
“Welcome to the most amazing table in the world,” Carly tells him.
He chuckles softly. “Glad to be here.”
“You guys were so funny in English class!” Addie says. “Did you see the look on Miss Pham’s face when Sophie outsmarted her? Now that was epic.”
“It was awesome,” Raven says. “But if you guys aren’t careful, she might separate you.”
“She has no right to dictate who can partner up,” Damian says.
“Unfortunately, we don’t live in a democracy at HBA,” Caleb says. “Teachers have the power to do whatever they want.”
“You’re the principal’s kid, though,” Ryder says. “Can’t you get away with anything?”
Damian and I exchange a look. Most kids here, including my friends, don’t know that Damian doesn’t have the best relationship with his mom. It’s up to him if he wants to tell my friends the truth. But I tell him with my eyes that he can trust them.
“Actually, no.” Damian plays around with the rice on his plate. “My mom and I don’t get along. She would side with the teachers over me.”
“Darn. That sucks, man.”
I’m so glad he feels comfortable enough with my friends to open up a little. I reach to place my hand over his.
Ryder smiles at him. “Then I guess you’re one of us.”
“Oh, I’ve been one of you since the beginning.”
“Yeah, I heard rumors from the other kids that they don’t consider you part of their circles,” Carly says. “Are they just super snobby or don’t like you or something? Maybe they hate Harrington and are taking it out on you?”
Damian shakes his head and tells them a brief summary of how his parents divorced and that he eventually went to live with his dad. No one from the rich world ever accepted his dad as part of them because he came from a poor family.
“I get how you feel,” Addie says with a sympathetic smile. “I feel out of place in the rich world, too. I’m still trying to figure out how to marry my two worlds.”
“I reject that world completely,” he says.
“I get it,” she says. “It’s up to you in the end, anyway.”
Damian gets a sour look on his face as he focuses on eating his food. I know what’s going on in his head. His mom wants him to take over the Harrington Empire, and he has no desire to do it. They haven’t discussed it at length yet, mostly because Damian always pushes those kinds of topics away.
“Let’s talk about other things besides the rich world,” I say.
Once the conversation veers to more enjoyable things, the sour expression leaves Damian’s face and he’s back to smiling and having a good time. It turns out that Damian knows Caleb’s parents well, since they once did a security job for his family when he was younger.
“I remember your mom,” Damian tells him. “She was so nice. She gave me candy when I had a nightmare.”
“Really?” Caleb’s face softens with the memory of his mom. She died two years ago while protecting another family.
We talk about many other things until the bell rings. We throw out our garbage and separate to our classrooms, Damian and me to chemistry.
“Your friends are really great,” he says as we settle down at our table in the back. “Like I said, you’re lucky to have them.”
“Well, you’re part of the group now. So they’re your friends, too. I mean, if you want to be.”
“I do. You guys have so much fun together. I think that’s one thing that’s been missing from my life—close friends I can rely on.” His smile is so sweet and heartfelt that my stomach gets all twisted. “Thanks, Sophie. You really have changed my life for good.”
Even though we’re in the classroom amongst our fellow students, I lean forward to press a quick kiss on his lips.
I just want him to know how much I appreciate him.
How much I care about him. I know we’re nowhere near the heavy feelings part—the three words—but I feel very strongly about him.
Stronger than I ever did about another person.
Which I know doesn’t say much because he’s the first guy I’ve ever gotten close to, but I know that I wouldn’t have felt for another guy the way I feel about Damian.
The thing is, I realize it’s not that he changed because of me.
He didn’t become a better person by being near me, which is what happens in the he changes for her trope.
Damian was amazing the entire time. From the moment he offered me a ride to the bookstore and paid for my books, I knew he was a good guy.
He just preferred to hide that part of himself and wanted the world to think he was bad, a rebel.
Maybe as a defense mechanism, I don’t know.
But I saw right through his act. I’m glad I did because had I not, I would have never learned what an amazing person he is.
“What?” he asks softly as he threads his fingers through mine underneath our lab table. “You’re staring at me.”
“You’re just so amazing, Damian.”
He makes a move to shake his head, but I hold up my finger. “Don’t you dare try to refute it.”
“I’ll refute it in my head, then.”
I can’t help but laugh. “What am I going to do with you, Damian Lawrence?”
“Sneak in another kiss?” he whispers as he moves his face closer to mine.
“Do you deserve it?” I whisper as I move closer to him.
“Like heck I do.”
With a smile, I’m about to press my lips to his for another quick kiss, but Mrs. Sullivan walks in.
“Darn it,” he grumbles.
“Rain check?” I ask.
He grins. “Heck yeah.”