Page 88 of Chaos
Los Angeles, huh? Somehow that felt fitting for him, even if he never left his house to enjoy the sunshine.
Me:
Cole, I can’t.
C:
This isn’t a now or never offer. If you need me, if you need a place to crash when that dick decides he’s gotten everything he can from you, just come. I’ll be here, ready and waiting to help you pick up the pieces and show you what love should be.
I set my phone down and shook my head, at a total loss. I couldn’t make any sort of commitment to Cole. Hell, I didn’t even know what he looked like. He was confused, mistaking lust for love, as so many people do. Especially when a succubus was involved.
So why, then, if I was so sure about that, could I not just cut him loose?
Why did his offer make my heart feel squishy?
Goddammit.
I swiped across his message thread and let my finger hover over the little trash icon that would clear all traces of this conversation, but I hesitated. If I deleted everything, I wouldn’t be able to find him if I ever needed to. Was that wise? It was the end of the world, after all. Having a safe place to land might not be a bad idea.
With a few decisive actions, I copied his address and saved it to his contact information. Then, with Malice on my mind, I deleted the message thread. The last thing I needed was Mal snooping and questioning my texting habits. Or why I was texting with a client, specifically one who felt he was allowed to comment on my site activity. He’d probably start rooting around in my brain to get the answers I’d refuse to provide.
Fuck that.
For some stupid reason, tears misted my eyes.
Don’t you dare start crying, I ordered sternly. Because that always works.
One rogue tear dripped down my cheek, and I angrily brushed it away.
There was zero reason for me to be crying. I had a naked man in the other room, and I was better fed than I had been in days.
Oh shit, Sin would be done soon, and then he’d come in here and wonder what the fuck was wrong with me. I was not a pretty crier. My eyes got all red and my lips puffed up. It wasn’t something I could easily hide. And even if I could, he’d probably be able to smell the shift in my mood with his stupid incubus mojo.
I scrambled off the bed, grabbed a pair of sweats, and pulled them on without paying attention to what I was doing. It wasn’t until I tried to tuck my phone into my pocket that I realized my bottoms were on inside out.
I heard Sin whistling in the bathroom, a clear indication his shower was over. No time to fix the pants now. If I ran into one of the others, the worst they’d do was judge me.
As I scurried out of the room, my phone buzzed once more, making my heart lurch.
C:
I’m not abandoning us, Merri. Take time if you need it. I’ll be here when you’re ready.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
MALICE
Merri breezed into the room with a smile on her face and an energy I hadn’t felt from her since the last time we all fed her together.
“Morning, Mal,” she chirped, claiming the seat by my desk.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” I stated dryly.
She gave me a heavy dose of side eye. “Wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Mal?” She tapped her lip thoughtfully. “No... you’re this delightful on a regular basis.”
“I wouldn’t want to shock you with a deviation from my typical constitution.” I had to force myself to look away from her luminous skin and bright eyes. “I take it the live stream was fruitful? I can only assume, since I wasn’t directly participating.”
