?


    Damon stiffened and averted his gaze. "It''s nothing."


    "Is your arm still hurting?" N asked, trying to look at Damon''s arm, but he turned away,


    He dismissed her concern. "It''s fine. Let''s get ready for dinner."


    He didn''t even nce at N as he walked past her toward the dining room.


    N frowned, sensing something was off about his attitude. She thought back and realized his demeanor had changed after she returned to the far from the pharmacy.


    Could it be because she hadn''t mentioned Ruby to him? Was he sulking?


    During dinner, Damon spoke only to Mason, ignoring N unless she initiated the conversation.


    After dinner, seeing Damon head toward the study, N quickly followed him.


    "Damon, wait! I need to talk to you," she called out.


    His tone was somewhat cold


    When he replied, "What is it?"


    N looked up at him. "Are you upset with me?"


    Damon avoided her gaze. "No."


    "If that''s true, then why were you only talking to Buddy at dinner?" she pressed.


    "You''re overthinking it," Damon replied dismissively.


    Displeasure shed in N''s eyes. "If you''re unhappy about something, spill it. Keeping it to yourself will only upset you and sabotage our rtionship."


    "It''s really nothing," Damon insisted.


    1


    Noticing his indifferent expression, N felt a surge of frustration.


    "You always do this, keeping everything to yourself. How am I supposed to know what you''re thinking?" Her voice rose slightly, tinged with hurt.


    Damon frowned, seeming to realize he might be in the wrong.


    He sighed and pulled N closer. "Don''t be mad. I just... I saw you talking to another guy, and asked what you said, but you wouldn''t tell me, so I felt a little jealous."


    N widened her eyes. "Is that really why? You''re being so petty."


    Damon chuckled helplessly. "I know, I shouldn''t have reacted that way. It won''t happen again.


    Most of N''s anger faded at his sincerity. She retorted, "Who told you that delivery person


    was a man?"


    Damon frowned. "If it wasn''t a guy, then was it..


    Then, he seemed to realize something, his brows furrowing even more. "Wait, that delivery person was a woman?"


    N nodded. "Yeah, and I know her."


    Damon was speechless. He hadn''t expected to be sulking over a woman.


    Unable to help herself, Nughed at him. "Your possessiveness is a bit much, don''t think? I was just talking to someone else for a minute, and you''re all jealous."


    you


    A hint of guilt shed in Damon''s eyes as he rubbed his nose. "That''s because when I asked you, you were so vague about it. You kept spacing out afterward, making me think you were hiding something."


    "Are girly conversations even appropriate for you?" N asked.


    Damon looked sheepish, not saying anything else.


    Just when the atmosphere between them became a bit more rxed, N''s phone rang unexpectedly.


    As soon as she answered, Vrie''s slightly downcast voice came through. "N, can youe keep mepany?"


    Surprised, N asked, "Vrie, what''s wrong? Did something happen?"


    Vrie was silent for a few seconds before giving her the name of a bar and saying she would wait for N there before hanging up.


    N put her phone away and told Damon, "I don''t know what''s going on with Vrie. She''s a a bar, and I need to go check on her."