When Love Walked In

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

He introduced himself as Dan, Damien's older, but didn't offer his hand, for which I was grateful for. I followed him into the living room where Damien's other brothers. Tony and Cole were seated on the couch. Damien was sitting by the window, one leg drawn up to his chest, the other dangling off the seat. He turned when we entered, but kept his gaze neutral.

"Hello dear brothers," Dan said in a dramatic tone. "I have returned from my long journey." Tony didn't take his eyes off the TV. Cole, I realized, was reading a book. Dan paused. "And I brought pie," he said in a deadpan voice. Tony jumped up from the couch. "Well, hello brother. So glad to see you had a safe trip home." Then he saw me, and his smile lessened by a fraction. "Amber, right?"

"Hey Damien!" Dan held the pie like it was a first place trophy. "Look what I got."

Damien cracked a smile for the first time since seeing me. "Thanks Dan. You're journey shall always be remembered." He heaved himself up and lazily walked over, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"I know," Dan said wistfully, before carrying the box out of the room, Tony right on his heels. Cole, still immersed in his book got up to leave, too. Then, it was just the two of us. I looked at Damien, willing myself to read his mind, if only that were possible. He didn't look angry. He didn't look anything. His expression was normal. I reached for his hand. The hand that pulled me off the cafeteria floor the day Courtney Oakley and her parrots humiliated me. The hand that gently wiped away the coffee stains in the nurse's office. The hand that caressed my face in the hospital room where I confessed the wrong that was done to me. But he pulled away from me. His voice cracked as he tried to speak and he swallowed. "I'm sorry."

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"So, Amber, you go to the same school as Taylor and Damien?" Heather asked.

Taylor had made mental seating charts in her head and positioned me between Damien and Dan. Damien had not once looked my way. Heather sat across from me, waiting for my reply.

"Yes, I do," I answered politely.

"Oh, really?" Tony said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, we do everything together," Taylor said. "Well, except go to the bathroom together. That would just be weird." Her nose scrunched up at the thought.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Dan asked.

The question took me aback and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damien tense up. Taylor looked like she wanted to say something but was unsure what. "Uh—."

I cut her off. "There was an accident involving clumsy me in the cafeteria and, um, Damien and Taylor stepped in to help."

"Accident? I wouldn't call what those girls did an accident," Suzy jumped in.

"What girls?" Cole said, marking it the first time he spoke. His voice was soft and gentle, deep but calm.

"Courtney Oakley and some of her friends," Suzy asked.

"Courtney Oakley? Didn't you two go to kindergarten together?" Tony asked Damien.

"Yeah," Damien replied half-heartedly.

"Man, I remember she had the biggest crush on you! She always use to hold your hand and call you her husband." Tony cracked up laughing. "She scared all the other girls away."