Page 22 of Balance

And, most importantly, how did he know I had been on my way to surprise him?

“What took you so long? Brayden sent you ages ago,” Damen asked, turning his attention to Anthony. The hallway was empty besides a few lingering students converging around another professor’s doorway. “I was about to send Kasai.”

“Brayden told you to come get me?” I blinked at Anthony, my pride slightly bruised. What was this? I couldn’t even walk across campus now?

And I thought that he and I had been beginning to understand each other. Had it all been a ploy?

“I would have walked with you anyway,” Anthony replied, ignoring Damen to address me. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to make my move.”

“Make your move?” Damen narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightening on my waist. “Make your move about what?”

“Settle yourself.” Anthony finally turned his attention to Damen, rolling his eyes and his shoulders. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I’m just interested in what’s going on these days. What’s so wrong with that?”

“I’m surprised you offered to do anything,” Damen admitted with a frown. “You’ve been hanging around a lot lately, and you never cared before.”

Anthony narrowed his eyes, glancing toward the end of the hallway. “Never had a reason to,” he answered, almost distractedly.

“What was that?” Damen asked.

“Nothing.” Anthony quirked his mouth at Damen. “Just that things are finally interesting. Usually you’re so fucking boring.”

“Don’t curse in front of Bianca!” Damen glared, moving his hands over my ears. “And it shouldn’t have to beinterestingto make you show some initiative.”

“You’re one to talk, with Finn and all that.” Anthony shifted his backpack to his other shoulder. “She’s a grown-ass woman, by the way. She can handle a few curse words.”

I glanced between them, my interest piqued. Even though we’d been in the same room together countless times, this was the first time I’d watch the two of them interact.

Besides, Damen was doing a crappy job at protecting the innocence of my ears—I could still hear everything. Should I tell him he failed? But this could be good… maybe he’d say something exciting.

Anthony wasn’t wrong. I’d heard my share of cursing before and personally had indulged once or twice myself. Heck, I’d even used the f-word toward Damen. So, he should know this.

Cursing didn’t bother me as a whole, though I had to admit there was something almost erotic about Miles’s French-cursing slip-ups.

But I woulddiebefore I admitted that out loud.

“Thank you, Anthony.” Damen’s voice was lined with weary patience. “I don’t have time to deal with you today. Please stop baiting me. Are you going to class now?”

“Yeah.” Anthony frowned down the hallway again.

This was the perfect opportunity to ask a question that weighed on my thoughts earlier. “What’s your major?”

“Look, she can still hear,” Anthony smirked, shooting Damen, who dropped his hands from my ears, a triumphant look. Then he turned his attention to me, his expression softening. “I’m a junior majoring in public health.”

“What kind of work are you thinking of doing?”

“I want to be a caseworker.” Anthony stepped back, pulling down the zipper of his jacket a few inches. The movement brought my attention back to the thick, purple band he was wearing—the same one he had on the other day. “I enjoy helping others succeed in life. In fact, I like it almost as much as annoyingyou.” He grinned at Damen. “Or your brother. You’re both assholes.”

Damen stiffened, sucking in his breath, but didn’t respond as Anthony left, stopping to throw me a short wave and a wink before he turned the corner.

“He’s so infuriating,” Damen muttered, almost pouting.

“Anthony?” I glanced at him, noting his tense jaw and the way his gaze lingered in the area the other man had vanished. “He seems fun.”

“Of course he seems fun. He’sBrayden’sbest friend. Those two are always up to something stupid.” Damen touched the cuff of his sleeve. “So, as much as I loathe it, we’d have to put up with him anyway, I guess, because Brayden isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Though I don’t think that’s why he’s hanging around all the time.”

“Why is he hanging around?” I asked.

Damen glanced at me and sighed again. The long-suffering expression on his face caused my hackles to rise, and I sucked in a breath, jumping to the next subject.