Page 21 of Their Demon

“You just never let me… I haven’t had a drink since…”

Regret washed over his face.

“Thank you,” I said quickly. “For the drink.”

He nodded. “We both need it for this anyway.”

Neither of us spoke as we emptied our glasses. That’s when the guilt started to settle in. Was it my place to push him foranswers? Should I accept that he wanted to just be friends? Was this worth risking ripping open the rift already between us?

“You don’t have to tell me…” I started.

At the same time, Keir said, “If you really want to know…”

We both stopped and laughed, dissolving some of the awkward tension. He took our empty glasses and put them on the table in front of us.

“You first,” he said, his mouth still holding that intoxicating smile I hardly ever saw.

“No, that’s okay, really. What were you saying?”

“I insist. I want to hear what you have to say.” His words felt so genuine. For once, it felt like hewantedto have a conversation with me instead of looking for the first chance to bolt from the room.

“Um… Okay. I was going to say that you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s not my business, and I’ve been kind of a bitch about the whole thing. I didn’t mean to come off so pushy about us.” I gestured back and forth between us.

My heart sank when his smile faded.Shit.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t implying…” I trailed off, not even sure what to say. I hadn’t meant to upset him.

“Lillian,” Keir said, bringing my attention from the wall back to him. “You’re fine. You deserve to know, and that doesn’t make you a bitch. I’ve just been dreading this conversation.” I leaned in intently. “My mother and father… What they have is the furthest thing from love. I mean, maybesheloves him, but she’s his possession, his toy to pose and command around.”

“You said she wasn’t always like this, though. What was she like?” I fought the urge to scoot to the middle of the couch, closer to him.

His stone face softened a bit. “She was amazing. The woman gave birth, moved to Hell, and became my father’s queen practically all at once, but she always made sure I had everything I needed. I had all her attention, her love. She smiled and laughed all the time. She turned my worst days into the best. It sounds foolish, but she was my best friend.” A small grin formed on his face as he spoke about the woman his mother once was.

I smiled along with him. “It’s not foolish. She sounds awesome.” I felt a ping of jealousy, but I pushed it down. “So what happened? Why did she change so much?”

His smile disappeared again. “She wasn’t just my best friend. She was my protector, the buffer between me and my father. He was—isbrutal. His punishments were barbaric. I can’t tell you how many times she convinced him to let me go or at least go easier on me. He hated how soft she was, said she was ruining me. His heir needed to be as ruthless and cold-hearted as he was, but I wasn’t—I’m not—but he was convinced he could beat it into me.”

I felt like I’d been stabbed in the chest. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

“Nothing you should be sorry for.” He sighed. “One day, she quit coming to my rescue, and with no one left to stop him, he unleashed hell. I don’t know what changed. Maybe she got tired of fighting with him, or maybe he was hurting her instead and she couldn’t take it anymore. Maybe she decided I deserved it…”

“No,” I said as I moved to the middle against my better judgment. “You didn’t deserve any of it. No one deserves that.He was your father, but he behaved like an abusive tyrant. That’s onhim, Keir. Not you.” I placed my hand on his knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He moved his hand over the top of mine, and I held my breath, afraid I’d gone too far, and he was going to toss my hand away. My skin warmed where he’d made contact, his touch gentle. I inhaled sharply when he squeezed my hand. I looked up at him, but he was focused on where our bodies were adjoined.

My head was completely silent at that moment. The only thing I could think about was his touch and how I wanted more.

“I can’t do to you what my father did to my mother, Lillian. I can’t add myself to the list of men who have hurt you. I can’tbearhurting you. The way you are… it’s… perfect.” Keir looked up at me, and for a moment, he stared, unblinking, but sadness crept in, tainting the way he admired me.

Another moment passed before I could speak. “I… I don’t care.” He shook his head at me. “Seriously, Keir. You think you’ll hurt me, so you’ve pushed me away instead. It’s not fair. I don’t care what you thinkmighthappen; I want you.”

“Lillian…Fuck…” His voice was soft, conflicted, but he pulled his hand away and lowered his forehead to his palms, propping his elbows on his knees.

“Please, Keir. Just give it a chance. Give us a chance.” I moved closer to him, noting how his body tensed.

I was thankful he didn’t speak, because there was no way I would have heard it over the whooshing of my heart. It was hard to swallow, and my palms were clammy. I felt a rush of courage as Keir’s lips parted, his breathing audible. He was nervous too.

“Lillian…” His voice was quieter than a whisper.

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