I stood in the doorway, seconds away from fleeing. I didn't know why I hesitated. Maybe it was the distressed look on Damon's face, his mouth twisted with concern. Maybe it was my own pounding heart, torn between wanting to get the hell out and wanting to sooth that wounded look.

I'd just had the revelation of a lifetime. I wanted to process my feelings in peace. I wanted to throw myself into Damon's arms and never let go.

My fingers went cold. My breathing sped up, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Damon's concerned look deepened into worry. He looked back to the others.

"Jessie, can you take it from here?" he asked.

She nodded and went back to corralling the kids, not noticing anything different between the two of us.

But everything was different now.

Damon took my arm gently. I couldn't make myself pull away.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asked.

I examined him. I wanted to get away. I wanted space to think.

But I'd had space over the last few days and I hadn't decided on anything. Maybe I didn't need space.

Maybe all I needed was Damon.

I nodded shakily.

"Okay. Let's go talk."

I followed him silently out of the Youth Center and into his car. I slid into the passenger seat before he could dart over and open the door for me.

I did my usual deep-inhale-and-sniff routine, taking in the raw, leather scent. Damon swung one leg into the car just as I let out a deep breath. He eyed me, but didn't say anything.

We were silent for long minutes as we drove. Damon kept flicking his eyes between me and the road.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"Nowhere," he replied. "I just want some privacy."

"I suppose we can't really talk in a crowded coffee shop," I murmured, looking out the window.

"Am I right in thinking you got freaked out and were ready to run?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to deny, then thought better of it. "I wasn't planning on running. I just…"

"Needed some space?" he guessed.

"Kind of."

"Can I ask what happened?" he said after a moments hesitation. "Everything seemed to be going fine."

Oh nothing, I thought to myself. I just realized I've fallen in love with a womanizing rock star who never takes anything seriously and wouldn't know a real relationship if he were hit over the head with one. Nothing to worry about.

I fiddled with my phone in my hand. A phone that contained dozens of dirty text messages, all from Damon.

"Whenever you get upset it's usually because I've done something to piss you off," he continued. "And I'm trying, but I really can't think of anything I've done wrong today."

"It's nothing you did wrong," I said.

"Are you still worried about—" He ran one hand through his hair, tugging at the strands on the back of his neck with a sigh.

"I'm not still thinking about your and your dad, if that's what you're worried about," I said.

"I feel like I really fucked up," he said quietly.

"You didn't."

"I'm not some kind of violent, aggressive monster."

"I know," I reassured.

"Then what is it?" he asked, frustrated. "I'm trying to give you the space you said you needed, but I can't help thinking that I might have ruined things forever. And I want to fix that."

"It's nothing you did," I repeated. Aside from proving to me how caring, wonderful and compassionate he was. Aside from making me fall in love with him when he could never love me back. "I'm just all mixed up inside."

"Are you really using the it's not you, it's me thing?" He quirked a sad, ironic smirk.

"I know that sounds like cliché pandering, but it's true. You didn't do anything wrong. I just need to get my head together."

"Get your head together about what?" he asked.

"About you," I said. "And me. And…" I waved my hand around in the space between us. "And whatever this is."

"Is this your way of letting me down easy?" he asked.

I frowned, confused. "What?"

"Are you breaking up with me?" he clarified.

I inhaled sharply.

Breaking… up. Breaking up with someone required some kind of real relationship to begin with. I turned my eyes to Damon.

"I didn't know there was anything to break," I said slowly.

"I didn't think there was either," he said, keeping his eyes trained on the road. "But when you said you needed space…" He took in a heavy breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out. "It hurt," he said reluctantly, cringing, as if hating himself for saying those words, but forcing himself to speak them anyway.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest, pulse racing.

Damon quickly glanced at me.

"I've never been hurt by a girl before," he said in a rush. "I've never cared enough to get hurt."

Something in my chest exploded, like fireworks bursting from inside me. I looked down at my hands trembling in my lap, mind whirling.

