Page 20 of I Don't Need Your Romance

When I look into my wallet, I realize I only have a ten-dollar bill. Ugh, did I really have to spend my cash on pizza?

“Is something wrong?” the woman asks.

Humiliation and disappointment wash over me. How could my parents do this to me? They could have at least warned me so I wouldn’t look so pathetic in front of all these strangers waiting in line, and Damian.

“I got it.” Damian taps his phone on the screen.

I gape at him. “What are you doing?”

“It’s okay. You’ll pay me back.”

“But…but…”

“Remember the heart attack?” he says.

“You don’t have to pay for them all,” I insist. “One’s enough.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sophie.” He nods to the woman. “Thanks.”

She smiles as she hands me the books, then winks. “You have a good guy there, girl.”

I’m about to tell her he’s not “my guy,” but she gestures for the next person waiting in line. Damian and I leave the store, with him carrying half the books and me carrying the rest.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to pay you back,” I say when we reach his bike. “My parents are under the impression that I’m irresponsible with their money and throw it around on books I’ll never read. But they don’t understand that Idoplan to read the books I have. Eventually. And they don’t understand that I can’t wait to finish my old books before sinking my teeth into a new one. It just doesn’t work that way.”

He makes a face like he doesn’t really get it, either.

“Look, I don’t need to be your charity case.”

“I’m not my mom,” he says, maybe a little too strongly. “I don’t do charity cases.” He must realize how intense his words were because he softens them. “I mean, it’s not charity. It’s not pity, either. Think of it as payment for the tutoring lessons.”

“I told you I don’t accept payment.”

“Not even in the form of books?”

I don’t know what to say. Obviously I want the books, but it feels wrong that he paid for them.

“I know I’m not an easy student,” he says. “You should get some sort of compensation for putting up with me.”

I study his face, noticing a hint of a smile. “I guess…I mean, thanks.”

“Just don’t have a heart attack before we make it back to school.”

He places whatever books that don’t fit in my backpack in the storage in the seat of his bike. Then we ride back toward school. A whole bunch of emotions overwhelm me on the way. Damian has been nice to me since he found me in my car. Why? He wasn’t very nice yesterday or during today’s lesson. And not only did he help me find books in the bookstore, he also paid for them. I know his family is rich, but would he really throw money at me? Why?

When we get back to school, I slide off his bike and take my books. “Thanks for everything, Damian. Um…” I tuck some hair behind my ear. “You kind of made my day.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Did I really?”

“Dying to Kiss You,” I explain. “I would have been very depressed if I didn’t come home with it.”

“Glad you’re not depressed.”

“Yeah. Um, thanks.” I want to hit myself. I already told him thanks.

“See you later,” he says before walking away.

I watch his form grow smaller and smaller until it disappears from my sight. Then I head to the girls’ dorm. I could spend all evening analyzing him, but I prefer to read the awesome book.