Shades

of a

Damien.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked again and took a few steps toward her.

"Where you just smoking?"

He stared at her for a while before shrugging.

"You know it's against the bar's rules to smoke. James doesn't like it" she scolded.

"Well, as long as I'm not inside, it shouldn't be a problem."

"As long as you're within this premises, you don't smoke shit"

"Alright, I'm sorry doll" he chuckled and threw his stick on the floor.

She rolled her eyes at his stupid laughter and turned to leave.

"Did Justin hurt you?" Damien asked, making her stop in her tracks.

"I don't see how that's any of your business" She turned to him with folded arms. "Don't you have bigger bums to get to?" She cursed within herself as soon as the words came out. Why did she have to be so verbose?

"What?" Damien chuckled nervously. He was confused.

She sighed. She had already started it, she might as well finish it.

"The other night. When all you could do was body shame me just because I told you not to stare so much at my friend's ass"

"Hm?" He still looked confused.

She rolled her eyes and turned to leave again but he held her back. It wasn't the kind of hold she was used to—fierce and hard—he held her carefully and waited till she turned to him before he spoke.

"If it's about what Trey said about you, I called him out on it. And I promise he's not going to bother you again, which is why he isn't here tonight"

Kate nodded. The only guy who wasn't in the bar was the chaser from that night. So it was he who had said such nonsense about her. She looked at Damien, feeling like she should apologize for the punch but then feeling again like she shouldn't. He had been there when his friend was picking up on her and didn't say anything until she gave him a little 'thank you' in the face.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" Damien asked, hands in his pocket as he rested on the wall behind her.

Pfft! Like she was going to apologize to him.

"Don't stare at Noelle's ass" she said instead.

"Who?"

"Noelle, the hot blonde you were staring at that night"

"I believe I was staring at someone with amazing dance skills" he faced her with a cheeky smile.

He looked nothing like what Noelle described him as with that smile. In Noelle's words, he was the college's British boy star basketball player who had a different girl every week. He was the biggest playboy and didn't give a shit about anyone's feelings.

But the guy in front of her now was... not. He wasn't any of that. He just looked like any other college student she had come across, except for the pretty eyes and extremely good looks. Then again, Noelle had said that his accent and looks were what threw girls at his feet so she really didn't know what to believe again.

"There's no way you were staring at me," She said decisively.

"And what's wrong with staring at you, doll?"

"Don't call me doll."

"Alright, Katherine"

Gosh, he figured out her name. Coming from him, it sounded nicer than it was meant to. She stomped her feet as she glared at him. He was so annoying.

"Goodnight, Blue" she grunted and headed to the door.

"See you in school, Katherine."

She shut the door behind her and went up to Noelle and Parker. Looking around, there was no glimpse of them. Where had these two run off to? Only Damien's friends were still where they had been when she left.

"Hi, again" the friendly guy from Damien's group greeted her again.

She looked away from him in search of Noelle again. How could she just leave her work? What was James going to say?

"You're rude" the guy chuckled to himself.

She sighed and gave a fake smile.

"Hi"

"Oh, so you do talk" he gasped dramatically and then laughed.

Ass.

She was about to totally ignore him again when she remembered Damien's words. And he had even apologized for his friend's behavior, not that it counted anyway.

"Yes, I talk dumbass" Kate clamped her hands over her mouth and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud"

He laughed again and Kate gave a small smile. He was good-looking, with curly hair that gave him a boyish appearance and cute dimples that just added to his charm. No wonder he was Damien's friend. Good-looking guys always move around with other good-looking guys, right?

"I'm sorry" she said again.

"It's alright Cat. I'm Dylan" He stretched his hand to her.

"Uh, you know my name's not like the cat animal, right?" She asked to confirm as she held his palm firmly.

"It's not?"

She looked at him in humour, expecting him to burst out laughing again and say that he already knew all that. But he only looked confused and scratched his head.

Wow.

"Okay, so what is your name like?"

"Uh, it's just Kat– Kate. My name's Kate" she smiled at him. She wouldn't have another person torture her by calling her 'Kat'.

"Alright Kate, there's a party this weekend at the frat house. It'd be cool if you came"

"Uh..." She bit her lip as she thought about it. It had been a while since she went to any parties. She had partied so hard with Justin and Noelle and Parker in their first year. But after she and Justin broke up, she just left the partying to Noelle.

She finally shook her head at him. It wasn't the right time to go to any parties anyway. Frat parties screamed drugs and danger, two things she didn't like. Plus, she had plans for the weekend.

"Ugh bummer" Dylan snapped his fingers and stood up from the stool.

"I have plans already"

"Alright" he scribbled something on a piece of paper and slid it across to her. "If you do decide to come, you can bring your blonde friend with you"

When she frowned at him, he stepped back a little and put his hands up.

"I'm not going to stare at her ass, geez. I just like fun. And she looks very fun" he smiled and then waved as he left the bar.

Kate looked in the paper. It was his number. She crumpled it and shoved it into her back pocket. Parties weren't so fun anyway.

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