Page 23 of One Hell of a Deal

“Calm down. What are you talking about?”

“I just dozed off on the couch and had another one of those strange ass dreams again. Only this time, you turned into a damn demon. What the hell is going on?”

I would like to know that too. This shit is crazy but I force a laugh. “It must have just been a dream, Lulu. I can’t think of anything that would make sense of…

“You better not be thinking of doing something stupid,” she interrupts. “I can’t lose another son.”

Her voice cracks, and I want to reassure her that I’m not planning anything rash. And it’s the truth. I’m not. “Honestly, Lulu, you're just dreaming this time. Everything is fine over here.”

Silence.

“Well, Iamon a new medication,” she finally mumbles. “Maybe that’s messing with me.”

“I’m sure that’s what it is. Is everything okay otherwise? Do you need help with the bills or anything?”

“No, nothing like that,” she says. “In fact, they released some of Garrett’s funds to me earlier than expected.”

“That’s good,” I say, suddenly sick in my stomach and desperate to end this freaky call. “I’ll call you in a couple of days. Why don’t you go back to sleep now? You sound tired.”

“Sounds good,” she says. “Maybe you're right. I have been having a lot of odd dreams lately. I’ll talk to you soon. Just one last thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I never said thank you for being such a good friend to my boy. And like another son to me, too. Love is a rare thing to find in this messed-up world. I thought you should know that I love you for it.”

Now I’m starting to worry about her. “Geez, Lulu, you sound like you're dying or something. I know how you feel about me, and the feeling is mutual. Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m fine as long as you're fine,” she says.

“All right then, it’s settled,” I say. “Goodnight, Lulu.”

“Night.”

I sit down on the edge of the bed and try to process the odd call. Why is she having visions of me as a demon? And why the uncharacteristic show of devotion?

I shake the thoughts from my head and force them down. I must be overthinking all of this. I guess Daphne is right, and there is no chance we can get her out of any of this. All I can do for her now is make sure the rest of her time with me is as perfect as it can be.

I feel like, at the very least, I owe her that.

Chapter Nineteen: Daphne

We don’t speak about what is coming. The Book of Arcainia scans and all other evidence of research have been put away. Max arranged a two-week sabbatical from work, having given the excuse of addressing a family emergency. Every day, he has taken me somewhere. We have made day trips to the mountains, seen underground caverns in Pennsylvania, and taken in a very loud, but fun, rock and roll concert at Madison Square Garden.

He has made sure that I have tried every cuisine possible. I’ve tasted everything from amazing coffee from a street vendor to an award-winning crème brulee at a five-star restaurant. I don’t think there is much left that I want to do before I go, except spend as much time with him as I possibly can.

We make love every evening, sometimes it’s slow and intimate, and sometimes wild and guttural. It’s those nights I struggle to keep the demon inside from breaking through. Twice now, I've growled at him, and my eyes have blackened more than a handful of times. Thankfully, he’s gotten pretty good at ignoring it when it happens.

I only have three days left, and as we arrive home from a romantic sunset carriage ride through Central Park, I sense a new tension between us. I suppose we need to talk about the plan to get me back to the crossroads portal. I’m not ready. I wish I could slow down time.

We ride the elevator in silence, and I catch him running his hand through his hair several times. He passes me a smile, but not with his eyes. As we enter the apartment, I know what’s coming.

He pulls in a deep breath as we make our way to the couch, exhaling loudly as he plops down onto his favorite corner spot. “I think you know what we need to talk about.”

I nod, taking his hand. “Yes, and it’s okay. You’ve made my time here better than I could have ever wished for. I feel like I have lived more in the last week alone than most do in an entire lifetime.”

He opens his mouth and closes it a few times, and his eyes are watery. “Daph, I’m so sorry.”

He covers his face with his hands, and his shoulders gently shake, ripping me apart. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Max. There is nothing you can do.”

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