Page 54 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

What does that mean?

Ugh, it means I was trying to be a responsible, mature adult and not claw the bitch’s eyes out of her skull like I was on a daytime talk show fighting for my baby daddy.

The scraping of the ceramic mug dragging across the wood table pulled me out of my phone for a second. Sarah had stuck her head out from under the pillow. Her bed head made her look like the girl fromThe Ring. If the girl from the ring had chunks of neon blue mixed with her silky black strands.

She went straight for the coffee. It would be at least another five minutes before she was awake enough to form full sentences.

It means I don’t want to keep getting attacked verbally and physically by your ex.

Rune

What do you mean physically? She hit you?

Yes, we were supposed to be sparring, but that isn’t the point.

Rune

What is the point?

A happy groan came from the bed. Sarah clearly was enjoying her coffee. I added a little cinnamon to the grounds the way she liked.

I think we should slow down. I have to be here for Sarah right now. You need to deescalate shit with Sif, and we both are supposed to be figuring out why I’m being targeted by rogue demons.

Rune

Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?

I’m saying I have some shit to figure out. I’ll talk to you soon.

I turned my phone off as Sarah sat up in her bed.

“Hey, stranger,” she said, sipping her coffee.

“Hey, yourself. I hear we are overdue for a catchup.” I slid my phone into my back pocket and picked up my cup of magic bean juice.

“Facts. You go first.” Her voice was still a little craggy from sleep.

“I am half demon. Apparently, my sister’s smart ass and overall brattiness is literally from Hell. No one can figure out why a certain group of unwashed demons seems to think kidnapping me is a fun group activity, because that is apparently a thing. Oh, and I keep getting attacked by Demon-Bitch Barbie, but that one is because she walked in on me about to be eaten out by her ex, who is a prince of Hell because that is also, apparently, a thing? The best part is my best friend is part angel and knew and didn’t tell me. Your turn.”

“Okay.” Sarah set her coffee cup down. “The other day, Cole shoved me in the storage closet before two weird-ass guys came in talking about demons and shit. To make things weirder, boss lady then told me she knew my mother, and she was an angel.”

“Oh, fuck.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to that. Sarah’s mother was always a sore subject. She died when she was younger. Sarah had a few memories, but they had faded. Her father, however, was never the same. Her grandmother on her dad’s side had told her that before his wife died, he was a good husband and father, loving and attentive. Afterwards, he fell into a deep depression. Instead of fighting it for his daughter, he fed it with a steady stream of drugs. He had dropped Sarah off to live with her grandmother several times while he checked into rehab. Each time, he would be better for a while until he wasn’t. Then one time, he just never came back. Not too long after than her grandmother passed and instead of being lost in the often dubious and perpetually overwhelmed hands of foster system, Sarah moved in with us.

“When did this happen?”

“The night you didn’t come home. I wasn’t hiding anything from you. We just haven’t had two minutes to really talk.” She shrugged, picking her cup back up.

“I feel like there is more.”

Sarah nodded and drained her cup. “There is, but I am going to need more coffee.”

“I can go get us another cup,” I offered. “Something is telling me that today is going to be a long day. I could use the refill, and I should probably get a shower too, and a change of clothes.” The seams of my sports bra were seriously stretched out, my tits weren’t hanging out or anything, but I had zero support and was showing off far more cleavage than it was supposed to.

Sarah snorted at my comment and picked up her phone. “Don’t bother. I got it. But if we are going to get into this, let’s go somewhere with more light. I think better with a sketchbook and a pencil in my hands. You go get clean and dressed, then meet me in the library in thirty?”

“Perfect.” I got up, stretched, and left her to it.

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