Like you are disappointed in me
Elise’s POV
I bolted out of the library, running until I was outside. Tears spilled down my face, sliding off my chin like falling rain. I wiped them away with shaky fingers and used my sleeve to dry my cheeks.
“I am so stupid. So unbelievably stupid for thinking Damien could ever be decent!” I shouted at myself as I pushed my legs to move faster down the street. The night was dark and threatening, but I did not care. My humiliation burned hotter than my fear.
Why would he pick up my letter and read it out loud? Why would he do something so cruel? What is wrong with him? I could not make sense of it.
My chest ached like it was splitting apart. Of all the people I could have developed feelings for, why did it have to be him? Damien Lancaster, the biggest bully on campus.
Fresh tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. I was sweating from running, yet I could not stop crying. Damien was heartless. I truly did not understand why every girl on campus adored him. What made him so popular?
Of course, I knew the answer. They did not care about his arrogance or how cold he could be. All they saw was his perfect face and his family’s money. Yes, he was handsome, but that did not change the fact that he had treated me like trash in front of everyone at the library.
And the worst part? I had been foolish enough to believe we were starting to become friends. Then he went and humiliated me in the cruelest way.
I wiped another tear with my sleeve.
People brushed past me on the street, and when someone’s shoulder knocked against mine, it reminded me that being alone out here was dangerous. My steps grew quicker, almost breaking into a run. Strangers could not be trusted. I had already been hurt once before, and I refused to let it happen again.
My pulse thundered at the thought. Each person who passed made my heart race harder, pressing painfully against my ribs. The weak streetlights did not show me their faces, only stretched shadows and smiles that made my skin crawl.
I needed to get out of here. Fast.
Then a large hand landed on my shoulder. My body jerked, and I turned, bracing for the worst. Instead, I saw Damien towering over me. Relief rushed through me despite everything. He might be cruel, but I knew he would never lay a hand on me in that way. No, he preferred to crush me with his words until my confidence was gone.
“What do you want?” I snapped. The last thing I needed was for him to realize that I felt safer with him nearby. If he knew, his ego would explode.
“You should not be walking home alone in the dark,” he said, his voice low. “It is not safe, especially for someone as small as you.”
There it was again. The constant way he talked down to me. It was insulting.
And yet… part of me did not want him to leave.
I swallowed hard. “Are you going to walk me home then?”
His gaze lowered to mine. “I… I do not know.”
My chin lifted stubbornly as I glared up at him. “You do not know?”
“Elise.”
“No. I asked you a question.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “You are angry with me.”
“For a very good reason. Did you come here to apologize?”
“I do not… damn it, I do not know.”
“That much is obvious.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, and for once, I was proud of it. For once in my life, I was standing up to him without backing down. My anger gave me courage, and I silently congratulated myself. You have got this, Elise.
I just had to resist the temptation to look into his face, the sharp jaw, the eyes that sometimes softened like a confused puppy. One look and I knew I would weaken.
He sighed again. “I thought you already knew I was an asshole.”
“I did. But I also thought maybe we were moving past that.”
“Moving past it? What does that even mean?”
“Becoming friends.”
Silence stretched between us.
Finally, he asked, “What do you want from me, Elise? Honestly?”
“Respect, Damien.” I stopped walking and faced him directly. It was irritating how much taller he was, forcing me to tilt my head back just to meet his eyes.
“Respect?” he repeated slowly, like it was a word he had never heard before. That alone made my anger rise.
“Yes. Respect. I am your project partner, not your servant. And about that fake girlfriend deal we made, if you expect me to go through with it, you need to treat me better. Do not read my private things without asking first.”
I could hardly believe I was spelling this out for him. These were basic things everyone should understand.
Part of me wanted to scream and ask if his parents had dropped him on his head as a child. What else could explain how someone could be this infuriating?
Since I am clearly the more mature one here, I take a slow breath and force my tone to calm. I choose my next words carefully. “Tell me something, Damien. When you are with your other friends, do you just take their belongings without asking first?”
“Yes.”
