Page 92 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

I still think Bast deserves it all. Tears trail down his face as I sit down to watch them together, my tail twitching beside me. I really doubt he’ll hurt her, but I won’t leave them alone.

Feelevery second of this, dickwad, because this is the only chance you’re getting.

I won’t give him another.

One month later

April third

LORELEI

Life doesn’t stop just because my life is a mess. Bast still hasn’t gotten over that long day of hallucinations, and seeks me out every day.

Sometimes, it’s with a rose, others it’s to kiss me to remind himself that I’m here and alive. There are days where there are words, and ones where there are none. Out of the four of my mates, he confuses me the most.

After rehearsals, I’ll find a song in my backpack that he wrote, a poem telling me that he wants to ask me out, but he doesn’t know how. He tells me that I haunt his dreams, and there are days where words escape him when he sees me.

“Lorelei,” Bast calls out as I walk to class.

After a full day of being held by him, as he struggled to make head or tails of his sorrow and waking nightmares as he spoke to me, it’s less jarring to hear his gravely voice. I can see him as someone outside of simply being a teacher and tormenter.

I’m unsure of what this means for our future, but I know I’m open to finding out.

“Shouldn’t you be at the theater hall?” I ask him, moving off the sidewalk because someone is behind me.

Bast glares at the student who isn’t paying attention and almost steps on my foot before following me.

“I should,” he agrees. “Costume rehearsals start this week, but I wanted to ask you out before I get pulled into the madness.”

“You don’t have the time for that,” I remind him gently.

“The fuck I don’t,” he says, scowling. “What are you doing from four to six in the afternoon tomorrow?”

“That’s oddly specific,” I say, thinking. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and I’m not working, but I have classes until four. “I’m free, actually. What are you thinking?”

My midterms are over, most of my papers are turned in, so I have a blissfully peaceful week outside of rehearsals and actually attending class. The weather is even warming up, and I think Louisiana may be one of my favorite states to live in.

“I want to take you to dinner, well it’s more of a picnic,” he explains with a shrug.

“Really?” I ask, brightening at the thought. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a picnic.”

“That’s terrible,” he murmurs. “Your boyfriends are slacking.”

Giggling at his words, I shake my head, knowing that he’s teasing me.

“Let me walk you to class. Every time I see you, I worry about one of the students squishing you,” he says.

“It hasn’t happened yet,” I say with a shrug, ignoring his growl as he takes my hand. “I kind of just work my way around them.”

“You’re fun-sized,” he mutters, shaking his head as he looks around and picks me up to carry me in his arms.

“I can walk,” I remind him, laughing as he steps onto the path and hits someone with his tail when they run into him.

“Watch where you’re going, Kennedy,” Bast growls.

“I’m so sorry, Professor Dalca,” the student yelps.

“And this is why I’m carrying you to class, Lorelei,” Bast says. “Math?”

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