Page 23 of How Not to Date an Angel

Julian stilled, closing a cabinet and lifting a hand up. “Yeah, probably. Does it look weird?”

Rami shrugged as if they didn’t care. “It’s just evening out. Does itstill hurt?”

“Only a bit. Maybe once the tip smooths back out, it won’t hurt at all.”

Rami wanted to ask more, like who and why and how he had gotten away. But they also didn’t want to make Julian relive the experience.

They can’t imagine it was a pleasant one.

And maybe a tiny, smaller part of them wanted to touch it, to see if the ridges felt just as pronounced beneath their fingers.

Rami focused on the food, stirring the rice and letting the scent fill the kitchen, even though they watched the demon from the corners of their eyes.

Currently, Julian was staring at the fridge and moving all the magnets around. Their lips twitched as they watched him concentrate, the click and slide of the resin letters forming new words.

Rami frowned as they leaned forward and back on their toes, attempting to read the demon’s creation.

A-N… Rami narrowed their eyes. G-E-L-S.

Well. At least the demon could—

Rami rolled their eyes as they saw the second word that began at the S, like a crossword puzzle, and ended in U-C-K.

“Rude, since I’m making you dinner and all,” Rami drawled.

Out of their peripherals, the demon froze, glancing over at them, a guilty flush on his cheeks.

“Sorry, habit,” Julian murmured, and then messed the letters up with obnoxious clacking noises.

“It’s done, anyhow, if you’d like to collect two bowls?” they asked.

Julian nodded and went right to the cabinet containing the ceramic dishware.Heshouldknow where they are, what with all his snooping around,Rami thought to themself.

If they had to hide a small smile by the time the demon turned back to them, that was their business and no one else’s.

“Thank you,” Rami said, and spooned a serving of the rice and a healthy amount of shrimp into his bowl.

“Smells good,” Julian said, sniffing the steam still rising.

“This is one of my favorites to make if I don’t know what I want,” Rami told him. They served themself and retrieved utensils from the drawer before motioning for Julian to get out of the way.

The demon chuckled as he made room for Rami to pass, and Rami led him straight to the living room. They set their bowl down and met Julian’s questioning gaze.

“Really?” Julian asked. “You seem more like the type who’d like to sit at the table, all proper and whatnot.”

“Hmm. I used to be,” Rami admitted, and snagged the remote from the coffee table. They passed it to the demon. “But who am I trying to impress? It’s just me,” they said. “Find something to watch. Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Uh, sure,” Julian said. The electric hum of the television sounded as it turned on, and they gathered two glasses and the bottle from the fridge. It was a new label they’d never tried, and Rami tested it while still standing in the kitchen. They hummed in approval before filling the glasses.

“Here you go.” Rami sat Julian’s glass on the side table to his left.

“Thanks,” Julian said, eyes never leaving the television as he scrolled through a streaming app.

Rami took their own seat in their favorite leather chair and wiggled into a comfy position before pulling their bowl close.

The click of the remote was loud in the silence as Rami waited for the demon to pick something. After a moment, they decided to eat without him.

“Gonna be honest,” Julian muttered a few moments later. “Got no idea what I’m in the mood for.”

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