43 The dance

***POV - Damion

We stand huddled in a small group in the garden in front of the hotel, dressed up in suits, waiting for the girls to arrive. The daylilies growing against the wall are in full bloom, forming an ocean of diverse shades ranging from orange to scarlet. I watch the people arriving for the freshmen gala as if in a slow-motion dream. Oh, dreaming is nothing new to me, no, since the little blond who solidly stole my heart and soul, entered my life, my sense of reality has been misconfigured.

“Earth to Damion!” I turn my head when Jackson bumps me with his fist on my arm. Logan is still sulking, even after what they did to me, so Jackson took his place as Ava’s companion for the night. I stretch my body a little … even though the bruises have mostly healed, my ribs are still very tender – and no wonder since 2 are broken and a lot are cracked. But I guess I’ve gotten out of it rather lightly. After leaving our house … they stripped me to my jock, and I had to fight