The day is spent wondering if it’s my imagination. If the softness in his eyes was an illusion, or if it’s possible he’s feeling this, too. It’s failed distractions and forced busywork. Unhealthy obsessions and irrational anger, and trying to forget.
Then there’s the third day.
The day I break.
The one where I reach out and ask to see him again.
I’m a glutton for punishment, it would seem. A fan of getting kicked in the heart as many times as the useless organ can take it, coloring it in self-inflicted bruises because I keep replaying the sting of his rejection. I was a lovesick fool, lost in the heat of the moment—sucked into the chemistry that was a charged explosive around us. Needed his mouth on mine as much as I needed oxygen in my lungs.
I didn’t expect him to pull away as I guided his lips towards mine. Didn’t expect the crippling embarrassment to knock my legs right out from underneath me as my kiss landed on his cheek.
Didn’t expect it tohurt.
He might enjoy the physical release of our time together, but that’s where it stops. To him, I’m nothing more than a convenient conquest, and I’d do well to remember that.
Arms crossed, I wait outside Xalreth’s building, avoiding the gaze of the many demons that walk past. Whenever I come here to collect him, it’s an overload to the senses as they stare. Open curiosity and suspicion cover me like a dense fog, poking and prodding with its wispy little fingers. And while it can become overwhelming, it’s surprisingly less judgmental than the emotions thrown my way in the Heavenly realm. Hellions have always been more accepting, though, even if none of the Angels are willing to voice that admission out loud.
I sense Xalreth’s presence before I see him—a tingling wave of awareness that ripples across my body. My eyes move to the glass doors of his building as he pushes through into the warm afternoon. Even at midday, the realm's sky is dim. It leaves ample shadows behind in its red glow, but the effect isn’t as dreary as it sounds.
Hell is actually quite lovely when viewed through the right lens.
There’s a saunter to Xalreth’s steps as he walks closer, and the light reflects off the dips of his muscles as though it were crafted just for him. His attention drags over my skin like fingernails on my scalp. Intrigue and temptation backed with a penchant for sin.
I’m barely able to suppress a shudder.
“Did you miss me?” A cocky grin stretches across his face, revealing a flash of sharp, white teeth.
I lift a brow as I give him a sideways glance. “Hardly,” I say as I brush my fingers over my sweater, distracting myself so I don’t have to look at him.
“Are you sure about that?” His hand loops through the crook of my arm, and I try to ignore the way my pulse speeds up at the touch.
“Don’t flatter yourself by thinking you’ve even crossed my mind,” I snap, whipping my head to glare at him and immediately regretting my decision. To those that don’t know him, Xalreth’s solid black eyes can be disturbing. They’re cold and emotionless—nature’s defense mechanism.
But in the warm glow, they sparkle like polished obsidian and reflect the light with an unexpected depth. They communicate emotions I’m unable to decipher, speaking a language not meant for me.
“We have a job to do, so let’s get moving,” I say, my frustration coming out in my clipped tone, and he stares at me for a long second before he nods.
My magic washes over us, masking us with our human disguises. “Did you do as I asked?” He speaks as casually as if we’re discussing the weather, and it causes my cheeks to flush and a scoff to escape my lips.
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re referencing.” My pulse ramps up another few notches as he chuckles, squeezing my biceps.
“Oh, come on, Micah… you didn’t like my gift?” My face and neck burn as I recall the package that arrived at my doorstep. Wrapped up in a sleek black box and tied with a blood-red bow were a metal cage and a series of increasingly large plugs. Nestled in a bed of red velvet, he’d simply signed his name with an X.
The presentation was almost elegant.
I clear my throat as I fight the urge to pull at my shirt, not wanting to let him see me fidget. “If you’re expecting gratitude, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
“I picked it out special just for you.”
“That would mean you were thinking of someone other than yourself, Xalreth, which is a preposterous notion we all know better than to expect.”
He’s silent for a moment before a quiet laugh huffs from the back of his throat. “We’re pretending nothing happened, then?” When I don’t respond, his snort of laughter turns irritated. “Right. Okay then, carry on.”
Disappointment settles heavy in my stomach, but I scold myself for my foolishness and focus on our destination. The world fades into a misty obscurity, then brightens as we emerge beneath the shade of trees, surrounded by green. Xalreth glances around curiously. “Where are we?”
“A park.” I take a step away, needing to put distance between our bodies as his eyes burn into me. The silence stretches for an eternity until his grip on my arm loosens, and his hand finally falls to his side with a quiet thud.
“Thank you for sharing such amazing detail, Micah. Absolutely top-tier storytelling. It makes so much sense now that you’ve explained what we’re doing here.”