Shelly's PoV
We left Damien's still messy room and went down the hall. As we passed the stairs, I spotted a maid in the distance, staring at us. She turned around and ran off, as if she was scared.
Damien sighed. "Don't mind her. The maids here are trained to stay away from family members unless called upon. I think it's ridiculous, but it's been like that forever."
I frowned and rushed down. "Hello!" I said as I approached her.
She squealed and looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. "Um, yes? Do you need something?"
I shook my head. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Shelly. What's your name?"
She gulped. "Um, I'm Marianne. Pleased to meet you, miss. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." She bowed and rushed off.
"Hey, wait!" I said, trying to catch up.
She kept running until she turned a corner. I stopped, confused.
Damien walked down and frowned. "What did I tell you, Shelly? The maids are not allowed to socialize with us."
"But she didn't even give me a chance to do more than introduce myself," I said.
"You can try again later. Maybe she'll warm up to you after a few more attempts. It took me a long while to befriend Zara."
I hummed. "Really?"
He laughed. "Yeah, she was a real ice queen at the beginning. But, after a while, she warmed up. I think it's because I gave her some gifts. She's a sucker for stuffed animals, especially cats."
I smiled. "She looks tough, but she's actually very sweet. Toren seems fond of her, too."
He laughed. "Yeah, she was a real ice queen at the beginning. But, after a while, she warmed up. I think it's because I gave her some gifts. She's a sucker for stuffed animals, especially cats."
I smiled. "She looks tough, but she's actually very sweet. Toren seems fond of her, too."
"Yup, he does," Damien said. "Come on, let's go. Toren must be getting impatient."
I nodded and followed him outside. Sitting outside in a chair was a shirtless Cassian, soaking up the sun. He might've been a pervert, but he had an amazing body. Not that I would ever date a guy like him. His personality made him hideous.
Cassian looked at me and smirked. "Oh, hey, cuz. Nice to see you."
I grumbled. "Don't talk to me. You're a creep."
He laughed and got up, walking over to us. "That's not very nice, now, is it? You're a part of the family now. We should all get along, don't you think?"
"Normally, I would say yes, but I doubt you're capable of being anything more than a pervert," I said.
"Oh, come on now. I'm not that bad. I can be nice, you know. Besides, I have a lot to offer. We can have a lot of fun together."
My cheeks burned as I realized what he meant. I huffed. "In your dreams. Now, get lost. I have to meet Toren and Zara."
He hummed. "Say, mind if I join you?"
"Yes," Damien said, glaring at him.
"Come on, why are you so cold, Damie?"
Damien scoffed. "You know why."
He sighed. "Come on, are you gonna let one girl ruin our relationship?"
Damien's eye twitched. "You slept with her knowing she was my girlfriend at the time. You ruined that relationship, not her. Don't you dare try to play the victim card."
My eyes widened. Was that the bad history Zara mentioned?
"Hey, I didn't force her. She came onto me. Maybe you were just a bad boyfriend," Cassian said.
"I was a great boyfriend," Damien said. "I didn't cheat on her."
"You're too boring," Cassian said.
"And, you're too much of a man whore," Damien said, scoffing.
"Better that than a virgin like you," Cassian said, smirking.
Damien blushed and growled.
Cassian laughed and turned around, leaving. "Whatever, I'm out of here. Have fun playing with kids." He paused and glanced at me. "Except you, cuz, wanna play with me?"
Damien stepped in front of me and growled. "Go away, Cassian!"
Cassian laughed. "Acting like the protective boyfriend already, huh, Damie?"
Damien's eyes narrowed. "Just go."
"Fine, fine," Cassian said, smirking as he walked off, whistling.
I sighed. "That guy is such a jerk."
Damien was red in the face. "Come on, let's find Toren and Zara. We shouldn't let that guy get to us."
He said that, but his hands were clenched tight.
I grabbed his hand and held it, squeezing gently. "Don't let that jerk bother you. He's not worth it."
He sighed and squeezed back. "I'm trying not to. But, it's hard."
I nodded, understanding. "I know. But, it's okay to be mad. As long as you don't let him get to you, it'll be alright."
He smiled and squeezed my hand. "Thanks, Shelly."
My cheeks burned. "I, um, you're welcome," I stuttered, letting go of his hand. Why was I feeling so flustered? I just comforted a friend, no?
He chuckled and put a hand on my forehead. "You okay? You're all red."
My heart skipped a beat. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Let's go find Toren, shall we?"
Damien nodded. "Okay. He should be at the gardens, right?"
"Yeah," I said, leading the way. My heart was still pounding. I really hoped it was the adrenaline of confronting that jerk. Why else would I feel this way? I didn't like Damien, did I? I mean, he was a nice guy and he was attractive. Plus, he was good with Toren. But, I barely knew him. I didn't even know if I could trust him fully. He was an enigma. A goofy, yet intelligent enigma. And, that smile of his made me weak in the knees.
No, I couldn't fall for him. I wouldn't let myself. Anymore tangles in this family drama would just lead to more heartbreak. I couldn't risk that, not when I have Toren to look out for.
I shook my head. No, I didn't have a crush on him. I was just grateful. That was all. I was just grateful. I was just grateful. I was just grateful. I was just grateful. I kept repeating that in my mind as we walked to the garden.