Page 26 of Beautifully Conflicted

“Why take her out then?”

“Why do you think?”

“Jesus, this is the problem with you. You can’t give a straight answer.” I grunt for good measure, though secretly I’m thrilled with that response since it reminds me how annoying he is. “You took her out to fuck her.”

“Close but not quite.” The corner of Damien’s lip pulls up in a way that suggests he knows something that I don’t.

“To fuck with me, then.”

“Getting warmer,” he singsongs.

I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realize what’s left to guess, since it puts all my fears front and center. “To… to fuck me?”

“Bingo.” He grins proudly.

“You took my girlfriend out behind my back because you wanted to fuck me?”

“Exactly.”

Thank God the pounding of our feet will make it hard for him to see that my hands are shaking. “That makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” he says with a confidence that rattles me even more. “I showed you she was unfaithful, so you’d break up with her, and you did.”

“And you thought that would make me want to fuck you?”

“I thought it might mean you’d letmefuckyou.”

No. He’s talking nonsense. He can’t know that I’ve thought about…

Oh shit!

He just confirmed Liam’s gut feeling is right. Damien isn’t straight, and if he’s not… Fuck!

“Are you insane?” I hiss as we round the corner back to the start, inconveniently passing by Coach at that exact moment and drawing his curious gaze. I lower my voice as we slow to a walk. “I already told you I’m not gay.”

Damien lifts a nonchalant shoulder. “You told me that days ago. I saved you from a cheating girlfriend years back, before I knew anything about your sexuality.”

“That makes even less sense.” I clasp my hands behind my head as I pace back and forth, which to anyone else will look like a cool down instead of being on the verge of losing my shit.

“How?”

“How?” I parrot, getting in his face to stare him down, and forcing myself to stay there when I realize—too late—it puts us so close I can feel his warm breath on my face. “You said it yourself. You saved me from a cheatinggirlfriend, as innot a boyfriend, since I’m straight. And that’s just as true a few days ago as six years ago.”

“Having a girlfriend doesn’t automatically make a guy straight.” Damien’s voice is so level I think he actually believes that.

“It’s a pretty good indicator.” I put my hands back on my head and pace in circles under the guise of continuing my cool down.

“The way you look at me is more telling.”

“I glare at you.”

“Exactly,” he whispers, causing my stomach to riot in a way that’s far too reminiscent of excitement than anger.

Ignoring that unwelcome development, I bark, “You get that I glare at you because I’m straight, right?”

“I get that you glare at me because youthinkyou’re straight.”

I drop my hands to my hips and square off, facing him. “IthinkI’m straight? Zombies, ghosts and now you’re an expert onme?”

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