Page 13 of I Don't Need Your Romance

Yeah, but I don’t say anything because I’m still not cool with this tutoring thing. I thought maybe she’d get so sick of me and my attitude she’d quit, but as far as I can tell, this girl is not a quitter.

“So you can either send the completed problems to me tonight or hand them in tomorrow. Want my number?”

My lip curls into a crooked smile. “This is the second time you’re offering your number. Sorry, but I’m not the least bit interested in asking you out.”

Her eyes get huge and her mouth practically drops to the floor. Her face is a little red, too. “It’s not…I didn’t…” She clears her throat. “Believe me, DamianHarrington. You’re the last boy I’d ever go on a date with.”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Relax, Goody Two-Shoes. I’m just messing with you.” I get to my feet. “Are we done here?”

She looks like she needs some time to recover from my words. She barely nods and motions that I’m dismissed.

I hold out my hand to her. She stares at it, then slowly raises her eyes to meet mine. She appears more than confused, and a bit worried like I want to take her hand or dance with her or something.

“My math textbook,” I clarify. It’s still sitting before her on the table and her notebook is on top of it.

“Oh, right. Here.” She passes it to me. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yep.”

Tucking the textbook under my pit, I reach for my backpack, sling it over my shoulder, then make my way to the exit. Before I leave, I spin around. She’s got her gaze on me and the second our eyes met, she quickly averts hers.

I wonder if she’s ever had a boyfriend. Doesn’t seem like it based on how uncomfortable she is. And those adorable blushes.

I’ve had some girlfriends, but nothing serious. This past year, I was in and out of hospitals and doctors’ offices with Dad, so there wasn’t much time to date. And now? A girlfriend is the last thing I need or want right now. If I can barely keep myself together, how am I ever going to be there for a girl and give her the attention and care she deserves? Not to mention most of the girls at school are keeping their distance from me.

Chapter Seven

Sophie

“Shoot, what time is it?” I ask myself as I reach for my phone and scan the screen. I haven’t left the table in the library after my second tutoring session with Damian ended half an hour ago. I just had to squeeze in a few chapters.

Of course my thoughts kept drifting to what he said about him wanting to ask me out. Ugh. Obviously he was just messing with me and didn’t mean it, but why can’t I stop thinking about it?

Time to focus on what matters. Books.

I want to drive to the bookstore in town to buy new books because there are tons that were released this past week. And yes, I do have a whole lot of them I still haven’t read yet, and yes, my TBR is as tall as Mount Everest. But they all sound so freakin’good.

I dash over to my car that’s parked in the student lot and hop inside. It’s a black Honda Accord, not fancy like most of the cars here, but I love it and don’t feel jealous of the other students. Carly says our average cars have character, and she is so right. Addie’s grandfather wanted to buy her a super rich car, which she protested, so they compromised on a semi-rich one.

“Only an hour, only an hour,” I mutter as I start the engine. I want to browse the sections, too, because you never know when you’ll find a treasure, but I don’t think I’ll have time for that.

Instead of my engine spurring to life, it makes this very weird sound.

I freeze and stare down at the dashboard. “What the heck was that?”

I try again, but it just makes an even weirder sound.

“Oh no, no, no,” I say as I try for a third time. Did my car seriously break down? “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Someone knocks on my window, causing me to yelp and nearly fly to the roof of the car. When I look to my left, I nearly fly to the roof again. Because Damian stands out there.

Lowering the window, I say, “Hi…?”

His eyes rove around the front of my car. “Everything okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“You having car troubles?”