The Imperfect Girl

Chp. 32- Unexpected Thoughts

(Damon's POV)

So, there I was. Just lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling like some sort of idiot. 
I'd been doing that a lot lately, which was super out of character. 

Usually, if I was in bed, it was either because I was recovering from an hangover, or... well, there were other reasons, but I'm obviously not gonna spell those out.

But now? Now I was lying here, just existing, doing nothing, and it was starting to piss me off. Because no matter how much I tried to clear my head or distract myself with something—anything—my thoughts always circled back to the same thing or same person. (iykyk)

I was not bored,—just... restless. You know when your brain's trying to relax but it just keeps replaying the same scene on a loop? 

Yeah, that was my life right now. And what scene, you ask? Well, guess that yourself.

Pssstt.. a hint, go back to chapter 18!

Now, before you start thinking I'm getting all soft or something, let me clarify: it wasn't a kiss-kiss. It was CPR. 

Totally accidental, completely necessary at the moment. She was drowning, and I—being the hero that I am—had to save her. 

That's it. Simple.

Or it should've been simple.

I swear, I didn't mean to think about it. It just... popped in. Like one of those YouTube ads you can't skip. One minute, I was minding my own business, and the next, bam, there she was, floating in the back of my mind like some kind of lingering ghost.

But somehow, that moment—her lips on mine—kept bouncing around in my head like a pinball. No matter how many times I told myself to let it go, my brain was like, 'Nope! Let's hit replay again. And again.'

I mean, it wasn't even that great. (Damon- Don't lie)

I've kissed plenty of girls. I know what a good kiss feels like. 

This? This was just survival tactics. But here I was, lying in bed, unable to get the memory out of my head.

What made it worse was that it wasn't even just about the kiss. 

It was her. 

Adeline Wright. 

The one girl on this campus who, for some reason, couldn't care less about me. 

She had this way of looking at me like I was just another guy—not the Damon Scott, king of charm and wit. Just... some dude who annoyed her. Like I was just one of her life-problems she had to ignore.

And yet, ever since that moment in the pool, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Why? 

Was it because she didn't throw herself at me like all the others?
Was it because she had that sarcastic bite to her, like she wasn't impressed by anything?
Or was it because she was a total mystery wrapped in a whole lot of sass, and I'm apparently a sucker for a challenge?

I propped myself up on my elbows, staring at the ceiling. This was ridiculous. It wasn't like I was suddenly falling for Adeline. 

Please, I didn't do 'falling' . That wasn't my style. 

But there was something about her... something that had started bugging me ever since that damned kiss.

Okay, maybe 'kiss' is too generous.
'Life-saving air transfer'.  But.. you know what I mean.

I couldn't forget how she looked after she came to, all wide-eyed and confused, lips parted like she was about to say something. And yeah, I'd seen her look annoyed or pissed off or totally unbothered, but vulnerable? 

That was new.
That stuck.

I smirked to myself, rolling onto my side. It's funny, actually—Adeline would probably flip if she knew I was lying here thinking about her.
She'd probably tell me to get over myself, or roll her eyes in that way she does when she thinks I'm being ridiculous. Which, to be fair, is most of the time.

But I couldn't help it. That 'Life-saving air transfer''. Ahh- Leave it 'kiss' rolls off the tongue better. 
That accidental kiss—it wasn't romantic, sure, but it was... something. It was different. And now, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop my mind from going back to it.
The feeling of her lips, the way her eyelashes fluttered when she came to, the way she looked at me, as if I was the last thing she expected to see.

I chuckled, shaking my head. I bet she wasn't thinking about it. 

Hell, she probably doesn't even remember. 

Adeline didn't seem like the type to get hung up on stuff like that. Not that I really knew what went on in that head of hers. 

To her, it was just a close call—another reason to roll her eyes at me for being me, Damon Scott, the guy who swooped in with zero tact. 

But me? Well, I guess my mind had other plans.

Did it bother me?
Not really. I wasn't mad about it or anything.
Just... confused. Because for some reason, that memory—her lips on mine—however brief—had settled into my brain like a permanent resident.

I got up, pacing a little. It was annoying, in a way. Adeline was like this puzzle I couldn't solve, and I'm not exactly the patient type. And the more I thought about that day at the pool, the more I realized... maybe I didn't want to solve her. Not yet.

She was different.
Not in a bad way.
In a way that made me curious.
And curiosity?
Well, that's a dangerous thing, especially when I'm involved. 

I grinned to myself, leaning back against the wall.

Yeah, that kiss was just CPR.
But it was also the spark that lit the match.

And if I'm being honest? I kinda liked the fire that had starting to spread slowly.

"But" I thought..

Did Adeline even realize what she'd done to me?

Nah, probably not.

She's too 'smart' for that.

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