Unbelievable. Jesus Christ.
“Well, do not ever try that with me again.” I could hardly believe I managed to say it without raising my voice. He did not deserve my control, but I gave it anyway.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I messed up by reading that letter.”
“Thank you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then why do I still feel like you are mad at me?”
“Because you are missing the point. Do you actually mean that apology? Do you even understand what was wrong about what you did? Do you know why it hurt me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am talking about you not realizing why I reacted the way I did. Do you really get it?”
“I do… I am not completely stupid.”
“Right.”
Except he clearly did not.
I started walking again, my arms crossed tightly across my chest, while Damien let out a long, tortured sigh behind me.
“I said I messed up. What else do you want from me? How many times am I supposed to say it before you stop glaring at me like that?”
“Like what?” I muttered.
He looked genuinely frustrated, his eyes glimmering in the streetlight. “Like you are disappointed in me. Because, let us be honest, Elise, people are not perfect. I am definitely not. I am an asshole, and you already know that.”
Instead of snapping back, something inside me just sagged. The fire that had kept me going a moment ago faded into something heavier, almost like defeat. My shoulders sank. “You really do not get it, do you?”
“No.”
“You have been doing little things to disrespect me ever since we started working together. I have no idea what I ever did to deserve it, but you have not treated me like a friend. Not once. And honestly, I do not need that version of Damien in my life. So yes, we can be project partners. I will even go along with being your fake girlfriend. But right now, we are not surrounded by people. Nobody is watching. So let me walk home alone, alright?”
“Elise…”
“No! Be quiet! I am done listening to excuses. And stop saying my name like that!”
“Elise, please, if you would just calm down…”
“No! Are you deaf?” My voice rose before I could stop it. “You cannot keep telling me what I should or should not do. I am finished being intimidated by you.”
For some reason, Damien did not leave. He stayed right beside me. “Okay, Elise. Then let me be clear about something. I never set out to scare you.”
“Do not lie to me. You want everyone to fear you.”
I tried walking faster, but his longer strides made it impossible to escape him. He looked completely unbothered, as if the distance meant nothing. Typical football player stamina.
“Well,” he said after a pause, “I do not want you to fear me.”
“Then what do you want? To humiliate me all over again?” I gasped, climbing an incline I swear had not been there before. My legs burned. “Why is there suddenly a hill here?”
Damien glanced at me, insult flashing across his face. “Wait. Are you mocking me?”
“Maybe,” I said, panting. My lungs were not built for this pace.
“You are seriously making fun of me right now?”
“Who knows?”
Before I could step around him, Damien suddenly blocked my path. I halted, glaring up at him in the middle of the street. For a moment, it felt like we were two strays circling each other, waiting to see who would make the first move.
I refused to show even a trace of fear. He stood tall, stormy, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion.
God help me, Damien was breathtaking. His blue eyes, thick brows, and messy sandy hair made him look like he had just rolled out of bed and still managed to be perfect. His lips were distracting, the kind you could imagine kissing far too easily. His cheekbones looked like they had been carved by hand, and that strong jaw clenched as he stared at me down.
“I am not letting you leave until we sort this out,” he said.
I hissed back, “Then you will be waiting a long time, because this will not be solved tonight.”
“Fine.” He shrugged, maddeningly casual. “Then I am walking you home.”
“What?” I snapped. “You cannot do that. My roommates…”
Before I could finish, he bent, grabbed me, and hoisted me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.
“Put me down!” I kicked and pounded his back, but he barely reacted. The idiot kept walking, carrying me like some kind of prize. People stared, and he actually greeted them with a smile, as though nothing unusual was happening.
“Release me!”
“How about no?” he replied smoothly, continuing his stroll.
“You are such an asshole!” My fists itched to smack him, but my head was level with his backside. And God, even that part of his body looked unfairly perfect. I refused to touch it.
“Relax, Elise,” Damien yawned. “All I want is to talk. Give me that, and I will put you down.”
“Screw you!”
“Ah,” he drawled, smug as ever. “Walking home together it is.”
