Page 12 of Change

I would be nothing like his other women who only cared about what could be achieved in that moment.

Damen:What are you implying?

My throat closed in sudden alarm, and I glanced back at the man. He was looking at me now, a deep frown etched onto his expression.

This was so stupid; we could justtalkand end this nonsensical conversation. But as I stood, he waved at me, gesturing for me to sit back down.

He moved closer to the front of the line as I typed out my reply.

Me:That I care about your health?

Damen’s lips quirked as he read the response, and the dark cloud suddenly lifted.

Damen:Compassionate and beautiful, you’re truly my equal in every way.

My forehead furrowed and a strange sense of indignation rose in me. What did that even mean? It was flirty, yet somehow insulting too—as if Damen viewed everyone else to be beneath him.

I glanced back up—he stood tall, shoulders squared, and air assured, as he spoke to the barista. Even as he ordered our drinks, he was strongly confident even through the menial task of getting a coffee. The man never failed to fill the room with his brilliant authority regardless of his actions.

He probablydidbelieve everyone was beneath him. That was a completely Damen-like attitude to have. Justhowdid he become so arrogant?

“Will you stop staring at my brother?” Finn slipped into Damen’s seat—which was, of course, Finn’s usual seat from way back when this was our spot and we were friends. Not that anyone was keeping tabs. “Everyone is going to think you’re in love with him and the whole plan will be ruined.”

Love?

“W-what?” I sputtered, fighting to calm my racing heart. Wherever would Finn get that impression? Romantic love for the onmyoji was the furthest thing from my mind.

Damen Abernathy had a lot of growing up to do before he was ready for love.

Then there were my issues.

“You havenoidea what I was thinking!” I whisper-hissed across the table.

Where did he even come from? This was supposed to be my alone time. Didn’t Finn have sinister things to be doing?

“I have to study and was trying to use the library at home. But it’s difficult to concentrate with Bryce hanging around. Besides, it’s easy to read your expressions. Your nose was all wrinkled, and your eyebrow was starting to twitch.” Finn leaned back in his seat, locking his fingers behind his head. “Clearly you were making fun of him, which, I admit, isn’t hard to do. He has that kind of personality. However, the fact that you’re harping about it also means you care. If you’re not interested in a person, you ignore their existence.”

I curled my hands into fists in my lap. How dare he presume to know anything about me. Besides, he was wrong. “I insult you all the time,” I pointed out.

If that was the case, it meant that I liked Finn. Which totally and completely was not true.

“Right…” Finn’s expression closed. “There’s a fine line between love and hate.”

“I hate you,” I told him, and I hoped he’d never forget it.

“That’s my seat.” Damen was suddenly standing at our table, holding two white paper cups in his hands, and he scowled at his brother.

Finn frowned up at him and pushed his glasses higher on his nose with his pointer finger. The air around us seemed to still as he responded, “I was here first.”

Damen narrowed his eyes, tone dropping an octave. The sudden change in his voice caused my stomach to tighten and a tingle to go down the back of my spine. “I’m herenow,” he said, placing a white cup in front of me. The comforting smell of chocolate filled my senses, but I didn’t move to get my drink yet. Instead, my focus was torn between the two brothers.

What was this foreboding air?

Finn wasn’t affected by Damen’s sultry voice—which was probably a good thing. In fact, since Damen wasn’t even looking at me, I doubted he meant to be seductive at all. “So what?” He scowled and crossed his arms on the top of the table, leaning forward, he challenged the other onmyoji. “What are you going to do about it?”

Damen’s posture shifted, and the darkness began to recede just a little, and I was finally able to move. I grasped my coffee, holding it tightly between my laced open-fingered-gloved hands, still looking between the two of them while hiding my mouth behind the drink.

This was a fight between brothers. Who was I to intervene?