"He asked me out… and I said yes."
Damian blinked once, twice, then a slow, genuine smile broke across his bruised face,the first real one he'd felt in days.
"Finally!" He laughed, the sound a little hoarse from the split lip but warm all the same. "I was waiting for him to grow a pair. Took him long enough."
Amanda's cheeks flushed bright pink. She swatted his arm lightly, careful of the bruises. "Shut up! I thought you'd be mad or… I don't know, weird about it."
"Mad?" Damian shook his head, still smiling. "Amanda, you've been crushing on him for weeks. I'm happy for you. Really. He's a good guy."
He meant it. The relief that flooded his chest was real, Ethan was moving on, and Amanda was glowing. For once, something in his messy life had worked out the way it was supposed to.
Amanda's smile softened into something shy and sparkling. "He was so nervous when he asked. Like, actually nervous. It was cute."
