He chuckled. “Which one am I?”
“Water. You’d rise to the top while Garrett chokes at the bottom.”
Damien laughed so hard the couch shook. “This guy must be a real dick.”
“See for yourself,” I muttered as the elevator chimed.
Candace burst out first, glowing again. Garrett followed—gold hair too bright under fluorescent light, jeans too tight, expression too smug. He didn’t look up from his phone.
Damien rose, composed. “I’m Damien.” He offered a hand. “You must be Garrett.”
Silence stretched while the men sized each other up. Garrett looked Damien over—like a Chihuahua evaluating a wolf. Then he smirked. “So you’re the fucker who lied to our Emma.”
Our.
I swallowed a spike of nausea.
“I guess you could call me that,” Damien said calmly.
Garrett scoffed. “Candace told me all the dirty details of your first date.”
Damien nodded once, guilt flickering. “I made a mistake.”
“You could call it that,” Garrett drawled. “I’d call it selfish. Entitled—”
I stared daggers at Candace. Every word out of his mouth had been one I’d spat in confidence. Her gaze darted away, guilt flashing before she fixed her attention on the far wall.
But Damien stood there, taking each blow without flinching. Until—
“And Emma—” Garrett turned to me. “I’m disappointed—”
Damien’s mouth opened, the vein in his temple jumping.
“That’s enough,” I cut in, harder than I meant to—before Damien could launch. “He gets it.”
Garrett lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Just speaking the truth,” he drawled, turning his attention to the empty boxes. “You didn’t save me any?”
“You said you already ate,” Candace shot back. “I figured—”
“You could have asked.”
Her shoulders drew up. “I was mugged, Garrett. I don’t have a phone.”
“That’s not an excuse. Emma has a phone.”
The air turned razor-thin.
“It was impromptu,” Damien said. “I ordered while she was in the shower.”
Garrett’s head whipped toward her. “You showered here?”
“Obviously.” Her voice cracked sharp. “I was mugged.”
“Did you get so dirty you needed a shower afterward?”
“I think it was more emotional,” I cut in, fast. “Honestly, I’ve been wanting one myself.”
Damien turned to me, concern already settling over his face. “Why didn’t you?”
