I met Damien two weeks after Jesse and I broke up. He was really sweet and sexy and romantic, so it didn't take long for things to get serious. We would stay up all night in his apartment, just talking and spending time together. It felt like he really understood what I was talking about when I droned on and on about how girls today sell themselves out or how important it is for adults to actually listn to teenagers. I guess there were signs that I missed, though, like how he really hated that I still worked with Jesse, and how he gave me the third degree when it came to Marco. We'd never really fought about any of these things, so I just assumed it was the normal jealousy that comes with some relationships. By the time I realized what was going on it was too late to turn back.

We were in his apartment one night, talking over cartons of Chinese and a movie. "I've got to go to bed early tonight," I mentioned. "I've got a big assignment at The Core?"

"I really wish you'd quit that thing," he murmered. "It's stupid to still work with your ex."

"I'm not going to quit The Core, it's my dream," I said. "I'm sorry it makes you uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" He scoffed. "Your ex is still trying to get in your pants, its a little more than uncomfortable."

"Damien, that is so not how it is. Jesse hasn't done anything."

"So you're defending him now, too?"

"What?"

"Well I guess if you want to sleep with him, that's your choice, but he doesn't care about you at all. It's all he wants."

"Okay first of all, I don't want to sleep with anybody and second of all, you have no right to tell me who cares about me and who doesn't."

"Don't take that tone with me," he snapped.

I stood up, "I don't have to take this. Why don't you call me if you ever grow up?" I walked over to the door.

Before I knew what was going on, he was on his feet and behind me. He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. "Don't ever say anything like that to me again."

"Damien, what the hell are you doing?" His grip tightened.

"You're hurting me, let go," I said. I was really scared. I'd never seen him look like this before. His normally friendly blue eyes had turned cold, and all of the humanity seemed to be gone.

He let go and stepped back. "I'm sorry," he said. "I got a little upset."

I took a deep breath and held back the mean things I wanted to say to him. "I just think I should go home."

I unlocked the door to the apartment I shared with Marco and Dylan. They were sitting on the couch, watching a hockey game that I could tell Marco wasn't in to.

"Hey, Ell," Marco said as I headed up the stairs. "How'd your date go?"

"It was fine, but I'm tired, so I'm just going to go to bed." I took off the shirt I'd been wearing and changed into a tank-top and my pajama pants. I looked in the mirror, my arms were really red where he had grabbed me at.

Marco opened the door to my room. "You don't think you're going to get away with that do you? Come on, give me details."

"I said it was fine," I sat down on the bed.

His eyes narrowed. "What happened to your arms."

I looked down at them. "Oh, he was just...teaching me some self-defense moves, and in order to do that, he had to pretend to attack me."

"Oh," he said. I'm not sure if he believed me or not, but it got him off of my back for a little while.

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