“Of course you are. We’ve been over this.” He lifted his hand and made his fingers dance like he was finger painting in the air.“We’re written in the stars, crabapple. You and I are a done deal. Sealed by destiny before you were even born.”
“That’s creepy.”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be puritanical about this. Not after everything we’ve shared already.”
“We haven’t shared a single thing.”
“I beg to differ. You’ve listened to me come on more than one occasion. I’ve watched you touch yourself. And then there’s the little matter of our kiss yesterday. That one wasn’t even over a screen. We shared that... IRL, as the kids say.”
“You know what else the kids say?”
“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“You give me the ick.”
“Liar.”
“That would be you.”
“Now, now, Merri. Let’s be honest with each other, if nothing else. I initiated said kiss, but you, my darling, were the one who leaned in.”
“I also slapped you.”
It’s true. I had. Just about thirty seconds and one damp pair of panties later than I should have. But the point was, I did it.
“I like a feisty woman. Lucifer doesn’t run from a challenge.”
“Ew,” I said, backing away, but there was a small part of me that lit up at his persistence. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“I am not a challenge, Lucifer. I am a dead fucking end. You and me? Never gonna happen. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can both go home and get on with what’s left of our lives. I don’t fuck with liars.”
His fingers encircled my wrist as I spun away and made to storm into the living room, stopping me with very little effort. Before I could wriggle free, he had my back pulled against his front and his lips were at my ear, voice low and measured.
“You keep harping on that word. Liar. How many times do I have to tell you that I do not need to lie to get you to want me?”
“All you do is lie!” I shouted, spinning back around to glare up at him, suddenly furious with the both of us. Him for being him, and me for forgetting far more often than I should that he was the enemy.
“No!” he shouted back, getting down in my face. His eyes searched mine for several heartbeats before he shook his head and said much more softly. “No. I’ve been more myself with you than anyone I’ve ever known. Anyone, Merri. Do you know how long I’ve lived? How fucking rare it is that I can drop the mask and just exist? That’s the real privilege of being human, you know. That ability to simply be whatever it is you are. Unapologetically. Authentically. And so many of you take it for granted, trying to squeeze yourselves into boxes that don’t fit just to please other people. Wearing a mask is exhausting. Taking it off is the real gift.”
That brought me up short. As much as I didn’t want to, I could relate. I understood exactly what he was saying because I had lived my life with the same mask. But while I’d only lived a quarter of a century, he’d lived millennia. A reality I couldn’t comprehend. I’d struggled with my mask after a couple decades; I couldn’t imagine the burden of wearing it as long as he’s had to.
But again, admitting any of that felt like a loss I could not afford. So I did what I accused him of. I lied.
“I don’t believe you.”
His gaze seared into mine, but his expression was gentle as he reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “I think the thing you’re struggling with, crabapple, is that you do.”
As I looked into his eyes, I released a flare of my power, intentionally using it on him for the first time. I needed to know if he was being truthful. If he noticed, he didn’t give anyindication, but sincerity coated his aura. I didn’t think evenhecould fake that.
It wasn’t a perfect test, but it certainly seemed to back up his assertions.
I had a sudden flash of Andi whispering in my ear:You in danger, girl.
“Merri, you say I lied, but you need to accept that we’ve shared countless intimate moments together already. Conversations I may have had using a different accent, but not a different truth. I sounded like Cole,” he said, the last sentence coming out in Cole’s voice. “But I was always me. Everything I told you came from here.” The man took my hand and rested it over his heart.
“Don’t you see how manipulative that is? You pretended to be someone to further your psycho plot, which, for the record, is. a. lie. And speaking of that, let’s address the real elephant in the room, shall we?”
His lips twitched with amusement. For someone being called out, he looked like he was enjoying himself. “By all means, let’s.”
