Page 53 of Balance

So imagine my surprise when, the second I returned with an arm full of sticks, Damen basically stumbled over himself to get to my side.

“Let me help you,” he said, his tight expression a picture of restlessness and worry as he collected the wood from my arms. I hadn’t even been gone long. Already a modestly-sized, rounded orange tent was pitched and Julian had already begun to trace a circle into the dirt some distance from the opening, preparing for the fire. Titus was crouched beside Julian. The both of them looked up at Damen’s outburst.

“You shouldn’t go off alone,” Damen was saying—back to being overbearing once again. “What were you thinking?”

I chewed the inside of my lip, meeting Titus’s gaze, silently begging for help.

“I asked her to get firewood.” Titus placed another rock around the circle. “You like to talk about Julian, but you’re doing the same thing.”

“I’ve gotten better,” Julian responded smoothly, not offended at Titus’s not-subtle chastising. “And our motives are different. I’m not overcompensating as I struggle with unresolved, deeply-seated psychological issues.”

“What am I overcompensating for?” Damen shot Julian an annoyed glance. “Just stay out of it.”

“Besides,” Julian continued. “She needs to go to the bathroom at some point. It’s not like you can follow her everywhere. Unless, of course, you find it necessary to go with her.”

I gaped at Julian, horrified that he would even suggest such a thing. I had no idea what was up with Damen lately, or what he might have been trying to hide, but I wouldn’t put it past him to—

“I like it!” Damen’s mouth pressed into a thin line and he nodded once, satisfaction heavy in his expression.

“No!” I stepped forward, poking my finger into his chest. There were many things I’d put up with, but that was not one of them. “I will do my…stuffalone.”

“But what if you get lost or hurt yourself?” He seemed so sincere, so concerned, that it was difficult not to laugh in his face. Besides, he’d never been here before either, so who was he to preach?

“It was fine this time, baby girl. Titus could hear you. But it’s dark, we wouldn’t want you to trip into a rock and scar that beautiful face.”

My throat closed in horror, and my eyes shot to Titus, who was now pointedly looking away from us.

He could hear mepeeing?

How could I not have thought of that possibility? How could he not even have the decency to lookashamed?

Besides that,nowwho was the dramatic one?

This news only reaffirmed my earlier conviction, and I forced my breathing to even under the weight of my embarrassment. My shaking fists pressed against my thighs as I continued, “I’mdefinitelygoing to be fine. Besides, even if that did happen, it wouldn’t be my first disfiguring scar. I don’t even care anymore—let’s just add to the collection.”

The silence that followed was almost deafening. For an instant, I didn’t even realize I’d said anything wrong.

Damen’s demeanor had entirely changed. While, before, he’d been anxious and needy—both things that didn’t suit him at all—he’d suddenly turned into a figure of confident authority. “What scar?” he asked, dropping the wood and stepping closer, his hands closed over my shoulders. Even though I didn’t answer, his gaze flickered down to my thighs.

Julian and Titus had also turned their attention to us; neither speaking, although Julian’s suddenly tight form radiated animosity while Titus seemed to quiver with an unsettled fury.

My eyes widened as my heartbeat echoed in my throat, threatening to suffocate me. I had completely forgotten that there’d been a video that day with Daniel Cole.

They must have seen everything.

I tried to pull away, pushing my hands against Damen’s chest. “S-sorry, that was stupid. I didn’t mean it.”

The words fell from my lips before I could stop myself. Immediately, my mind screamed in horror, because there was no way they’d believe such an unconvincing lie.

Damen closed his eyes, releasing one of my shoulders and pinching his nose with shaky movements. “I’m not even sure where to begin. A lot can be deduced from that one statement.”

“W-w-we don’t need to beginanywhere.” My stomach was twisting, and panic made me lightheaded. I was not fond of this questioning, nosy side of Damen, and he’d been doing it more often than not.

“Leave it alone, Damen,” Julian cut in, glaring at the ground.

“Oh, shut up. Don’t act like you don’t want to know too.” He opened his eyes again, gray blazing, burning me under the intensity of his barely-restrained fury. “This is not something you can run away from. First things first, are you in danger of hurting yourself?”

“N-no!” My pulse raced, darkness seeping into the edges of my vision. “It was an accident. Stop bothering me about it. I don’tcare.”