Page 139 of How Not to Date an Angel

“I should’ve told you sooner,” Julian blurted. “But I knew you’d be disappointed in me, and—”

“—but really, that’s very quite human of me, if you think about it—”

“—and I was afraid you’d never talk to me again, and I was almost trapped in Hell—”

“So Ginger was right about one thing after all—wait what?” Rami said, absorbing Julian’s words. “You were almost trapped in Hell?”

“Who’s Ginger?” Julian asked simultaneously.

They both paused, Rami’s hands twisted in Julian’s shirt and Julian’s hands gripping Rami’s shoulders.

A beat passed, and they studied one another, and then they were chuckling, and hugging, and Rami was so relieved Julian wasthere.

“I’m sorry,” Rami said, sobering, squeezing him just a bit tighter.

“I’m sorry, too,” Julian murmured into their neck.

“What happened?” Rami asked.

“It’s a long story,” Julian said, pulling back.

Rami swallowed. “Well, I have until my next therapy appointment for you to tell me.”

Julian’s brows furrowed at that. “What?”

“They’re mandatory, I’m afraid. I also have to go through…” They grit their teeth. “Angel 101.”

“You get to come back, though, right?” Julian asked, hands tightening around Rami.

“Yes, yes. I just have to make sure to attend,” Rami said.

“Okay, good,” Julian said, blowing out a breath. “Because I’m officially banished from Hell.”

“What?” Rami asked, eyes widening. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“Me neither,” Julian admitted. “It’s all thanks to Galen. Said I committed a selfless act by spoiling the temptation to the subject in question.”

“So you get to stay?” Rami asked, almost afraid to hope.

“Yep. No getting rid of me now,” Julian said.

Rami hugged him again. “Oh, thank god. Because I really didn’t want to have to storm Hell to find you.”

Julian snickered, the sound warm and soft in Rami’s ear. “Had a plan, did you?”

“More like blind determination.”

Their chuckles faded, and Rami still hadn’t released Julian. Part of them still couldn’t believe it was real.

“I’m sorry,” Rami said again. Words didn’t seem like enough. “I don’t know how to make it up to you.”

Julian pressed a kiss to Rami’s pulse, still racing from the fear of losing him. Then his hands trailed down Rami’s back, to their soft waist. They squeezed. “It’s me who needs to make it up to you. And I can think of a few ways.”

“Julian!” Rami cried, and then… paused.

Sex wasn’tbad. Being selfish wasn’t… sinful.

In fact, Rami needed to train themself to stop thinking of things in such a manner. Suchhumanmanners.

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