Page 157 of Living Legend

"I don't make Nick's decisions for him. If he didn't tell you something or if he decided to choose a different path, that was his choice to make. He's a big boy."

"You want me to believe that you hadnothingto do with his decisions, seriously? When you had him in bed, whispering in his ear?"

My eyes widened in irritation. "I'm not the enemy here, Reese. It sounds like someone has been whispering inyourear falsehoods about demons. It seems like they've been doing it your entire life." His jaw ticked. "Why is it that Nick can have a rational thought when it comes to demons and everything associated with them, but you explode, jump to conclusions, and have assumptions leaking out your ass?"

Reese reached up and scratched the back of his head. "I don't get along with my parents super well, but during the times we did speak, they told me stories about your kind, and they didn't paint you in a pretty light. That kind of shit sticks with you, especially when you're told it almost every fucking day."

I wanted to know about his parents and everything they'd told him. I wanted to ask him about his childhood and why he seemed so guarded. It was a complete contrast to Nick's loving father, and I wanted to know more. Reese was a hot-tempered asshole, but despite that, he came off as if he was up for anything, always down for a laugh. With the way he spoke about his upbringing and poison about demons, I would think he would have ended up dark and moody. I wondered if Nick and their friendship had a direct effect on who he was today.

"People mold stories into whatever they want, Reese. Tell their own narrative. Your parents aren't an exception. That war fucked with a lot of people."

He was quiet then, reaching behind him to pull another foxglove from the ground. It was yellow this time. "Maybe."

"Listen, Reese, I didn't want this, okay? I really don't think I would’ve chosen to live in Purgatory if I had been given a proper choice, but I wasn't. I've done a lot of fucked up things I'm not sorry for, but in my short time here, I have never once thought about hurting any of you. I haven't given you a reason to dislike me, except for your own biased views." I could just about see his molars grinding together through his clenched jaw. "I got a distorted afterlife, and you got a distorted look at reality, both from people who claimed to have our best interest at heart. Hate to break it to you, but we might have a few things in common."

Reese ran his hand through the foxglove, some of the petals breaking off as he glided his fingers over it. "Is this supposed to make me like you?"

I snorted. "Nope, but you don't have to like me to give me a tiny piece of your trust."

He laid the foxglove on the ground between his feet and stretched his arms above his head. His shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of a solid stomach and small wisps of blonde hair. "I just don't like it, the whole situation. You and your connection to Lilith gives me a black hole kind of pit in my stomach. This whole thing about her manipulating your soul doesn't make things any better." He cleared his throat, placing his elbows on his knees and weaving his fingers together to sit his chin on top of his hands. "I just don't want to get fucked over if somehow, your connection with Lilith becomes something more than you can handle and none of us know how to fix it."

"You say it like I actually understand it."

"Your lack of knowing is why I'm on edge."

I shrugged. "Trust, Reese. That's what it comes down to. When you have that, nothing else really matters."

He puffed out a breath. "Fine, I'll give you that." He looked out at the water, his eyes moving as it rippled down its path. He closed his eyes and took a few small breaths. He shook his head, rubbing his index finger over his eyebrow. "I'm not actually pissed off about the sex. It's fucking weird and I don't even know if I'll ever get used to the two of you together–"

I let out a sharp laugh as I started to pick dirt and leaves from my hair. "We aren't together."

Reese scratched at his cheek. "I'm surprised and unsurprised at the same time."

"I'm surprised you aren't jumping for joy over the news."

"Eh, Nick isn't the type who just has random sex with no feelings. Then again, Nick is also the type who likes to follow the rules, and relationships when it comes to your kind isn't in any rule book, so if I know Nick like I think I do, he's internally combusting from lack of structure."

I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking back to my conversation with my raven-haired angel. This entire revelation had thrown everything off kilter, and maybe he was trying to right everything by offering me an option to be what I was meant to be. I understood that. If he simply wanted it because he thought it would make me happy and improve my life, I might have given it a second thought, but Nick didn'tjustwant that. He wanted me to hand myself over to the light, to carve out my darkness all because it would fit into his orderly life. He was gorgeous and had a mouth made for sin, but he wasn't enough to make me change myself.

"Nick has a lot of things to figure out and I'm not one of those things anymore," I said, pressing my mouth into a hard line. "Like I told him, when this is over, I'll go back to Purgatory and he can go back to his organized little life, without all the chaos I'd bring."

"If I'm being honest, there was bound to be chaos with or without you.” I could see the strain in his voice as he spoke his next words. “I guess you're just easier to blame. I see the fucking cracks in Heaven's Gate, and I know there is a lot more behind it than just demons and angels. It's just difficult to give up an ideal so easily."

"I get that. It's time to start seeing things how they are, though. That means bringing some of that Reese I saw at that meeting with Jonah to the forefront. Hopefully, things will feel less like a big secret is looming once Lilith is dealt with."

"I know, I know, alright. I'm already starting to understand that. Don't worry, I know how to separate my feelings in a fight. " Reese looked over his shoulder. "Are you planning to take the tiny lethal one with you?"

"Most likely."

Reese chuckled, low and mostly from his stomach. "You gonna kick her ass some more when you're back there?"

"Oh, for sure. Nice shot back there, by the way." I nodded.

"Hm…another thing we have in common. We both would like to punch our friends in the face." He picked up the foxglove at his feet.

I wiped at my cheek, dried blood crusting on my fingers. I wiped my hands against one another and stood, brushing my palms down the front of my leggings. "I don't think what Nick did was as bad as Elise, but I do think he owes you an apology. But, if you want to punch him, I'm not going to stop you."

I walked over to him as he looked up at me. I extended my hand out to help him up, but he waved me off, stating he was going to stay there for a little while. I took back my hand and started to make my way up the tiny hill and back to the main square.

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