Page 135 of How Not to Date an Angel

Rami crossed their arms. “Because my coffee was cold. And sometimes getting dressed is just so tiring.”

“And the sex?”

Rami snappedtheir head around to stare at Ginger.

“I’m not obtuse. What else would have someone in such a tizzy?” They paused. “Itwasconsensual, wasn’t it?”

“Of course!” Rami blurted, offended at such a suggestion, even on the behalf of a demon.

“Okay, then. Why’d you do it?”

“Well. It… felt good, I suppose,” Rami admitted, wondering if an angel could pass out from the amount of blood settling in their face.

“So, by committing all these gravesins,” they said with a laugh, “it sounds like you were just being selfish.”

“I— yes, I suppose I was.”

“You know human nature—their motivations for most things are eitherselflessorselfish.”

“I know that,” Rami said warily, something niggling in the back of their mind.

“Rami,” Ginger said, pausing and waiting for Rami to face them. “Manipulating that human man to protect your client is one thing, but lashing out at someone, hurting them just because you are hurt, is a very selfish thing to do.”

“I—I know,” Rami said, throat tightening.

“Even though both actions were equally selfish, only one of them actively caused harm, even if emotionally, to someone. And someone who cares about you, no less.”

Ginger shook their head. “And hurting someone is much worse than any chocolate gambling or all the consensual sex in the world.” Rami swallowed as they continued. “There’s nothing inherentlywrongwith being selfish, Rami. Not unless you’re hurting someone.”

Their gut twisted as they reexamined the past week.

“I suppose I haven’t been very selfless as of late.”

I hurt Julian. On purpose. Just because I could, and because he hurt me first.

Not very angel-like of me.

“Well, it sounds like Julian was successful in tempting me to evil,” Rami admitted.

Ginger chuckled, and then paused. “Again with thisevilnonsense. What are you going on about?”

Rami frowned at them.

“Hold on,” Ginger said, waving a hand. “Do you think demons are evil?”

Rami’s brows furrowed. “Of course. They’re demons.”

Ginger’s lips twitched, humor filling their eyes until they couldn’t contain it, and it spilled out in loud laughter, echoing in the naturistic scenery around them.

“You know what I think?” Ginger finally asked, once Rami’s cheeks were redder than ever.

“What?” they asked, feeling small.

“I think you’ve been on Earth a bit too long. These things—gambling and using magic and having sex—they’re not bad things, Rami. Neither is enjoying food or drink. And neither are demons, for that matter. But you believe them to be. Why?”

“Because…”Because they are,Rami wanted to say.

But if Ginger, an angel of the council, was telling them they weren’t… then…

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