Page 54 of Balance

“Okay…” Damen let out a long, low breath, the severity of his emotions retreating like a fading flame once it had consumed everything in its path. “I guess that makes sense, if it was an accident.”

“I know it does.” I ducked under his arm, escaping his suffocating presence. There was an empty space between Titus and Julian—both of whom wore slightly more compassionate expressions—and I moved between them, curling against Titus’s arm.

It was good that was over with.

“Having scars isn’t a sign of weakness.” Damen’s low words echoed through the clearing. “Not many people could survive what you did without a scar or two to show for it.”

“Damen!” Julian jumped to his feet. “This isn’t the time or place. Stop being nosy.”

“Just let it go.” Titus was suddenly there, pulling me behind him as he acted as a shield between me and the onmyoji. “You’re pushing too far. Haven’t you learnedanything?”

I pressed my face into Titus’s rough flannel shirt, but even the comforting smell of frankincense and cinnamon couldn’t dull the sharp edges of my panic.

“It’s theperfecttime,” Damen argued. “She’s been avoiding any sort of confrontation for weeks, and we’re currently smack dab in the middle of her element. There is no better time than this.Someoneneeds to step up. She’s notallthat different from before.”

“That is not how recovery works!” Julian exclaimed. “You should know this! Why are you acting so stubborn?”

“She’s the stubborn one!” Damen sounded completely exasperated. “You know she’s angry, and she won’t even tell me to fuck off! Mu would have—”

“Will you stop it?” I released Titus’s shirt, stepping around the security of his larger form as I faced Damen. “I’mnotMu!”

“Yes, you are.” Damen crossed his arms. “You can deny it all you want, but every day you’re becoming more like him. You can’t stop it. You’re the same person.”

“And you’re anass!” I was quivering with fury, and everyone else faded away as my vision tunneled on to the man in front of me. “I’m sick and tired of you treating me like an imbecile. You’re not in charge of me!”

“Iamin charge.” Damen stepped closer, eyes blazing. “That’s the way it’s always been. I like taking care of you. I want to do things for you.”

“And I don’t have a problem with you doing thingsforme.” I waved my hand in his general direction. My heart was racing, my skin was hot. If I stopped to consider my words, even for a second, I knew I would be horrified at how ungrateful I was acting.

So this wasn’t the time to think. “That’snotwhat I’m upset about!”

“Thenwhyhave you been giving me an attitude?” he had the nerve to ask.

Surely he had to know—everyone said he’s been trying to push my buttons this whole time. Or was he really this obtuse?

“Because you keep talkingaroundme.” I met his step with one of my own. “You make decisions for me or talk about me, like I’m not even there. Sometimes it’s funny, especially when you monologue—”

“I don’t monologue!”

“Youdefinitelymonologue.” I pushed my finger into his chest once again; if this kept up, he was going to have a permanent indentation to show from this. “This is why you’re not trusted with any sensitive information.”

“What are you talking about?”

What was I talking about? I had no idea, the words were just flowing from me now. “And I don’t even mind your flirting—”

Damen’s frown deepened. “We’ve already established that.”

“—even though it’s incredibly cheesy.”

“Cheesy?”

“But you need to stop trying to get me to work withinyourexpectations of how I should act.” I sucked in a breath, the cold air barely cutting through the burning inferno in my chest. “I’m not ready yet. I waited for you all this time, now you can suck it up and wait for me.”

Damen blinked, the righteous anger falling from his expression with an instant as his brows furrowed in confusion. “What in theworldare you talking about?”

My fury vanished in an instant, a hollow sensation buzzing through me in the wake of it. The force of our argument still echoed in my thoughts. This time, I knew I’d gone too far.

“I’m going to lie down.” My lips were numb. The world drained of color and my vision blurred at the edges. I turned from him, barely aware of Titus and Julian watching the two of us with wide eyes.