Page 29 of How Not to Date an Angel

“All by yourself,” Julian mused. Even as a messenger in Hell, Julian hadfriends.Like Galen, and his new wife Maeve.

Rami hesitated, and Julian waited. “I had a very close friend once.”

Close friend? A lover?“And?” Julian asked gently. He sensed the moment like a bruise, but Julian was hesitant to press.

“It didn’t end well,” Rami told him, voice quiet. “I learned my lesson.”

Julian’s chest seized at the pain in their voice, and imagined spending eternity on Earth alone. Even with everything there was to do… after several hundred years?

“You don’t get bored?” Julian asked.

He winced as Rami located a particularly stubborn tangle. “Let me grab a comb,” they said.

Julian made sure his lap was covered as the angel stood and walked over to the sink to rummage through a drawer.

He managed to keep his mouth from falling open. The angel’s sleeves were rolled up and pushed far past their forearms, to keep their sleeves from getting wet.

His cock gave another appreciative twitch, and Julian glared down at his lap.

No.

“I’ve made casual friends with a handful of humans over the years,” Rami offered, turning with a smallaha!and showing off their comb.

Their steps were practically silent as they took their seat behind Julian again.

“How’d that go?”

“It was sad. Humans get old and pass away. I don’t. After a while, I learned it was just best to keep my distance, observe from the sidelines.”

Julian frowned. “That sounds… lonely.”

Rami began to pluck the comb gently through his tangles, and murmured, “It can be. But that’s the job, I suppose.”

“You never miss Heaven?” Julian asked.

“I suppose I do, in a way. Earth is just so… lively. Humans live with risk, with excitement, practicallydaringto do so. And theyenjoythings shamelessly. Heaven is just… there.” They paused. “That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?”

Julian had to clear his throat. “Not at all.”

“Heaven is peaceful. Easy. Lovely and perfect in its own beautiful way. But there’s just something about Earth, and the humans and others here.”

Hell was far from lovely and perfect, but Julian understood the sentiment. He liked Earth much better than Hell, too.

Wait. Julian held up a dripping hand. “That’s what the monsters call themselves here? Others?”

“Mm, yes. The media dubbed them that when the Big Reveal was breaking news. It stuck.” The Big Reveal was when all the othersdecided to finally come out, to expose themselves to the humans.

Julian figured he’d rather be called a monster if they were so clearly going to ostracize them from the humans.

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Julian murmured.

Rami chuckled. “I agree, but what can we do?”

Julian hummed as Rami dragged the comb through his shoulder-length hair.

“So, you’re a therapist. How do you keep the humans from discovering you don’t age?”

“Oh, I just move away.”

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