I sigh. “We were chatting, I introduced him to ABBA. It was all going great. Then I jumped in the deep end and he swam away without a word.”
“Did he not want you in his pool?” Pink asks with a frown.
“I asked first.”
Pink’s frown disappears and is replaced by a furrowed brow. He takes a sip of his coffee. He seems as mystified as me, which is making me feel better. At least I know I’m not being a complete idiot and missing the blatantly obvious.
“Maybe ask Lello to find out what’s going on, when he gets back from holiday?” suggests Pink.
That’s actually not a bad idea. Out of all the boys, Lello is the one closest to Blue. I wonder if it has anything to do with them both being water creatures? Or simply because Lello is a little ball of sunshine and if he chose you to be his friend, there would be no way of getting out of it?
Maybe I should try that tactic with Blue?
Suddenly, all the hairs on the back of my neck are rising. I turn my head to look behind me and sure enough, Gray has prowled into the kitchen.
“Hi,” I say a little shakily.
He stands utterly motionless and gives me a long, searching look with those impossibly dark eyes of his. Then he silently drifts towardsthe coffee machine.
I shiver. It’s unfair of me, but Gray gives me the creeps. I mean, he is an actual fricking demon and all, but I think it’s more that I saw him eating people. Admittedly, it was people who were going to hurt me, but I still don’t think that makes me a baby for finding it unsettling. Besides, Gray was helping me as a favor to Mal. It’s not like he is fond of me or anything.
Quite the opposite, in fact. Mal said Gray had been jealous of me. He thought I was Mal’s lover. Which, eew, no thank you. I don’t see Mal that way at all. And I think Gray understands that now, but it is still rather unsettling to have a demon potentially seeing you as competition.
I watch him warily as he moves from the coffee machine and to the hob and starts frying bacon. Perfectly normal morning activities. Nothing to get freaked out about.
I turn back to my coffee, but Pink flashes me an all too knowing grin. He knows Gray freaks me out and he finds it amusing. Little shit.
I stick my tongue out at him, and he chuckles.
A warm, tingly feeling fills my chest. I have a friend. Several friends, in fact. People who know me, talk to me, seem to like me. People who know what I am and don’t care. They don’t call me a whore or a hole. Nobody here wants to fuck me, which is frankly a little insulting, but also deeply, truly wonderful.
For the first time I can remember, I can breathe. I don’t have to watch my back. I can be myself.
It’s going to be awful when they ask me to go.
My brooding is interrupted by Gray sliding a plate of sizzling bacon in front of me. I stare up at him in confusion.
“Eat,” he says.
Okay, I’m going to opt for doing what the scary demon says. And, hello? Bacon. I’d be crazy to say no to that anyway.
I keep my eyes fixed on Gray as I gingerly pick up a piece and start eating. He watches me chew for a few long minutes and thennods and strolls away with his own plate of bacon and two cups of coffee.
When I’m completely sure he is gone, and way out of earshot, I turn to Pink.
“What the hell was that about?”
Pink chuckles and sips his coffee. I glare at him until he relents.
“Mal’s like your adopted dad, right?” he says.
I snort. “Grandpa, more like.”
“Point is, he took you in and looked after you?”
“Yeah,” I admit.
What has this got to do with bacon? I’m so confused right now.
