Micah’s POV
I should have known. The moment Damon texted that he would appear "immediately," I should have put two and two together. But I had brushed it off, stubbornly refusing to believe that a chaotic psychopath like Damon Silver would actually scale the side of my house and crawl through my bedroom window. Yet, here he was, stepping out of my wardrobe as if he owned the place.
I stood frozen against my desk, my heart hammering as I watched him stand in front of me.
God, he looked incredibly hot. He was wearing a pair of dark, tailored shorts and a silk, colorful button-down shirt that was completely unbuttoned, exposing the hard, tatted planes of his chest and abdomen. A pair of designer sunglasses hung lazily over his messy dark hair. I felt my throat go completely dry, and I had to swallow hard just to find my voice.
"How... how did you even get in here?" I breathed, my hands clutching the edge of the desk behind me. "Since when have you been hiding in there?"
"I was in there since... uh..." Damon paused, his dark eyes flickering with a rare, amused hesitation. "Honestly, I don’t even remember."
Turning away from me, he lazily turned back to my wardrobe and began running his long, calloused fingers through my hanging clothes. "Though I have to say, I found absolutely nothing good for you to wear while I was waiting."
Suddenly, his hand dipped into a shadowed corner of the shelf, pulling out a pair of athletic boxer briefs that had been tucked safely away... undeniably too large to belong to me. A wicked, knowing gleam sparked in Damon’s eyes. "And I am completely sure this is definitely not yours, holy boy."
A fierce blush burned my cheeks. I lunged forward and violently snatched the fabric out of his grip. "Don’t touch that! It’s not yours either!"
Damon let out a low chuckle. It was obvious he knew exactly who they belonged to, but he chose to let the matter drop, turning back to sift through my closet.
"There is literally nothing interesting in here, Micah. It’s all just plain, boring, and cute."
With an exasperated sigh, Damon reached up and fluidly slid his colorful silk shirt off his broad shoulders, exposing his bare, muscular chest. He took a slow, predatory step toward me, the sheer warmth radiating from his skin hitting me before he even touched me. Gently, he draped the oversized shirt over my shoulders.
It was massive on my smaller frame, smelling heavily of his expensive cologne, woodsmoke, and rain.
"I guess this is slightly better," Damon murmured, his eyes scanning me.
"What?" I stammered, clutching the collar of his shirt. "If I take your shirt, what are you supposed to wear?"
"It’s a pool party, darling. I can easily go in completely naked," he purred, leaning forward. His face dipped dangerously close to the side of my neck, his lips brushing against my sensitive skin. "After all, everyone on campus would absolutely love to see me naked after that incredibly hot article you wrote about me. Or should I say... about us?"
A shiver ran down my spine, my neck tingling intensely from his warm breath. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to keep my composure. "There is no ’us,’ Damon," I whispered.
"Really?"
Damon pulled back just enough for me to open my eyes. His handsome, structured face was mere inches from mine, his dark eyes searching my face with a terrifying intensity. He was so incredibly close that I instinctively pressed my back harder against the desk, terrified that if I moved even a fraction of an inch, he would capture my lips again.
Amused by my panic, Damon finally took a step back, heading toward the open window. "I’ll wait for you outside. And remember... jump out through the window when you’re ready. Do not use the front door." He paused, casting a dark, serious look over his shoulder. "Who knows? There might be cameras watching your every move."
My breath hitched. Cameras?
I stared blankly as Damon smoothly vaulted out of the window and vanished into the shadows of the evening. A cold dread settled in my stomach. Was my room actually bugged? Had Noah put them there to keep me on a leash? Or was it our father, desperate to catch his "sinful" son in an act of rebellion? The sheer paranoia made my skin crawl as I looked around the familiar four walls of my room.
Deciding I couldn’t afford to lose my mind right now, I shook my head to clear the dark thoughts. I quickly grabbed a pair of my own black shorts, slid into Damon’s massive silk shirt, and turned to face the full-length mirror.
My reflection stared back at me, and a wave of insecurity washed over me. My body was pale and slender, a stark contrast to the thick, defined muscles and heavy ink that coated Damon and Noah. I didn’t have a sculpted six-pack to show off. I just had... a soft, flat stomach and pale, pink nipples.
