A New Meaning to the Night

Chapter Eight: Forgiveness?

Both girls started their new jobs the following week. Damien and William kept themselves well out of sight as the summer went on to ensure that Sam remained in the dark. Cori was torn between relief and suspicion when the two men seemingly disappeared without a trace. She'd contemplated calling Sam's grandmother, but as time went on and nothing happened, she decided to keep quiet for the time being. Sam, on the other hand, found herself irritated with their disappearance. There had been no mistaking the interest in Damien's eyes, she prided herself in reading people. After a few weeks, she stopped looking over her shoulder for him and brushed it off.

She hadn't truly known him after all. There was no real reason to feel rejected, and it was his loss. As the short summer months came and went, Sam and Cori found themselves sneaking into bars and clubs in the nearby cities with fake IDs (Cori believed they'd gotten them online, however, it had only taken a well-worded spell from Sam) and enjoying their independence. 

Summer was short-lived, however, and soon college classes were upon them. Three weeks into class, Sam was sitting at a back corner table in the campus library, studying for her economics class. Although she didn't look up, she knew Damien was hiding in between the bookcases, watching her. Irritation flooded her, hurt by the fact that he'd, for all intent and purposes, ghosted her without so much as an explanation.

Damien, having decided weeks before to stay out of her thoughts as it only ever served to draw him further in, was completely oblivious to the fact that he'd been caught. Perhaps if he'd allowed himself at least a peek, he would've been able to prepare himself for the peril he was in.

"Duratus." Sam looked up from her book after whispering the word and stood up. While Damien stood frozen, she walked over to the bookshelves behind him and crossed her arms. "Sileo"

He came to life once more and had a brief moment of confusion, seeing only an empty chair where she'd just been. "You know, you're really not good at this. Maybe if you'd decided to grace me with your presence sometime before now, I'd be charmed. Wanna guess how I am feeling?"

Even though he knew full well how she'd gotten the drop on him, he asked, "How did you─"

"I walked. As such an accomplished stalker, I'm surprised you didn't notice me stand up and walk away from the table. Bravo, honestly." As an added bit, Sam clapped for him with a roll of her eyes. "Now why are you following me?"

"I go here, I was using the library. Same as you."

She raised a brow, "Yeah? I didn't take you for a geology major. Find what you're looking for? You've certainly been standing here long enough."

Glaring at her, Damien held up a book in defense, "Yeah, exactly what I was looking for, actually. Thanks for asking."

Sam looked down at the book he held and smirked. "I'm sure T. Rex and the Crater of Doom will be absolutely fascinating. Let me know how you like it."

Looking down at the book he'd pulled off the shelf, Damien very nearly tossed it at her. "Believe what you want. I came in to get a book for class."

"And I'm sure standing in the same spot for the last twenty minutes was just another requirement," she drawled sarcastically.

Irritation flooded him, nevermind the fact that she had a right to be suspicious. "You know what? I don't need this." Shouldering past her, he headed for the library's main entrance, but Sam was hot on his heels, her books left and forgotten at her corner table.

"Why are you following me?" she persisted hotly.

"I'm not."

"Do I look stupid to you? Either you're following me or you have some very coincidental timing." Sam clearly had no intention of letting the matter drop as she followed him out the doors and across the campus quad.