Page 96 of Echoes

Avery laughs quietly to herself. "I think you'd be fine. He cares about you more than anyone else in the world."

I squint through the dark, trying to find her face. "You're infuriating. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do. But I can't help it. It's just a wonderful personality trait at this point."

"You have a death wish," I point out. "That infuriating attitude nearly got you killed."

"By you?" Avery asks thoughtfully. "Surprised you haven't yet, to be honest."

Letting out a small scoff, I keep my hands on either side of her head as I balance. "You're not in the clear yet."

"I thought you were going to kill me the day I slapped you," she admits.

I smile to myself. Iwasvery tempted to kill her that day. But at the same time, I was amused that someone had the balls to hit me.

"Like I said, it's still a possibility," I tell her. "I did tell you I'd nail your casket shut. I already have the casket here."

Avery laughs softly. "You're not so bad, Damon. Still a demon… but you're not the person I thought you were."

"I'm exactly who you thought," I point out.

"No," she disagrees. "You're not. I'm sorry for being such a pain in your ass."

Dropping to one of my forearms, I reposition myself. "Don't get all touchy-feeling on me. I don't do emotions."

She shuffles, making room for my arm. "I don't blame you. Emotions lead to trouble. I wish I could turn mine off."

Her words cause me to freeze, disturbing something in me. She repeated what I always say—but coming from her, it's…weird.

I can't imagine Avery not having emotions. Sure, she needs a handle on them. But there's something about hers that always surprises me.

They make her…Avery.

Grey was right. She's got everything bottled up, and once she gets a grip on them, they will unleash, destroying everything in their path. But I'm starting to realize it's not in a negative way.

She's everything I hate—annoying, unpredictable, overly trusting. But also caring, thoughtful, receptive. Most people here respect me out of fear. They are loyal to reap the benefits.

Not her though.

While I had forced her to stay on task, she did it because she wanted to.

Even now, she opted to try toprotect me—without me asking for it. Not that I would ever ask someone to protect me— I am more than capable of protecting myself. But she wanted to do it for no reason other than she wanted to.

Peculiar feelings stir inside me, making me shift uncomfortably. Avery notices, grabbing my forearm gently.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I snap back.

I wait for her to recoil, but she doesn't. "Are you sure?" she asks concerned. "Here, let me move."

She goes to move her body but I grab her waist to keep her put. "I said I'm fine."

"Don't be ridiculous," she scolds. "It's not comfortable in that position. My back feels better now. Lie down."

"Back off, Avery."

She pulls my arm, trying to tug me toward the floor of the casket. "God damnit, Damon. Stop being a stubborn ass—"

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