With a frustrated huff, I quickly buttoned the silk shirt, letting the colorful fabric swallow my frame, and carefully climbed out of the bedroom window into the cool night air.
Damon was waiting for me at the edge of the property, leaning against a sleek, expensive black car I had never seen before. It wasn’t his notorious red sports car—which was probably the only reason Noah hadn’t caught him staking out our house.
I scrambled into the passenger seat, and the moment the door clicked shut, Damon hit the ignition. The powerful engine purred to life, and we glided smoothly down the dark streets.
"The party isn’t very far from my place," Damon noted lazily, his fingers tapping a rhythm against the leather steering wheel. "It’s actually being held inside our estate."
"Our?" I countered, raising an eyebrow. "You mean ’your’ estate."
"Well, if you finally agree to date me, it’ll belong to both of us," Damon said, cutting his eyes toward me with a wicked, effortless grin. "After all, my father technically owns the entire estate, and whatever my father owns is eventually mine. Tell you what—if you just say the word, I’ll kill the old man and hand the keys to the estate straight over to you."
My jaw dropped. "Can you please not casually talk about murdering people?!"
Damon only laughed, his shoulders shaking. I let out a heavy sigh, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window. His psychopathic jokes were exhausting, but they did succeed in distracting me.
My mind briefly drifted back to our vanished hockey coach, but I fiercely shook my head, forcing the paranoia away. I wanted to have fun tonight. I wanted to experience a real party, not obsess over dark conspiracy theories.
After thirty minutes of driving through the quiet, gated community, the heavy silence of the estate was shattered by the distant, vibrating thrum of bass.
Flashing disco lights sliced through the manicured trees as we pulled up to a massive, sprawling mansion. The rest of the neighborhood was dead silent, making this one house look like a chaotic beacon of sin.
"Aren’t they being way too loud?" I asked, looking at the crowded lawn in disbelief. "What if someone reports this to the homeowners’ association?"
"Report it to who?" Damon grinned, killing the engine.
I closed my mouth, realizing how stupid my question was. Damon’s family literally owned the entire estate.
The moment Damon opened his car door, the crowd of girls lingering near the entrance spotted him. High-pitched screams erupted as a swarm of excited students charged toward his side of the vehicle. Damon lazily waved a hand, flashing them a dazzling, charming smile... but as I watched him from the safety of the passenger seat, I could see the cold, calculated emptiness behind his eyes. The smile was completely fake.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I slipped quietly out of the passenger side, blending into the dark shadows of the driveway to escape the mob.
I walked toward the grand entrance of the mansion, my eyes wide as I took in the sheer scale of the place. It was just as gargantuan as Damon’s house. I shouldn’t have been surprised; our university was crawling with filthy rich legacy kids.
But as I stepped near the edge of a beautifully landscaped stone pathway, the sound of a familiar name made me freeze instantly.
"...Noah, darling."
My heart stopped.
’Noah? Is he right behind me?’
Panicking, I scrambled backward, ducking behind a thick, manicured hedge. I parted the leaves slightly, peering through the branches to see who was speaking.
Standing on the paved driveway was a tall, gorgeous girl. She was wearing an incredibly expensive outfit, her long hair perfectly styled as she held a phone to her ear. A group of her friends stood behind her, waiting patiently.
"I’ve finally gotten to the location," she said into the phone, her voice dripping with affection. "My driver completely pissed me off tonight, so I had to find a replacement to get me here immediately, Noah darling."
My blood ran cold. I recognized her instantly. She was the exact same girl I had seen sitting comfortably on Noah’s lap in Damon’s living room.
The bitter, suffocating weight of betrayal crushed my chest. "Does Noah... does he really have a girlfriend?" I whispered to myself, my voice trembling.
"Oh, yes. He absolutely does," a low, dark voice purred directly in my ear.
I gasped, whipping my head around. Damon was suddenly crouching right beside me in the bushes, having successfully snuck away from his screaming fans. His face was only inches from mine, a dark, knowing smirk playing on his lips as his eyes locked onto my devastated expression.
"So," Damon whispered, his voice laced with a dangerous, tempting warmth. "Why don’t you finally give up on your perfect brother... and choose to date me instead, Micah?"