Page 68 of I'm Not in Love (I Promise)

“No idea, she was just hitting the bathroom quickly before we leave. Let me call her.” As I pull out my phone, I spot Falin in the crowd of people. “There she is, she’s headed this way.”

“And she’s not alone,” he says.

She’s arm in arm with the skeleton man himself, while Jasper and Leon follow closely behind.

“Did you know they were coming?” I ask Damon. He bites his lower lip and gives me a guilty look. “You did! Were they here the whole time? Honestly, I don’t mind. It’s Falin who was all…this is girls night. Apparently she’s changed her tune from the looks of it.”

They close the distance between us and Falin pulls me from Damon’s arms. “This is Blake, it’s her birthday.” She spins mearound for the skeleton guy. “Blakey, this is Ian. He invited us to their after-party and I said we’d love to go.”

“Um, hi,” I say. “Great show… Especially loved The Haunted Marionette. Creepy.” I shuffle my feet and try to think of a way to gracefully turn Falin’s offer down.

“That’s my sister, Meg. She’s crazy good, right?” Ian asks. “You’re all welcome. We usually hang out in the tent, party for a few hours after each show.”

Damon meets my eyes and I silently convey my desire to do anything but that. “Thanks for the offer man, but I have some plans for my girl’s birthday.”

Falin opens her mouth to argue but I stop her with a hand to her chest. “You had me all day. Why don’t you stay and have some fun?” I turn to Jasper and Leon with wide eyes. “The guys can stay and look out for you, right?”

I can see the miniscule changes in Falin’s face that tell me she’s relenting. She huffs and squeezes my hand. “Okay, you two have a good night. I’ll need details in the morning.”

Laughing, I hug her goodbye and thank the guys for staying. Jasper shoots daggers at Ian but follows him and Falin back into the tent.

“You good?” Damon asks Leon.

He nods, one hand in his jeans pocket. “I’ll keep an eye on those two. Get home safely, and Blake, I forgot to give this to you earlier.”

Handing me a piece of paper, he turns and strides away before I can thank him. Damon’s smiling down at me, like I was just given a rare gem. He turns his phone’s light on and points it at the paper. “Open it.”

I unfold it and reveal a gorgeous drawing of me done in black ink. The likeness is incredible… I’ve never looked so beautiful before. I swallow the lump in my throat. “He drew this?”

“Looks like you’ve won Leon’s heart.” He plants a kiss on my forehead and takes my hand. “Not an easy feat.”

“I love it. We’ll have to buy a frame tomorrow.” I’m overcome with a wave of joy. To have so many people care about me and shower me with love isn’t something I’m used to.

“Anything you want,” he says. “Come on, I have a surprise.”

We drive with the windows down, my exposed skin bathed in cool night air. Damon’s hand rests on my thigh and mine is tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. Warmth blooms in my chest despite the goosebumps pebbling my arms. I have no idea where we’re going, but I know there’s no one else I’d rather be with.

We turn onto a dark, dirt road. Loose rocks ping underneath the car as Damon expertly avoids mounds of dirt in random spots. I watch the stark trees blur from my window as the car jostles me from side to side. The headlights illuminate a clearing in the distance, set up with a fold out table and a few camping chairs.

Damon parks and opens my door, leading me by the hand to the set up. “I found this place when we first moved here. It was a fluke, really. I needed some space from the guys, too much shit going through my head, so I took a long drive and somehow ended up here. Come sit, I’ll go grab some stuff from the trunk.”

I let my head hang back to admire the scattering of stars in the clear sky. Moonlight shifts through bare branches, providing the perfect amount of light. Damon comes up behind me and wraps a warm blanket over my shoulders. “Mmm, thank you.”

“I’ll start a fire,” he says, plopping some logs down next to a ring of rocks. Within a few minutes crackling embers burst to life, throwing delicious heat against my chilled limbs.

Damon’s quieter than usual as he watches the sparks pop in the fire’s glow. I wish I could read his mind. See what’s causing the lines etched in between his brows. Is he worried about me?Or Jasper’s sister? What kind of plans is he making deep in the recesses of his brain?

“Ready for your present?” He rolls a branch between his palms and pokes the burning logs.

“You really didn’t have to get me anything else.” Although my curiosity is piqued.

“I know, but this is special. Hold on, I’ll get it from the car.” Standing, he drops the branch at his feet and passes me, wringing his hands together like he’s nervous. This is a different side of Damon. It’s endearing. Seeing his vulnerability makes him feel less all encompassing somehow. Like he’s an actual human, with actual feelings.

He kneels in front of me, so we’re eye to eye and I can’t help but reach out, laying my hand on his cheek. “Are you nervous?”

His tongue darts out to wet his lips. “Yeah, I guess I am. I’m worried you’re going to run when you see this side of me—my shadowed edges and broken pieces. But I want you to know every twisted, dark inch of my soul, Blake. With this gift, I’m showing you exactly who I am and what I’ll do for the people I love. I just—I can’t lose you. I won’t.”

I pull his head into my lap and gently stroke his hair. My heart’s a thunderstorm rolling in my chest. I have no idea what he’s about to show me, but I know it’ll be something we can’t come back from. “Freddy,” I say to lighten the mood. “Look at me.” His eyes meet mine, like burned copper in the fire’s light. “I’m not going anywhere. As much as I’ve wanted to deny it, you’ve awakened something in me that I’ve kept hidden behind a wall of busy. I’ve used my packed schedule as a shield because I’m too damn scared to open my heart. It’s been easier to hide my grief, keep going and going, a wave of constant motion. Every commitment, every task, every unnecessary hour of studying are just more ways to drown out what’s deep inside.

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