Page 101 of I Don't Need Your Romance

“And what did I say about that blasted leather jacket?” she hisses. “I told you I didnotwant to see it at my party.”

Damian just glares at her.

She finally notices me and her entire face changes. “Sophie? I didn’t recognize you for a second. What are you doing here? I don’t remember inviting you.”

“I invited her,” Damian says.

“You know very well that this is a closed party, Damian. Not everyone is invited.”

Okay, ouch. Is she implying I’m not wealthy enough to be here? I mean, of course that’s true. But still.

Damian gives her a look that could give a criminal a run for his money. “I wanted her here. This place is hell, so I invited her as a fr…someone who will help me pass the time.” He does a quick sweep with his eyes. “Doesn’t seem to be anyone my age here.”

His mom is quiet for a bit. “Well, all right.” She smiles at me. “I hope you have a good time, Sophie.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll have to tell the caterers to add a chair to our table.” She walks off.

Damian lets out a breath. “See what I have to deal with?”

“Sorry.”

He gives me a small grin. “But having you here makes it tolerable. Thanks for coming.”

“Of course, Damian. Where is the food?”

He leads me to the side of the room, where there are buffet tables. We don’t stuff ourselves because the meal will start soon, but both of us are starving. We haven’t eaten since lunch.

“Wow,” I say as I take bite after bite. “I thought the school’s food was good, but this is delicious.”

“Mom only hires the best.”

“So which food is your favorite?”

He points them out and I don’t hesitate to fill my plate. Damian eats as well, but he seems to have a lot on his mind. I want to know what he’s thinking about, but I’d better not pry. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be here. But this is his world. Maybe that’s why he’s so quiet.

A few people come over to introduce themselves. Damian acts like such a gentleman and it’s a little jarring to see. He’s so proper, even though his eyes say otherwise. He knows not to embarrass his mom on her special day.

I notice many of them—if not all—make faces at his leather jacket. A few compliment Harrington on such a handsome and mature son. Damian grunts at that.

“Just doing the BS,” he whispers to me.

Some people are curious about me, but when Damian tells them I’m a friend from school, they don’t care anymore. I swear I hear some mumbling that I’m his charity case and it’s so kind of him to invite an underprivileged girl to his mom’s party.

Ugh. I see why Damian said he was in hell.

Everyone talks and laughs until it’s time for dinner. I follow Damian to the head table, where he, his mom, and some other close friends sit. Damian doesn’t seem to have any grandparents, or at least none of them are here.

The servers bring out the food, and even though I kind of ate a lot, my appetite just grows. I feel like I can eat a horse and I’ll still be hungry. The first course is fish. Some fancy one that I’ve never eaten or heard of before.

“I’m nervous to taste it,” I whisper to Damian.

He makes a face at it, too. “They fancied it up so much it doesn’t even look edible.”

Harrington is laughing with her friends, but when she sees me and Damian fussing over the fish, she gives her son a look.

I don’t know the background of their relationship, but anyone can tell those two don’t really like each other. I wonder why. I also wonder why the principal is so hard on him. Damian is a good guy. He’s so sweet and kind. Does she even know her son?