me…”
“It’s not my fault,” I grumbled. After all, it wasn’t my idea to be attacked in public.
Ben softened his tone, rubbing my back soothingly. “Maybe you’d better tell me what’s going on now?” I nodded, leading him from the restaurant, to the relief of the management. I can never go there again, you know. Not that it’s such a terrible problem in the grand scheme of things, but they had great fajitas, I’m just saying.
On the way back to my apartment, I told him all about the demon lord who wanted to bring me back to his place for a little Grace buffet. I have to say, Ben absorbed the news fairly well. I had half expected him to demand I move in with him or get a permanent police escort, but he only nodded, deep in thought.
“What will Sam do to that guy?” he asked finally, when we were inside my apartment.
“I’m not sure,” I frowned. “He was going on about damnation and fiery pits of hell and all that jazz. So, whatever it is, it’s not a vacation.”
“He can do that?” All I could do was shrug; it wasn’t anything we’d talked about before. I made a mental note to add it to my growing list of questions for Sam. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and I gave him a grateful smile for being so understanding.
“Me too. This wasn’t exactly how I thought our night out would go, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Oh, and how did you think our night would go?” Ben wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “I thought we might end up somewhere right… about… here.”
Leaning in to his kiss, I let myself forget about all the ugly things out there after me. I took solace in the feel of his lips on mine, his familiar scent, the way he made me feel. Safe and secure… until I realized - that’s exactly what Azazael would want me to feel. Even though I was about ninety-nine percent positive it was actually Ben I was kissing, that niggling doubt pushed its way deeper into my thoughts, until I pulled my mouth from his, unable to let things go any farther.
“What’s wrong?” He frowned at catching my expression and I scrambled to change the subject.
“Nothing… I’m hungry, aren’t you?”
“I thought that was pretty obvious,” he grinned, hands still resting on my hips.
“No, I mean, we skipped dinner. I could whip us up something pretty quick or we could send out for pizza. What sounds good to you?” It was pretty obvious food wasn’t on his mind, but Ben let go of me with a sigh, moving to sit on one of the barstools while I made us a simple meal. It went like that for the rest of the night. Ben would make a romantic overture and I’d hesitate or pull away before things got too intimate.
I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d gone home for the night, but he stuck by me, falling asleep beside me without pressuring for more. Sleep wouldn’t come for me, no matter what I tried. The idea that it might not actually be Ben sleeping next to me sent me out to lie on the couch with a book and a soft, fuzzy blanket, hoping to distract my overactive imagination into letting go.
* * *
It was late when my cell phone rang. I might not have even noticed if I’d been asleep, my phone automatically went to silent at eleven o’clock. The number on the screen flashed as ‘restricted’, but I answered it anyway.
“Hello?” There was no answer, but the line remained open, and I could tell someone was on the other side. “Hello,” I repeated softly. “Is anybody there?” All at once I had the strangest feeling… “Adam? Is that you?” With a click, the line went dead, a strong confirmation in my books.
Maybe it was because I’d called him earlier that night, maybe he wanted to know I was alright. Maybe I was being a total idiot and it was only a wrong number. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became it was Adam reaching out
“It’s not my fault,” I grumbled. After all, it wasn’t my idea to be attacked in public.
Ben softened his tone, rubbing my back soothingly. “Maybe you’d better tell me what’s going on now?” I nodded, leading him from the restaurant, to the relief of the management. I can never go there again, you know. Not that it’s such a terrible problem in the grand scheme of things, but they had great fajitas, I’m just saying.
On the way back to my apartment, I told him all about the demon lord who wanted to bring me back to his place for a little Grace buffet. I have to say, Ben absorbed the news fairly well. I had half expected him to demand I move in with him or get a permanent police escort, but he only nodded, deep in thought.
“What will Sam do to that guy?” he asked finally, when we were inside my apartment.
“I’m not sure,” I frowned. “He was going on about damnation and fiery pits of hell and all that jazz. So, whatever it is, it’s not a vacation.”
“He can do that?” All I could do was shrug; it wasn’t anything we’d talked about before. I made a mental note to add it to my growing list of questions for Sam. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and I gave him a grateful smile for being so understanding.
“Me too. This wasn’t exactly how I thought our night out would go, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Oh, and how did you think our night would go?” Ben wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “I thought we might end up somewhere right… about… here.”
Leaning in to his kiss, I let myself forget about all the ugly things out there after me. I took solace in the feel of his lips on mine, his familiar scent, the way he made me feel. Safe and secure… until I realized - that’s exactly what Azazael would want me to feel. Even though I was about ninety-nine percent positive it was actually Ben I was kissing, that niggling doubt pushed its way deeper into my thoughts, until I pulled my mouth from his, unable to let things go any farther.
“What’s wrong?” He frowned at catching my expression and I scrambled to change the subject.
“Nothing… I’m hungry, aren’t you?”
“I thought that was pretty obvious,” he grinned, hands still resting on my hips.
“No, I mean, we skipped dinner. I could whip us up something pretty quick or we could send out for pizza. What sounds good to you?” It was pretty obvious food wasn’t on his mind, but Ben let go of me with a sigh, moving to sit on one of the barstools while I made us a simple meal. It went like that for the rest of the night. Ben would make a romantic overture and I’d hesitate or pull away before things got too intimate.
I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d gone home for the night, but he stuck by me, falling asleep beside me without pressuring for more. Sleep wouldn’t come for me, no matter what I tried. The idea that it might not actually be Ben sleeping next to me sent me out to lie on the couch with a book and a soft, fuzzy blanket, hoping to distract my overactive imagination into letting go.
* * *
It was late when my cell phone rang. I might not have even noticed if I’d been asleep, my phone automatically went to silent at eleven o’clock. The number on the screen flashed as ‘restricted’, but I answered it anyway.
“Hello?” There was no answer, but the line remained open, and I could tell someone was on the other side. “Hello,” I repeated softly. “Is anybody there?” All at once I had the strangest feeling… “Adam? Is that you?” With a click, the line went dead, a strong confirmation in my books.
Maybe it was because I’d called him earlier that night, maybe he wanted to know I was alright. Maybe I was being a total idiot and it was only a wrong number. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became it was Adam reaching out
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