He Is My Roommate

Chapter 22: Night Rider

My body immediately froze at the sight of Olivia standing in front of us. I clenched my fists digging my fingernails into the skin of my palm. She told me to stay away from Damon yet there I was dancing with him only a few days after her clear threat.

"Yes Olivia?" Damon crosses his arms seemingly annoyed.

Her eyes swift from Damon to me then back from me to Damon like someone watching a tennis match.

"Who's that?" she nods at me, her voice dripping with curiosity. 

I can't believe she didn't recognize me. Thank god this was a masquerade ball and that I had a mask on, or by now I would be packing my bags and waving my scholarship goodbye.

Damon looks down at me and I widen my eyes at him in panic. My heart is beating a million miles per second as I practically beg him to understand what I'm trying to say.

He breaks our little eye contact and looks back at Olivia.

"It's none of your business."

I sigh in relief.

At his harsh words Olivia gasps dramatically and Damon yanks me by my arm pulling me away from the dance floor. I stumble on my dress trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Sorry!" I shout out as I bump into a girls shoulder almost spilling her champagne.

"So sorry!" I apologize again to a server after ducking under a tray of drinks he had balanced on his hand.

"Can you please slow down?" I exclaim to Damon, but he ignores my pleas pulling me further towards the outside terrace.

Once outside, away from the chaos of the ballroom and loud music, he releases my arm and I wince.

"What's up with you tonight?" he looks down at me a hint of concern and anger evident in his eyes.

The full moon gleams over Birminton giving it a beautiful gothic essence, and I find myself admiring it momentarily.  

"Nothing!" I raise my voice desperately. How did he always manage to read my mind? It pissed me off.

"Why would you assume something was wrong?" I flap my hands. I already had enough of this night and was on the verge of crying. Fear consumed me, fear of Olivia, fear of the red masked man who had been following me all night. Fear of my own feelings and confusion. 

As if sensing my anxiety, Damon's expression softens. He steps forward closing the gap between us and I breathe in his sexy perfume.

"Well for starters, you asked me to dance", he begins to explain, and I roll my eyes. "And then you flinch every time someone bumps into you".

"Zoe just tell me", he almost whispers. 

Why did he care? Why was he being so nice to me in the first place?

"I'm being followed by someone" I barely manage to blurt out. I decide to avoid bringing up Olivia and her threat. I did not want to cause any trouble or drama.

 Damon's eyes narrow into slits. "By who?"

"I don't know" I sigh shakily, "someone inside wearing a red mask."

I try my best to conceal my fear, to hold in my tears which were on the verge of streaming down my cheeks. Damon frowns and his jaw tenses, but his eyes don't leave mine. I've never seen him look so angry before. I was showing him my vulnerable side, yet for some reason it felt okay. 

"He's been following me all night" I look down at the floor feeling embarrassed. Why was I telling him this?

But as soon as I do, Damon pushes past me cursing.