Clarrisa's POV

His eyes narrow. However, instead of coming after Ares, Damon does the exact opposite. He turns and storms out of the room. I blink once, then twice.

Did he truly just leave like that?

I watch as Anya runs after him. I think she was also in shock at first to see that he’d left her in the middle of the dance floor without saying a word.

She didn’t look in our direction and probably doesn’t realize that he’d been looking at Ares and me before storming out of the ballroom.

What kind of a reaction was that? I couldn’t tell what he was thinking after fleeing the room like I wasn’t important to him anymore. He didn’t say anything to Ares and he didn’t try saying anything to me either.

I expected him to cause a big uproar. I expected him to throw Ares out of our home. Walking away from us, I was not expecting that.

Didn’t Atticus also say that Damon would ruin the party if he saw me with a guy tonight? Was he also wrong?

“I’m surprised.” Ares whispers into my ear. “He just left. That’s unlike Damon. After all the threats he’s made to everyone at the academy, this is a huge surprise. Maybe he likes me for you after all.”

My jaw clenched, and my hands tightened into fists. I didn’t like the sound of that. If Damon liked him for me, I didn’t. Damon was the only man that I wanted and I had my reasons for feeling that way.

“I need to use the washroom.” I lie. I had to find an excuse to get out of this room. I didn’t want to be here anymore. If I had to stay another second dancing with Ares, I would lose my damn mind.

“Do you need me to walk with you?” He asks. “I can wait until you’re finished.”

“I’m fine,” I assure him. “I’ll be back soon. You can look for another partner in the meantime so that you don’t feel lonely. I know from your name alone that it wouldn’t be hard for you to do.”

I knew there was no way that I would be back here after what had just happened. This party wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. I don’t wait for Ares to respond.

I turn and push through the crowd, hoping he wouldn’t be stupid enough to follow me.

“What’s wrong?” Autumn asks me as she sees me leaving. I pause just so that I could explain everything to her.

“Damon just left,” I answer her. “He didn’t try to do anything to separate me from Ares. There was no reaction out of him at all. I don’t even think it bothered him. I guess we were both wrong about this. I don’t see why I should stay for the rest of the party. It’s boring without him here and Ares is already annoying me. I can’t stand being in the same room with him right now.”

I was extremely disappointed by his reaction to seeing me with Ares. I expected so much more; I think everyone else did as well. But I was slowly realizing that there was nothing I could have done to change his reaction. Whenever Anya was around, he loved to forget about my existence. Tonight was no exception.

“Where are you going?” She asks. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for what he just did. I’m positive he was upset. I saw the look on his face. He couldn’t have been as unbothered as you believe he was. He’s probably just trying to control himself for the party. He wouldn’t want to bring attention to our family. I’m sure that’s his reason. He knows that our family has been through enough already, he doesn’t want to add to it.”

I thought I’d seen the look on his face too, but his actions said otherwise. I think we’d both misread him. Maybe he was finally ready to stop being so overprotective of me. Just the thought of it made me sad. I didn’t want him ever to stop being that way with me. I looked forward to it and couldn’t imagine not having that in my life.

“I want to get out of here,” I answer her. “It’s all too much for me, and I’d rather keep away from Ares now that I know it doesn’t affect Damon.”

She sighs but finally nods. “I understand. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

I forced a smile on my face in hopes that she didn’t worry about me. I didn’t want my troubles to spoil her night; she’s already been through enough, and I didn’t want to burden her with my problems.

I tried to avoid everyone that I knew as I made my way out of the room. I didn’t want to have to speak to anyone else for the rest of the night.

I was relieved when I finally made it out. I rushed up the stairs. Next, I headed straight to my room. I was done socializing for the night. All I wanted to do was get into my room and forget that tonight had happened. Everything about it was a mess.

Damon’s room is only a few feet away from mine, and I must pass his room first to get to my room.

I was tempted to step inside and wait for him there. However, I didn’t want to be surprised by Anya and him making out like I’d had to see earlier on the dance floor.

I pause when I hear something; it sounds like someone is pounding the wall. Was Damon in his room? Did he leave the dance to go back to his room? Why did he do that? And what was he doing inside of there? Was Anya in there with him?

I knocked when I heard something crash onto the ground.

What the hell?

