I don’t fucking deserve her.
I couldn’t even stop my own friend from hurting her. From humiliating her in front of the whole class.
Fuck. I hate myself so fucking much.
“You’re spiraling, Logan.”
His voice cleaves through my nightmarish thoughts. Usually, the sound of it reassures me. But now, it only adds turmoil to my world.
“Yeah, I’m fucking spiraling,” I growl, raising my head. “What the fuck was that, Damien? How could you do it?”
He shrugs. “Well, I wouldn’t have, if you hadn’t wanted me to.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I’m too shocked to say a word.
“Close your mouth,” he says. “You look like a fish.”
I snap it shut, still staring at him in disbelief. “YouknewI didn’t want you to do it.”
He shrugs again. “Okay, maybe I did. But you didn’tsayit.”
I stand up, too furious to trust myself. “So what? You’re trying to tell me it’smyfault? That I have myself to blame for what happened because I didn’t ask you not to do it? And actually, I’m pretty sure I did!”
“Okay,” he says. “Maybe you did. Maybe I don’t have photographic memory. Who cares? The point is, Lia Cabello just got knocked down a peg or ten. Now I can be the bad guy and you can swoop in like her knight in shining armor, and pop your mutual cherries. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
I can only shake my head, incapable of answering. I’m the closest I’ve ever been to hating him. I really need to get the hell away so I can cool down.
I turn abruptly and head for the back door of his house.
“Wait, Logan,” Damien calls after me, and for the first time since I can remember, I hear a tinge of something like anxiety in his voice. “We’re not going to have a problem over some girl, are we?”
I turn around, gritting my teeth. “She’s not some girl, Damien. She’smine.”
The minute those words are out, I regret them. I know he’s aware I have a crush on her, but I’ve always done my best to hide how deep my obsession runs. I’ve never wanted him to think more about Lia than is absolutely necessary. He may be my best friend, but I know how ruthless and unpredictable he can be. Today definitely proved that.
But his reaction shocks me more than anything else that’s happened. Something shifts in his expression, and he murmurs,“Okay. Got it.”
“Huh?”
“I got it.”
I stare at him, expecting him to add the punch line to what I can only conclude is a joke. When he stays quiet, I lash out, “Stop fucking with me.”
“I’m not. She’s yours. Hands off.” He lifts his hands up in a placating gesture.
“Fuck you,” I grunt, doing my best to hide my sudden urge to hug him.
_
“Lia! Psst! Lia!”
A drowsy head framed with red curls appears at the window. But when Lia’s eyes take me in, her expression goes from sleepy to furious in a minute.
“You!”
“How are you, Lia?” I ask.
“Fuck you,” she snarls. “Fuckyou! Get the fuck away from me. I never want to see you again!”