Page 108 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
It can’t be.
Please.
I stare helplessly as my ex takes the stage. The tequila turns to fire in my stomach, burning a hole through the bottom of it.
“Oh, fuck no. Not tonight,” Irene says, stomping off toward the DJ.
Apollo pulls me against his side and whispers, “You’re all right, my love.”
I nod and take a drink of water. The cold liquid does nothing to settle my stomach. Why does he keep doing this to me? Why can’t he just let it go?
Angry tears burn behind my eyes. Crazy-girl takes another drink of beer and I know if I don’t get out of here, I’m going to do something stupid.
“Do you want to leave?” Apollo asks.
I nod again, my vision blurring as I look toward the exit. “I need my credit card.”
“I’ll get it,” Leonard says, jumping off his stool.
“We’ll meet you outside.” Apollo grabs my purse and my jacket.
“This one’s for my girl, always running away,” Jason says into the microphone, pointing at me. All eyes in the bar turn my way and heat floods my face.
Despite there being no music, he starts singing. My legs lock and I stand there in the middle of the room, staring him down. How fucking dare he try to ruin every shred of happiness I have?
Irene gets the DJ to turn off Jason’s mic, but he keeps singing anyway—louder even.
“That’s enough, man, get off the stage,” the DJ says through the speakers.
But he doesn’t stop. He dodges Irene and keeps belting the words, telling me how much he needs me, how he’s missed me.
I wish he would juststop.
Jason chokes on his next word. His face furrows and he grabs his chest. He looks at Irene in a panic and stumbles off the stage, tripping and sprawling to the ground. People near him stand up and ask if he’s okay. He’s scrambling backwards, beating his chest with a fist like it might dislodge something from his throat.
Apollo presses his lips to the tip of my ear and murmurs, “As much as I love the show, he’s going to die right there on the floor if you don’t let him breathe.”
My hand is fisted at my side, and I realize I’ve taken control of the air in his lungs. I’ve pulled it all out and commanded it not to enter him. I release my hold and Jason gasps deeply.
He points at Irene. “What the fuck did you do to me?”
“Me?” Irene balks. “Your dumb ass choked on your own spit!”
“He told me you were all into devil-craft and shit!” Jason looks over his shoulder at me. “I didn’t believe you’d get so fucking crazy.”
“Okay, let’s get back to karaoke before this gets too weird,” the DJ says loudly through his mic.
The crowd is murmuring the words “devil” and “magic” as they stare between me and Irene. She walks past Jason, and he flinches like she might hex him. I wish she could.
Leonard brings me my credit card and I sign the receipt quickly.
“You the devil’s whore now, Syl?” Jason demands as he gains his feet. “What would your mom think of that?”
Crazy-girl doesn’t think the world would miss Jason that much.
“Next up we have Tiffany singing Madonna.” The DJ desperately attempts to get the crowd back in order, but no one is looking at him, or the stage.
I slap the receipt down on our table and turn for the door.
