Chapter Forty-One
Sophie
“I never thought I could be so happy,” Damian says as he spins me around in my room.
We didn’t have a chance to talk much last night after he and his mom called me over to explain everything. His mom admitted that she made a mistake by keeping us apart, and she gave us her blessing that we could be together.
Not that we really needed her blessing. We would have fought to be together no matter what. But the fact that we do have her blessing and we don’t have to sneak around anymore takes such a big weight off our shoulders. We’re finally free to be how we’re meant to be—together.
“How are things between you and your mom?” I ask as we lower ourselves on my bed. Raven disappeared from the room the second Damian walked in to give us privacy.
“Things are going well. My mom wants to make up for all that she’s done. There’s so much pain, but we’ll get there.”
“The fact that she’s willing to make things right between you counts for a lot,” I tell him. “I’m sure you’ll have a much better relationship now that she understands where you’re coming from.”
“I can’t believe she tried to deny us what she was denied with my dad,” he says with a shake of his head. “How could she have thought keeping us apart would be less painful? How was that trying to protect me?”
“Parents try to do what they think is best, but they make mistakes, too. It couldn’t have been easy for your mom to go through what she went through with your dad. She honestly thought she was saving you future heartache.”
Damian shakes his head. “I wish she would have fought for my dad. Things could have been different. We…” His voice chokes up. “We could have been the happy and loving family I always dreamed of.”
I scoot over and envelop him in my arms. “We don’t know why things happen the way they do.
Maybe this was just the way things had to be.
We can’t change the past, Damian. We can only change the present and the future.
And now that your mom is willing to have a relationship with you, you have the chance to start over and build something beautiful. ”
He nods as he buries his face between my neck and shoulder. “Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life.”
“I can’t imagine you not being in my life, either.”
“And now I have your friends back in my life, too,” he says with a relieved sigh.
“I can’t believe how my life is like now.
Just a few days ago, I thought I would be miserable until I finally turned eighteen.
But I don’t have to wait a year and a half to be happy.
I can be happy right now, with you and my new friends. ”
“And my parents?” I ask, lifting my phone. “I wanted to introduce you to them earlier, but we weren’t exactly allowed to be together…”
“I would love to meet your parents,” he tells me with a smile. “I can’t wait to meet the amazing people who raised an amazing daughter.”
“Ooh, you should use that on my mom. She’ll love it.”
“It’s not just a line, Sophie. I really mean it.”
“I know. I’m just messing with you. Let’s see if they’re available.”
I call my mom’s phone and she picks up immediately. “Sophie! It’s been so long. Jorge!” she calls. “Sophie’s on the phone.” When she looks back at the screen, her eyes narrow at Damian. “Who is this handsome young man?”
“Young man?” Dad’s voice calls in the distance. When he’s closer, he mutters, “What young man?”
“Hi, Mom and Dad,” I say with a wave when both my parents’ faces are on the screen. “This is my boyfriend, Damian.”
“Did she just say boyfriend?” Dad gasps.
“Deep breaths, Jorge,” Mom says with a laugh.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” Damian says. “It’s so great to meet you.”
“Damian is Principal Harrington’s son,” I tell them. “He’s a new student at Harrington Bay Academy and I’m his tutor.”
“I always knew that brain of hers would get her in trouble,” Dad mutters.
“Oh, stop,” Mom playfully slaps his chest. “Tell me all about yourself, Damian. You seem like a nice young man.”
Damian seemed super nervous when I first called my parents, and maybe he’s still slightly frightened of my dad, but as they talk, I sense the nerves floating away.
He seems really comfortable with my parents, like he’s finally talking to people from his world again.
I know the only other parents he interacted with were rich people’s.
Despite my dad’s overprotectiveness, I can tell he likes Damian a lot.
Dad knows I go to a school with stuck-up rich people, and I know he was worried a rich dude would knock me off my feet with all his riches.
But now he sees that I never had any intention of running off into the sunset with a rich guy.
Damian is the perfect guy for me. Even though he technically is rich, I don’t think he’ll ever truly embrace that part of himself.
“It sounds like you two are having a grand time together,” Mom says. “And I must say you make a cute couple.”
“Thanks,” we say.
“I hope you’re still keeping up with your grades, mija,” Dad says. “You know the rules—schoolwork always comes first.”
“I know, Dad.”
We talk for a little bit longer, and then Mom says, “We have some good news for you, Sophie.”
“What?”
“You can use your credit card again.”
“What? Really?”
“As long as you promise to be responsible,” Dad stresses. “We understand your love for books, but please set limits for yourself. Instead of buying ten books at once, why don’t you start with three or four?”
“Five?” I ask, hopeful.
Mom and Dad exchange a glance.
“All right,” Dad concedes. “Five. But only once every few months. If we see you’re spending too much money again, we might have to take your card away permanently.”
