Page 126 of How Not to Date an Angel

Then they sat back down.

They weren’t even sure what to do. How to act. All they knew was the crater of hurt in their chest.

The stairs creaked as Julian came down to the first floor and Rami’s breath ran short, heart thumping beneath their ribs, thunder in their ears.

“Rami?” Julian asked, and stopped at the entrance to the office.

Rami’s gaze snapped to him and—how fucking dare he look so comfy and soft and, and lovable, in nothing but a pair of pajama pants and one of Rami’s pullovers.

It hung to his mid-thigh.

It made him look adorable.

“Are you okay?” Julian asked. “Can I come in?”

That didn’t make sense. Why would Julian care about Rami’s boundaries if he was here only to tempt them? Was he that good an actor?

“I—” they began, and then stopped. “Why are you here?”

Julian’s expression went guarded, hand tightening against the door jamb.

“What?”

“Why are you here? On Earth? Really?” Rami asked.

They knew the answer. And Julian knew.

And as Julian’s gaze shuttered, lips turning down into a worried frown, Rami knew that Julian knew they knew.

Did that even make sense?

Rami didn’t care.

“I wanted to tell you,” he said. “I almost did. Yesterday. But then we were having such a good time and I didn’t want to ruin it. And then Melissa. And then…”

Oh my god,Rami thought.

They sat back down. When had they even stood up?

“Of course,” Rami whispered. “Trying to talk me into hurting Melissa’s husband. That was all part of the temptation.”

Julian’s lips tightened, and he crossed into the room. Rami didn’t tell him to get out. “I hated it, but yes. I saw the opportunity, and I took it. Because if I complete the mission, I’ll be able to stay! With you! Here!” Julian moved closer, standing across the desk from them.

Rami shook their head. “What makes you think—“

“I wanted to tell you! I wanted to come clean. But if I don’t complete the assignment, I get sent back to Hell. I get put on a waiting list forcenturiesuntil another Earthside opportunity comes around. So when I saw how distraught you were about Melissa, I… I ran withit. I figured, that guy deserved it, whatever you would do to him. And then I’d get to stay. And we could…”

Rami stared up at him.

“We could what? Live happily ever after? Even knowing this was all a lie?” they asked.

Julian leaned onto the desk, expression pleading. “But it wasn’t! That’s what I’m saying. It wasn’t a lie.”

“You showed up on my doorstepbloody,asking for help. You’re telling me that wasn’t part of the plan?”

His lips thinned, a hand lifting to drift over his healed horn. His fingers didn’t make contact. “They wanted to make sure you kept me around for a bit. It wasn’t my idea,” Julian said. “But the rest of it… getting to know you, that—”

Rami turned their head away, biting the inside of their cheek.

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