wouldn’t get the chance to ruin you first. You’re a pre-emptive striker. I’ve seen you do it.”
“I don’t know any other way to be.”
“You say that, but it’s not true. You think you wreck people, but you never wrecked me. In fact, my life’s been so much better because you’re in it. You make me laugh every day, listen to me whine about my relationship woes, help me whenever I need it. You’ll find a woman worth loving, and it won’t be Alicia. That one has enough issues of her own. And when you find her, Julian, you just need to love her the same as you love me…but you know, with sex and all that romantic stuff.”
He laughed and waggled a brow. “You trying to tell me something, darling?”
I shoved him playfully in the shoulder. “You were always my first choice,” I teased. “Unfortunately, you only ever saw me as a little sister.”
He scowled, but a smile edged his mouth. “You’re a dirty liar.”
I grinned. “Hush! I’m trying to make you feel better.”
We laughed and then grew quiet. I allowed my eyes to trace his pretty face and wondered if this whole thing with Alicia was indicative of a bigger change in him. Perhaps he was finally ready to find someone, someone to love who would love him in return. Suddenly overcome with emotion, I pulled him into my arms, squeezing him so tight I heard a little oomph of breath whoosh out. He didn’t complain, but simply took my comfort willingly.
***
The following day I was eager to find Damon and see how he was feeling. I hoped beyond hope that he was over all the drama of yesterday and that we could just go back to how we were before. I needed to touch him, kiss him, absorb his scent. It was a fierce and disconcerting need, almost overpowering in its urgency.
I wasn’t sure who had done it, but it seemed to have been spread around the cast that I wasn’t the dirty cheater Blake had claimed me to be. That was one good thing at least. I even got a few commiserating looks. Making my way to Damon’s dressing room, I found his door open, but when I stepped inside, Alicia was there. They were sitting by the table facing one another, and she was leaning forward with her hand on his knee as though to comfort him.
Oh, hell no.
“You’ve got some steel panties, showing your face,” she commented as she eyed me cattily.
I narrowed my eyes to slits and glanced at Damon to find he was frowning at Alicia. “Rose is welcome in my dressing room any time she likes,” he said sternly, and some of the tension left me. Alicia pouted and gave him a hurt look. It was as fake as her hair colour probably was.
“But how do you know she’s not lying about Blake? I don’t see why he’d say something like that if there was no truth to it,” she said, like the little devil on his shoulder. Damon stiffened.
“He said it because he’s got a drug problem,” I interjected. “Yesterday he was high and feeling in the mood to cause trouble. That’s why he said it. And anyway, you’re one to talk. You used my best friend for sex and then dropped him as soon as you were done.”
I couldn’t tell what made me angrier, her constant attempts to steal Damon or the way she’d treated Julian. Alicia sat up straighter, her mouth tightening. If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under, because right then she appeared to want to throttle me for saying that aloud in front of Damon. Little did she know, I’d already told him all about her affair with my friend.
“Julian’s a big boy. He can take care of himself,” she said, eyeing me coldly.
I gave her a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “No, actually, he can’t. In fact, you should probably be across town consoling him right now, rather than putting all your effort into Damon when he doesn’t need it.”
She sneered at me. “And why should I do that?”
I levelled her with a long, hard stare. “Because no one deserves to be treated like an object, and that’s exactly how you treated Julian.”
A moment of quiet ensued as we stared each other down. I couldn’t be certain, but I thought I saw the tiniest flicker of remorse in her eyes. She glanced at the floor, then picked up her handbag, rifling through it as though searching