Page 118 of I Don't Need Your Romance

“Your friends are really great,” he says as we settle down at our table in the back. “Like I said, you’re lucky to have them.”

“Well, you’re part of the group now. So they’re your friends, too. I mean, if you want to be.”

“I do. You guys have so much fun together. I think that’s one thing that’s been missing from my life—close friends I can rely on.” His smile is so sweet and heartfelt that my stomach gets all twisted. “Thanks, Sophie. You really have changed my life for good.”

Even though we’re in the classroom amongst our fellow students, I lean forward to press a quick kiss on his lips. I just want him to know how much I appreciate him. How much I care about him. I know we’re nowhere near the heavy feelings part—the three words—but I feel very strongly about him. Stronger than I ever did about another person. Which I know doesn’t saymuch because he’s the first guy I’ve ever gotten close to, but I know that I wouldn’t have felt for another guy the way I feel about Damian.

The thing is, I realize it’s not that he changed because of me. He didn’t become a better person by being near me, which is what happens in the he changes for her trope. Damian was amazing theentiretime. From the moment he offered me a ride to the bookstore and paid for my books, I knew he was a good guy. He just preferred to hide that part of himself and wanted the world to think he was bad, a rebel. Maybe as a defense mechanism, I don’t know. But I saw right through his act. I’m glad I did because had I not, I would have never learned what an amazing person he is.

“What?” he asks softly as he threads his fingers through mine underneath our lab table. “You’re staring at me.”

“You’re just so amazing, Damian.”

He makes a move to shake his head, but I hold up my finger. “Don’t you dare try to refute it.”

“I’ll refute it in my head, then.”

I can’t help but laugh. “What am I going to do with you, Damian Lawrence?”

“Sneak in another kiss?” he whispers as he moves his face closer to mine.

“Do you deserve it?” I whisper as I move closer to him.

“Like heck I do.”

With a smile, I’m about to press my lips to his for another quick kiss, but Mrs. Sullivan walks in.

“Darn it,” he grumbles.

“Rain check?” I ask.

He grins. “Heck yeah.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Damian

I slide my hand into Sophie’s as we make our way to the library after class. Bringing hers to my lips, I give it a peck. “Was thinking the library’s pretty boring.”

Her eyebrows furrow.

“To have our session, I mean. It’s always the same table with the same chairs and the same walls.”

“Uh huh.”

I sweep my lips across her hand again. “What do you say we study in my room? We’ll have privacy and we can be as loud as we want without the librarian telling us to be quiet.”

“That’s certainly tempting.”

“Sure is.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Is this a ploy to get out of tutoring?”

I hold up my hands like I’m innocent. “No way. I’m just bored of that library, that’s all.”

“Well, it really would be nice to have some alone time so we can concentrate without the noises of copy machines and things like that.”

“Mhhm.”