Damon cared. Damon cared enough to admit he cared. I never thought I'd see the day. I'd never imagined, when Damon first hit on me, that it could ever come to this. I'd never thought things would become serious.

The question was, how serious did Damon think all this was? He couldn't possibly have feelings for me as deep as the ones I had for him.

I could imagine the day Damon Drake realized he'd fallen in love, and in none of those scenarios did it involved him sitting calmly in his car. More likely, he'd have a freak out even worse than mine and run for the hills.

But he had just confessed he had feelings for me. Even if they weren't as deep as mine, that was brave of him.

I could be brave, too.

"I'm not breaking up with you," I said. "It's the opposite."

"Opposite how?"

"I didn't pull away because I don't want to be with you." My fingers twisted together in my lap, nerves almost getting the better of me. Still, I pressed on. "I pulled away because I want to be with you too much."

Damon looked confused. "I like being with you, too."

I squeezed my eyes shut and gave in. "I mean, I like you." I was chagrinned at how it made me sound like a thirteen year old girl with a crush.

His confusion deepened. "I like you, too. Obviously. You think I've ever let anyone else into my home to rearrange my clothes before? You think I've ever waited by my phone for days hoping to hear from a girl before?"

My heart beat a small thrill. Damon had waited by his phone for me.

"I mean, I really like you," I said. "Probably more than I should, considering who you are."

He frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's stupid of me," I said, upset at myself for having done such a thing in the first place. "Everyone knows not to fall for Damon Drake. But like an idiot, I did."

I went still, waiting for his reaction. The lights from street lamps flashed over his face, lighting up his green eyes. They were wide.

"You've fallen for me," he said. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

I cringed, waiting for the inevitable fall out.

"Yes," I said.

"Fallen for me," he repeated again.

"Yes."

"Like… fallen for me, fallen for me?"

"Yes!" I said in a huff, getting annoyed. I'd known he'd react badly, but he didn't have to be such an idiot about it.

"Fallen for me, as in…?" He trailed off.

"As in, I'm in love with you, you jackass," I snapped.

There was pure silence, aside from my annoyed, heavy breathing. His grip on the wheel loosened.

"Wow." He spoke the words in a hush.

At least he wasn't freaking, or pulling over and immediately kicking me to the curb.

"So that's it," I said, sneaking a glance at him. "That's why I needed space. That's why I freaked out. I have these feelings for you and they're scary and stupid and I hate myself for having them and I know nothing's going to change because you don't do relationships, but I don't want you thinking me pulling away had anything to do with something you did wrong."

I said the words in one huge breath. Instead of responding, a smile slowly spread across his face.

"You love me," he mused. "Faith Briars has fallen in love with me."

"Don't sound so smug about it." I folded my arms over my chest protectively.

I had no idea why I'd even decided to have this conversation. I should have just kept quiet. Was he getting off on this? Was it all just one big ego boost for him? Was I just one more hopelessly naive girl, one more in a long line of others?

"I don't know why you're so pleased with yourself." I didn't try to keep the snark from my voice. "I bet you've had a million girls fall in love with you."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "But none of them were you."

All the air left my lungs. I blinked rapidly.

Out of all the reactions I'd expected, this wasn't high on the list. Not only was he not freaking out, he seemed delighted at the knowledge that I'd developed deeper feelings for him.

"I'm not going to say it back," he said suddenly.

"I never expected you to."

"Not because I don't feel something for you," he continued. "Because I do." He reached over the seat to take my hand in his. "I'm not going to say it back because when I do say it, I want it to mean something."

I stared down at our hands, dumbly, not able to form a single word.

"So I'm going to wait," he said decisively. "This shit is all new to me. I have no clue what the fuck I'm doing."

"You've been doing pretty good so far," I said weakly.

"All I know is this," he said.

Damon pinned me down with a fierce, green stare.

"I don't want to be with anyone else but you."