Aria's POV
"I'm not rejecting you." The words came out too fast, too defensive. My pulse was still racing from the bond, from the nearness of him, from the impossible scent that refused to fade.
"Something's wrong. I can smell your blood even though you're not bleeding."
He stared at me for a long second. Then he laughed once. It was short and humorless. "Convenient timing."
"Damon..."
He stood. The mattress dipped and released as his weight left it. He dragged a hand through his hair, his silver eyes flashing once before the human color returned.
"You don't have to invent excuses, Aria. If you don't want this, if you don't want me, just say so."
"That's not what this is."
He didn't seem to hear me. Or maybe he didn't want to. He grabbed his discarded jacket from the chair, his mov
