Page 32 of Shadows of Nightshade
He knew.
Finn knewthat I wasn’t lying—or sick. He knew the things I saw were real.
…And he’d made me believe I was alone.
My sight wavered as my heart shattered into a million pieces. “Why wouldn’t he just tell me?”
“I don’t know why,” he said, holding my hands. “But I’ll find out.”
“I thought he was my friend,” I said, sounding so pathetic. “He was my only friend.”
The air around Damen grew warmer. “Like I said, I’ll find out.”
Miles sat beside me and rested his arm over the back of the couch. “Besides, was he that good of a friend? He sounded more like a jealous boyfriend.”
I flinched. Yesterday, I would have been overjoyed to hear the word ‘boyfriend’ associated with Finn, but hearing ‘jealous’ mixed with the label left everything tainted.
“I-I thought so,” I admitted.
We’d done so much together—we grew up together. Hecouldn’t be bad. But I’d been wrong before. Maybe I was just stupid.
“I really don’t know what’s normal,” I admitted. “I thought he was just protective because of… me.” I was a mess. “I thought he cared. I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Normal is different for everyone. However, there is a difference between being controlling and protective,” Damen replied. “Luckily, you have us now.”
How could he still be so sure? “I don’t understand why you want to be my friend.”
“I’m glad you brought that up.” Damen’s tense jaw softened, and his posture relaxed. He ignored the fact that, technically, he was the one who suggested this topic. “Let me tell you a story.”
I wasn’t sure what a story had to do with anything, but I nodded anyway.
“Once upon a time, a handsome young prince was waiting at his castle for his perpetually late friend. It’d been a very bad day in a long string of very bad days. The prince had been bored with his life for a long time. He was full of ideas, but no one took him seriously. Because of that, he lacked initiative and had no desire to live up to his potential.” Damen’s eyes sparked as he spoke.
I fought the urge to sigh—it was clear where this story was leading. Miles, on the other hand, didn’t resist. He groaned and covered his eyes.
Damen continued, unashamed at how corny he sounded. “When his friend arrived—or so he thought—he opened the door and found an angel on the other side. He wasn’t sure what to make of her at first. But when it was obvious that she was being targeted by a devil, he knew he had to get involved. The last thing he wanted was for this beautiful girl to get hurt.”
With every cheesy word, my face grew more inflamed.
“Then he saw that she was loyal, brave, and imaginative.Something strange happened. Helping her was no longer about chivalry. For the first time in a long time, he felt inspired to be a better person.” Damen paused for a moment, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
He touched my hot face, lifting my chin until our gazes met. Despite the playfulness of his story, nothing in his eyes indicated that he held anything less than complete sincerity.
“It’s strange.” Damen’s gaze turned contemplative, and his speech slowed. “I can’t place my finger on it, and it should be impossible. But being around you definitely brings up familiar feelings.”
Miles shifted, and I tore my gaze from Damen. The other man’s features were twisted in indecision, and I wondered if Damen’s flirting had made him uncomfortable.
Ifelt weird about it, in any case.
However, Miles showed no hint of judgment. “Me too,” he said as he touched his forehead. “I don’t understand. It’s familiar, but not. She’s easy for me to talk to.”
I blinked at the two of them. What were they going on about?
Miles shook his head, shaking himself out of his stupor, then looked at me. “We should exchange phone numbers.”
“Oh.” I glanced at my lap.
“It’ll be more convenient to make plans. And you live on campus, right?” Miles asked. “My apartment is within walking distance of the library. We can hang out and study together.”