I quickly nod. “Understood. I’ll be more responsible and set limits for myself.”
Mom and Dad smile. “Okay, sweetie,” Mom says. “Have fun with your books.”
“Thanks! I’ll talk to you guys later.”
“Nice meeting you,” Damian says.
“You, too,” they say.
After I end the call, I beam. “Did you hear that? My prison sentence is gone! Back to buying books again.” I get up and do a victory dance.
“Just remember what you promised your parents,” he says with a laugh.
“Oh I won’t forget, believe me. Having to rely on the library for new books was torture.”
“Okay, let’s go.” He gets up and strides to the door.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“The bookstore? Let’s celebrate the return of your credit card by buying exactly five books.”
With a smile, I race over and throw my arms around him. “How are you so perfect?”
“I am?”
“Oh stop being so cute. Yes, you are perfect, Mr. Non Bad Boy.” I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. “But let’s get going before the store closes.”
I grab my coat and Queen Rose and follow Damian out of the girls’ dorm and to the parking lot, where his bike is parked. We reach the bookstore in record time and enter, immediately making our way to the new releases.
“Looking for anything in particular?” Damian asks me.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t had a chance to check out the latest new releases.”
He playfully touches his heart. “How can that be?”
“I was busy sneaking around with my forbidden boyfriend,” I say.
He laughs softly. “That explains it.”
We browse through the books, reading the blurbs and placing them into piles. Considering I can only buy five, this is going to be an extremely hard decision.
Damian gets really into it as he helps me decide.
He even goes online to check out the tropes.
Seriously, how perfect is he? Just a few months ago, I thought I would never find the right guy.
I didn’t think I would ever experience romance.
Heck, I didn’t think I needed real romance.
I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world.
“These are my two options,” he says as he lays the books before me.
“This one is a romantasy with sea monsters and mermaids. The tropes are enemies-to-lovers, love triangle, hidden powers, warring kingdoms, and your new favorite: forbidden romance. Now, this one…” He pushes it aside and places another book in its place.
“It’s not technically referred to as a romantasy, but it does have a huge romantic subplot, so most people online say it can count as a romantasy.
The tropes in this book are fated mates, she falls first but he falls harder, strong heroine, slow burn, and it’s also a forbidden romance.
If you can’t decide which one to buy, I can buy the other one for you. ”
Before I can stop myself, I fling my arms around him.
“What’s this for?” he asks with a laugh.
“Because you’re so darn cute.”
“Cute?” His brows furrow. “Is that a compliment?”
“Of course! You’re so cute trying to help me choose the perfect book. Damian, you’re like a romantic hero come to life.”
“Does that mean you no longer need the romance books?” he teases.
“Never.”
In the end, I decide on four books, just to show my parents I’m being overly responsible. Maybe I’ll ask my parents to send over some of the many books back at home that I haven’t read. That’ll for sure show them that I’m taking the rules very seriously.
Instead of heading back to school, Damian makes a pit stop at a large park. He sits down on the grass against a tree with me in his arms, and together, we read the romantasy book I decided to buy. The one with the sea monsters and mermaids.
“This is nice,” he says as I turn the page. “I love reading with you.”
“There’s something I’ve been wondering,” I admit. “But I didn’t want to bring it up because I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”
“Don’t be worried about offending me,” he says. “I want you to feel completely comfortable with me.”
“Okay, thanks. Remember that time I was flipping through your sketchpad and I saw a drawing of myself?”
For a second, I worry he will be offended despite his promise, but he laughs. “I remember that. I was embarrassed because I thought you’d think I was a creep or something.”
“Why would I think you’re a creep? I thought that was super sweet. I mean, I couldn’t help but wonder why you drew me. I was hoping you liked me.”
“I did like you. I liked you a lot. Remind me to show it to you when we get back to school.”
I turn around on his lap and wrap my fingers around the back of his neck, staring into his eyes. “I’m so happy, Damian. So happy I think I might burst.”
“Not if I burst first.” He wraps his hands around my waist and squeezes gently.
“For the first time since my dad died, I’m looking forward to the future.
A future with you. If you would have told me a few weeks ago that I would feel this way, I would have laughed in your face.
But you’ve changed my life. You reminded me to dream again.
To hope again. Thanks so much for being you, Sophie. ”
“And you taught me what it means to experience a real romance and not a fake one,” I tell him.
“Because real romance will always be better than book romance. If not for you, I might have never experienced how beautiful and wonderful it can be. Thanks so much for being you, Damian. And for putting up with me.”
“You’re the one who put up with me.”
“Well, I had to,” I tell him, “How else could I have gotten free books and an awesome Power Rangers helmet?”
His chest rumbles with a laugh as he closes his mouth over mine.