Page 56 of The Devil and His Sparrow

“Water for the both of us, please,” Mom answered for us.

I smiled at the waiter in lieu of a response since she’d made one for me, and as I watched his retreating back, a new party being led into the dining hall caught my attention. It was a good thing Mom was studying her menu, otherwise she would’ve seen me nearly topple out of my chair as my jaw hit the floor.

Zagan took a seat in a booth behind my mom’s chair so that he was to her back but facing me. He immediately caught my wide eyes and winked with a smirk.

I looked at my mom and cleared the urgency from my throat. “I’m going to run to the restroom quickly. I’ll be right back.”

She briefly glanced up at me before refocusing on the menu. “Hurry, please.”

I stood and shot Zagan a pointed look as I passed his booth and swept down the hallway that led to the bathrooms. When I turned around, Zagan was there in his black dress pants and shirt with a wide grin.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, grabbing the waist of his shirt to pull him further into the hallway. We were well out of view of Mom and the rest of the dining hall, but the fear of her seeing us still horrified me. “How did you get here? I thought you were in New York.”

“I was in New York,” he said, dropping his voice so only the two of us could hear. His large hand lightly touched the underside of my arm that desperately held onto him. “I can be anywhere I want in the blink of an eye. You know that.”

My eyes raked over him. He looked amazing, and I’d love more time to appreciate the way the formal clothes hugged his toned form or the way his tattoos peaked out of the sleeves, but now wasn’t the time. Didn’t stop the sight from making my blood run hotter.

“What are you doing here, though?” I repeated.

“You said you wanted me here.”

My heart tripped over itself. I stared up at him as unexpected warmth blossomed in my chest. “You—You stopped what you were doing to be here for me?”

He tilted his head slightly as if he wasn’t sure why I had to ask. “Yes.”

“Why?” I whispered, squeezing his shirt tighter.

“Because you said you wanted me here,” he said again with a soft chuckle. His head dipped lower, making the space between us even smaller for him to whisper, “Why wouldn’t I come?”

He said it like it was obvious, like it was the only thing that made sense. Maybe it really was that simple for him, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around someone dropping everything they were doing just to come support me when I needed it. Yet he’d done that without hesitation. My heart pounded furiously as a sweet buzz wrapped around it.

“Thank you,” I said, finally releasing his shirt.

“Don’t thank me. I’m doing it for purely selfish reasons. I’m trying to upgrade from friend to best friend.”

I covered my mouth with my fingers to stifle my laugh. “Nahla might fight you on that one.”

He shrugged. “I think I can take her. Now get back out there. I know you really want this. Even if she doesn’t deserve your time. Just … be yourself. Don’t shy away from who you are and what you want. Okay?”

I licked my suddenly dry lips and nodded. Zagan sent me back out first, and I sat in my seat as calmly as I could.

Mom barely held back a glare as she watched me sit. Her mauve painted lips were pulled down in a frown. “I had to send the waiter back without giving our order because you weren’t here.”

“Sorry. There was a small line,” I fibbed.

The restaurant was busy enough that the lie seemed plausible. Zagan came out of the hallway and went back to his booth, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Patrons threw star-struck glances his way, no doubt recognizing him from Sinners Do It Better. He ignored all the adoring smiles and whispers, though, focusing on me over Mom’s shoulder. He offered me an encouraging smile. The comfort his presence brought made it easier to sit across from my mom.

Be yourself.

What a seemingly easy yet horrifying idea. Still, with the way Zagan encouraged me, being more open and honest with myself and my mother seemed possible. Especially with him right there. It was crazy how brave I felt with the demon close by.

“So, what will you have?” Mom asked me.

I scanned the menu and all its delicious options. I figured this was a good time to practice my speaking-up-for-what-I-wanted skills. “Since it’s a special occasion, I thought I might have something a little different. Maybe like the shrimp linguini.”

Mom scoffed and sipped on her water. “Don’t be ridiculous. You know you gain weight at the drop of a hat, Iyla. Do you want to get fat?”

I blinked, already feeling myself get smaller. “I—”

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