A glassy, faraway look that makes this woman look more dead than alive.
What have they done to you?
Clogged in my throat, the question doesn’t make it past my mouth.
Memories surge forward, a VCR tape casted hundreds of thousands of miles from here. A black and white film replaying the nights when Jasper would have to pull my drunken ass off a barstool. The hours he spent with Horace carrying my rambling form back to the hanger.
The nights when Mae would splash cold water on my face to stop the screaming.
You can’t erase the demons but you can change the perspective. Wash away the sorrow with stolen moments, cherished recollections that hold more laughter than tears.
Staring at the woman in front of me, I can’t help but think that’s what Calista Drache is missing. A support system that’s messy and tangled but so fucking beautiful you want to thank every deity out there for giving you a taste of unconditional love.
The kind that fills you up so there’s no risk of injurywhen you fall back down.
“Did you climb through the window again?”
Her brow lifts, that same empty smile gracing her lips.
“Found a side entrance through the kitchen, actually.” I scan her face for an answer I already know, “Do you park your car in the garage?”
“Are you planning on robbing me?”
“Not tonight.” A rueful grin hits my lips, “Tonight, we’re going for a drive.”
“We?”
“You and me, darling.”
Her eyes narrow but I catch the curiosity flare to life.
The spark of something vibrant, something fighting to keep itself alive.
“I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll like this one.” Extending my hand, I feel my breath catch as I wait for her to take it, “Come on. Let’s see whether you can put that hellcat to use.”
She eyes my hand wearily, her body still tucked safely in Ronan’s bed.
“You should know, Devil, I do not lose to a man.”
“And you should know, Miss Drache, I do not lose to anyone.”
She snorts, releasing the first genuine sound I’ve heard from her tonight.
“We shall see about that.”
I came here tonight as a lover, a fuck buddy to pass the time with.
But as Calista takes my hand and lets me pull her to her feet, it feels like we leave the bathroom with something more.
A friend.
Chapter 35
CALISTA
The light blinks red.