I don’t bother knocking as I barge into his room. Luckily, it wasn’t locked but Damon’s room is usually never locked.

My eyes widen when I see the mess he’d made.

He was standing in front of his broken mirror, and his hand was bleeding. There was even blood dripping onto the ground where he stood.

“What the hell happened in here?” I demand as I rushed toward him.

There were even broken chairs against the wall.

I could see pieces of it everywhere. I don’t understand what could have possibly resulted in this mess. I knew he had to be responsible because of the injury on his knuckles but I couldn’t understand why.

I grab a first aid kit from the bottom drawer of his desk and push him onto the edge of his bed.

“What happened, Damon? Why is your mirror broken and your hand bleeding? Did you hit it?”

“There was a bug.” He answers.” I wanted to get rid of it.”

I gape at him. A bug? He couldn’t be serious.

After cleaning the cut, I wrapped his hand with the bandage even though I knew it would heal without my help.

He’s quiet while I’m tending to his bruises.

When I’m done, I finally look up at him.

I gasp when I found him looking at me.

“What are you doing here, Clarissa?” He asks me.

My lips part, “do you not want me in here with you?”

“You were dancing with Ares the last time I saw you. Ares Prince. Carter’s brother.” He answers me.

“I thought you would still be there with him. The brother of our rival.”

“I told him I had to use the washroom,” I explain. I don’t tell him every detail, however. “And you couldn’t use the washroom downstairs?” He asks me. “Why are you here?”

I swallow, “I wanted a break from all the noise. I was heading back to my room when I heard something from your room. I wanted to make sure that you were okay, and that’s why I barged in without warning. I’m sorry. I tried knocking, but you didn’t answer.”

He nods, “are you going back down to Ares? I assume he’s still waiting for you to finish that dance.”

I bite my lip, trying to hide the pain from my eyes. How could he ask that without any emotion?

Did he not care if I danced with Ares?

“If that’s what you want, for me to return to the dance, that’s what I will do,” I murmur.

His jaw clenches as he stares at me. I wait for him to say something. I wait for him to tell me that he doesn’t want me near Ares. Of course, he does nothing of the sort. He continues to watch me in silence.

I bite my lip and turn to leave. Before I can do that, he grabs my hand.

“Do you know that Ares is a player, Clarissa?” He asks. I can hear the edge in his voice. He is worried about me. My heart is filled with so much warmth at this realization.

“I’m aware,” I answer him.

“And you’re still willing to dance with him?” He asks, and he sounds angry again.

I turned back around to get a good look at his face.

“Are you upset with me?” I whisper.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Why do you think I’m upset with you?”

“You have that look on your face, the look that tells me you’re angry. Since I’m the only one in the room, I’m assuming that I’m the one you’re angry with.”

He closes his eyes for a few seconds, and in those few seconds, his breathing gets louder.

I almost lost my balance when he finally opened his eyes again and trapped me with his dark gaze.

“I’m more upset with myself, Clarissa.” He answers me. “Not you. Never you.”

He was upset with himself? Why would he be upset with himself? He’s done nothing wrong. He never does anything wrong.

“What could you possibly be upset about?” I ask him. “There’s nothing that you can be angry with yourself over.”

He chuckles, and I’m taken aback by his smile. Everything about Damon is beautiful to me.

“You can say that because you can’t read my mind.” He tells me.

I frown. “Then tell me. What are your thoughts?”

He sighs. “You’re asking too many questions. If you’re not going back to the dance, why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll feel more at ease if I know you’re safely in your room and not getting swept off your feet by some player.”

I gasp.

His gaze softens. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

No. I’m happy that he did. It’s the first words out of his mouth that seemed genuine about how he felt when he saw me with Ares.

“I’m not going back to the dance,” I tell him, and I can’t help but smile after seeing the relieved look on his face. “But I’m not going back to my room either.”

He frowns. “If you’re not going back to the dance and you’re also not going to your room. Where are you planning on going?” He asks, confused.

I didn’t know how to tell him what my following plans were. I hadn’t thought the entire thing through.

“I don’t want you to get upset with me,” I whisper. “But I want to stay here for the night. With you.”

His eyes widen, and my heart stops beating as I wait for his response.

I can’t believe I’d just said that to Damon. I’ve done some crazy things in the past, but I don’t think anything beats this.

What was wrong with me?