Clarrisa's POV

“Well, I’m sorry that I throw a tantrum whenever you have a date with her,” I hiss. “Do whatever you want. I’m going to my room.”

“Clarissa!” he growls as he grabs me and traps me against the wall. “I’ve seen you upset before but never this bad. What’s going on? Tell me what’s wrong. There must be something that’s bothering you that’s causing this change in your behavior.”

We’re both breathing hard, and the tension in the air has just doubled.

I can’t tell him the truth. I can’t say to him that I love him. I can’t tell him I don’t want to see him anymore. He wouldn’t understand; he would think something was wrong with me.

“Damon?”

We both freeze. It was Anya’s voice.

I turned to look at her, and she was glaring at us.

“Is something wrong?” she finally breaks the silence.

Damon slowly lets go of me before he walks over to her. I’m unsure what he tells her, but it brightens her mood almost instantly. I turn away before seeing him kiss her in front of me, again.

It was unfair. I’ve been saving my first kiss for him. Yet he didn’t care each time he kissed her in front of me.

I knew I wasn’t capable of kissing anyone else but Damon. I would freak out if that ever happened.

I’d chosen him, and I wouldn’t be able to accept anyone else.

I slam my room door shut. So much had happened in one night, but it still felt like too little.

Did that even make sense? There wasn’t much progress. We didn’t kiss. He still only hugged me.

What happened this morning was an accident and not something that he had intended. I wouldn’t have been on top of him if Atticus hadn’t woken us up and tried to barge into the room.

Nothing had changed between us. Damon was still going on dates with Anya; he was still kissing her and touching her in ways I wished he’d touch me.

There’s a knock on my door, followed by Autumn asking me if she could come in.

They weren’t supposed to know that I was still in the house. Atticus could find out that Damon had lied to him earlier.

“Come in” I answer her.

She locks the door behind her and sits beside me on the bed.

“How did you know that I was home?” I ask her.

“Damon told Atticus that I went to the beach.”

“I saw what happened with you and Damon; I was behind Anya. I’ll cover for you.” She says. “But you need to tell me where the hell you’ve been. You had me so worried. And why would Damon lie to Atticus about where you were? And what were the two of you arguing about?”

“I did something I probably shouldn’t have last night,” I told her.

“What did you do, Clarissa?” she asks. I could hear the worry in her voice.

“I lied to Damon. I told him that I’d been having nightmares. I asked him to let me spend the night with him. In his bed.” I confess.

Her eyes widened, “you did what?”

“I couldn’t control myself after seeing the way Anya kissed him at the dance and then him not bothering that I was dancing with Ares. I snapped.” I explain.

She sighs, “I’m guessing since Damon made up that lie about you going to the beach with your friends, he must have allowed you to stay the night with him.”

I nod, “and it was the most magical night of my life. He had his arms around me the entire night, and he didn’t try anything inappropriate even though I wish he had”

“Clarissa, I know what you’ve been going through. I know it isn’t easy, but if anyone had found you in bed with Damon last night, you could have been in serious trouble. You need to be more careful next time.” She tries to warn me.

“I will,” I promised her. “I acted without thinking. I shouldn’t do anything that would result in Damon and me being further apart.”

“What was the argument about?” she asks. “It sounds like you had a magical night. What spoiled it?”

“I was angry because Damon said it couldn’t happen again. He also said that I always throw a tantrum whenever he has to go on a date with Anya.” I answered her.

She rolls her eyes, “who wouldn’t throw a tantrum?”

I laugh. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“I think I know how to spoil their date today.”

She tells me.

“How?” I ask. I was desperate for any ideas. I didn’t want him to be alone with her today.

“Ares Prince.” She answers me. “He wants to see you today. They’re having a beach party in an hour.”

“A beach party?” I ask. What a coincidence.

“Yes.” She answers me. “Atticus was convinced you would see Ares today, but he also wanted to believe Damon. I can tell him I’m going with Griffin to the beach to keep an eye on you. He would happily agree with me. We need to sneak you out of the house without anyone seeing.”

“But wouldn’t that mean we must let Griffin know what we were up to?” I ask her.

“I’ll make up something. All he needs to know is that we want to go to that beach party. Griffin isn’t as strict as his brothers. He won’t make a big deal of us going to Ares’s party.” She explains.

“But how would this ruin Damon’s date?” I ask her.

“It just so happens that Damon and Anya are going to a party opposite where we would be staying.” She tells me. “He’s going to know you’re there. I’ll make sure of it. When he sees you with Ares, he will end his date with Anya to take you home.”

“Are you sure he will leave his date with her just to carry me home?” I ask her.

“Yesterday, Damon didn’t seem to care that I was dancing with Ares.”

But he did say last night that Ares was the last person he’d want to see me with.

“Oh, it will work this time. Especially since you’ll be in a bikini” She informs me.

“A bikini?” I demand. “I can’t wear one. Remember the tattoo of his name on my ass? I can’t let anyone see it on me.”

“We will just get you a cover-up.” She explains to me. “A black one just to be safe.”

I nod. I was okay with this. I was willing to do this only because I didn’t want Damon to be with Anya. I was scared that he would one day find out everything I’d been keeping from him. I was afraid that he would one day know how much I’ve always loved him and how hard I’ve tried to keep him away from Anya. And it wasn’t only because I wanted him for myself but also because I didn’t trust her.

Anya was a liar. Nothing anyone said could change my mind about her. Everyone wanted to believe that the witch was responsible for her horrible behavior in the past, but I knew that was the real her.

She had everyone fooled again because she was pretending to be kind for the first time in her life, but she would have to do much more than that to convince me.

“Are you ready to blow Damon’s mind away?” Autumn teases me as she shows me the bikini in her hands.

I grin. “I’ve always been ready. I think you’re the one I’ve been missing all along. Because of you, I may finally have a chance with Damon.”

She smiles, “I’m just repaying your kindness, Clarissa. Now, let’s get you dressed for the party!”

I could barely breathe with how nervous I felt, but I couldn’t wait!