Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(55)

“Nothing,” she snapped.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“I’m just tired and hungry. I need to get out of the studio and get some sleep or something.”

“Why don’t you come over here? I can make you something, and we can talk about this.”

“I really don’t want to talk right now.”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t want you to go to sleep angry.”

“I’m not angry,” she practically shouted. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Fuck, she needed to calm down.

“Trihn, just come over. I can tell you’re upset. I want talk to you in person about what’s going on in that head of yours. I don’t want this to simmer between us.”

Trihn grumbled and started packing up all her stuff. “Fine. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

She gathered up the last of her supplies, locked her designs up in her assigned locker, and then carried her sketchbook with her out of the studio. She hurried across the quad and down a long pathway until she reached the parking lot ten minutes later.

Her nerves were shot by the time she pulled up in front of Damon’s apartment. The drive had cleared her thoughts. Too long in the studio coupled with her issues with relationships and Damon’s newfound success hadn’t done well for her psyche.

She felt pretty stupid that she’d let everything get to her and that she had snapped at Damon when he was just excited about his blossoming opportunities in the music industry.

As she took the stairs to his apartment, she started humming the melody to her anthem, “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit. She knocked twice and then waited.

Damon pulled the door open. He was on the phone but gestured for her to come inside. Her guard automatically went up. It had only taken her fifteen minutes to get over to his place, and already, he was on the phone with someone else again.

“Hey, I’ve got to go,” Damon said, closing the door behind her. “Yeah. It was good to talk to you, too. Sure. I’ll let her know. Night. Love you.”

Trihn recoiled into herself and hurried over to the living room. She dropped her bag down on the coffee table before turning back to Damon. She anticipated the blow that was sure to follow.

“Hey,” he said with a bright smile. “My mum says to tell you that she hopes you can come by this week for dinner. She said she’d make whatever you wanted.”

“That was Mel?” Trihn asked hesitantly.

Damon cocked his head to the side. “Yeah. Who did you think it was?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…”

“Think I throw I love yous around pretty casually?” he asked with a gleam in his eye.

“I…well, I don’t know what I thought.”

“Well, I don’t. Just to my mum.”

“That’s good,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him what she’d thought was going on.

“So, do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just under a lot of stress, and it’s making me irritable.”

Damon took a seat on the arm of the couch and looked up at her with those all-knowing eyes. He looked so good in a plaid button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans. He’d done his hair for once instead of the mess it was usually in from his hat. But she still wanted to run her fingers through it. Looking at him made her realize how crazy she had sounded earlier. It was much easier to feel safe when she was with him.

“I know you’re under stress, but it’s more than that. I called to tell you the good news about talking to the manager, and you nearly bit my head off. I just wanted you to be happy for me.”

“I am happy for you.”

Damon questioningly raised his eyebrows.

She sank down onto the coffee table and faced him. “I want to be happy for you.”

“But…”

“But I’m also terrified,” she whispered. She hated how vulnerable she felt with that admission.

“You’re terrified? Why?”

“This whole thing is terrifying. We just started dating. I’m putting myself out on the line. And then, the first time things shake up, you ignore my call.”

“I didn’t ignore you,” he said immediately. “I was just talking business.”

“I know. I get it. I do. But when Preston didn’t return my calls, it was because he was with Lydia.”

“Trihn, I’m not Preston,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure what I have to do to convince you of that.”

“I know you’re not.”

“Do you?”

Trihn closed her eyes and tried to calm down again. “If I thought you were like him, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“Okay.” Damon held his hands up. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I know you’re struggling with trust issues. You told me that, but please don’t hide what you’re feeling from me. I need to know, so I can be there for you.”

“I’m not used to talking about my issues, and I feel incredibly stupid about having any issues when your dreams are coming true.”

Damon reached out and took her hand. He looked her dead in the eyes. “You’re my dream come true.”