Chapter 11

Eleven

Isla

I lay in bed that night, thinking about the fact that I had given Damon Armstrong my phone number. Was I crazy? And I had fallen for the old gummy bear trick, which I should have thought of when I didn’t return the gummy bears. Seriously, what did all of it mean? I was taking a job at the police station, where I would surely be seeing him all the time. And now he had my phone number. What was I doing?

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was not even ten o’clock yet, but I had become an early bird.

I saw the text. It’s Damon. How are you doing tonight?

I hesitated, my heart racing, both grateful it wasn’t from my ex and conflicted that Damon was checking on me.

Damon texted again. Hey—are you okay tonight?

I was annoyed, but I answered. Why are you checking on me?

Because that’s what friends do, if you’ll have me back as your friend.

I didn’t know why my heart was so raw when it came to this man. Well, I did. When he’d said he’d had feelings for me, I’d wanted to demand why he hadn’t told me that sooner, but I knew why. It was because I’d started dating Kyle.

Fine, I texted.

He sent a happy-face emoji.

I didn’t respond. What was happening?