Page 115 of Taeja

“I find it funny how I’m always supposed to go along with what you say, but when I ask for the same, it’s not always like that.”

“Like what?”

“Liza.”

Damon clenched his jaw. “Liza is our friend.”

“She’syourfriend,” Zain spat through clenched teeth, his nostrils flaring.

Damon relaxed his jaw, not wanting to aggravate Zain. “You know things were hard for her when she lost Marco.”

“It was hard for me, too.”

“I know. You were closer to him.”

“Just like you and Liza,” Zain said, his voice lowering as he trailed off.

Damon nodded. “True. That’s why I know how much she regrets fighting with you since you came off tour. Especially when we were supposed to tap you and Marco out together, but I had to run to the restroom and she didn’t wait on me. Liza’s been to therapy, and she’s trying to apologize, but you won’t give her the chance to.”

“I’m not obligated to accept her apology when there shouldn’t have been anything to apologize for.”

He sighed. “I wish things could go back to normal.”

“It won’t,” Zain said, standing. His expression was unreadable, but that didn’t come as much of a surprise to Damon; Zain was hard to decipher when it cameto Liza. “So just focus on your friendship instead of trying to get me to talk to her again. You need Liza, I don’t. She’s the only one who understands what you went through with Eloise.”

Damon tensed, his mind suddenly filled with a rush of unpleasant memories that he fought to suppress.

Zain walked toward him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Damon’s muscles relaxed as Zain gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. “Night.”

“Need me to come hug you to sleep?”

Scoffing, Zain removed his hand and walked toward the door. “Fuck off, Damon.”

“Goodnight.” He laughed at Zain’s retreating back. Once Zain was out of view, Damon’s smile faded. He sighed and leaned over the railing again, enjoying the cool breeze grazing his skin.

Try as he might, he couldn’t stop his mind from drifting to Eloise.

They got married in college. Young, he knew. But it was one of those ‘when you know, you know’ things.

She had an illness that led to her untimely death, and it sent Damon into depression. For years, he didn’t know how to speak to anyone about it. When Liza’s husband died, as cruel as it was to admit, it helped him. He had someone to relate to.

Slowly but surely, they helped each other. He was finally open to meeting someone again.

Then came Adelaide — initially Zain’s girlfriend.

Adelaide was a bit more than a quick fuck to Damon. He cared for her because she understood he wasn’t looking for anything too serious in his time of healing. Besides, she mostly cared for Zain.

But after the scars the mercenaries left on Zain — not the physical ones, but the mental ones — Adelaide could no longer be patient with either of them. It changed Zain completely, and the relationship became so toxic, it fell apart.

And now Adelaide wanted to double back? When there was a new woman in their life? When they were starting to feel normal again?

Damon couldn’t allow her to ruin things.

Taeja was too much of a gem to let go. She could keep up with his sex drive, they shared mutual interests, and he felt that child-like excitement every time he was around her.

Was this… love?

Damon was unsure. It was too early to tell. Then again, things were moving so fast, yet it felt right at the same time.

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