“Great! The new lighting is going in today. I can’t imagine what that fight looked like with how bad of shape the restaurant was in.”
“How’s retirement, old man?” Asmo says to Dax.
“I’m not retired,” he says back.
“I thought that’s what fucking the boss’s daughter got you. A cushy pension and no administrative work.”
Dax furrows his brows. “My job right now is to train Blair.”
“Right,” Asmo says, rolling his eyes, and I watch Dax stiffen.
I had a feeling that this was coming, that Dax doesn’t like being cooped up in this small town. I want to talk to him more about it, but he’s been so invested in helping me learn how to be a demon I didn’t know how to bring it up. Maybe Hell is the right place to have this conversation.
“Caramel apple?” Stevie asks and I nod my head, Dax letting go of my hand as I follow her to the booth. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?”
“Stevie,” I sigh. As much as I can tell, Dax doesn’t want to be here. I also have had the itch to spread my wings. I’m not sure if it’s from being able to embrace what I really am or everything that happened with my coven and mother. Hallowsdeep doesn’t have the same tether on me as it used to.
“I’m not mad. I’m just going to miss you. You promise to visit as much as you can?” she says, her big, watery eyes pleading with me.
“I promise. What about you and Asmo?”
“Well, he’s a demon and I’m a witch. He has things to do in Hell, and well, I’m here.”
“If anyone can get you a hall pass into Hell, it’s probably me.”
She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. “If anyone is worth going to Hell for, it’s you. You’re my best friend, Blair.”
I hug her even tighter. “This is pathetic. We’re not driving off a fucking bridge in a Ford Thunderbird. I’ll always come back to town. I think I need to see more of the world. Well, the universe. I guess universes?”
Stevie sniffles and wipes her eyes. “I just wish that I could be with you and Asmo and that Kas never left.”
“I know, Stevie.” I hug her one more time before I order our caramel apples and we rejoin the guys. Stevie gives Asmo a bite and I do the same for Dax. I can’t help but laugh when he gets frustrated with how big of a bite he tries to take.
There’s a clearing of a throat behind us, and we turn to see Ryan standing there. “Dad, Blair,” he says.
“Hey, Ryan,” Dax replies.
“Can I talk to you two for a minute?”
“Sure.” Dax takes my hand. Stevie gives me a wincing look over my shoulder as I follow Dax and Ryan through the street. I nearly trip over a pumpkin before picking up the train of my dress and stepping over it.
“I was hoping you would want to speak,” Dax says, and I can hear the yearning in his voice. But as I look at Ryan, who is looking at our joined hands, all I can feel is regret. Remorse for how this all went down. I don’t feel bad for the things I did to Ryan, necessarily, just the aftermath.
“I think maybe we could be friends, like when you’re in town we get lunch friends. I don’t think I have the capacity for much else than that. But as far as you two go, it’s none of my business. And Blair?”
“Yes?”
“I never apologized for how I treated you, and I hope you’re happy with Dax.”
“Thank you, and I’m sorry for how everything happened. I care about Dax a lot, and I appreciate you putting aside what I did to give him a chance. He really is someone worth knowing.” If only Ryan knew a fraction of who Dax is. Sadly, I don’t think that will ever happen. We will watch Ryan age as we stay the same. I can’t imagine how Dax has had to come to terms with that.
Dax smiles down at me and squeezes my hand. “So the next time I’m in Hallowsdeep maybe we can check out the renovations that Stevie makes to Hex,” Dax says to Ryan.
“That would be nice. I’d enjoy that.” Ryan goes to walk away but stops himself by spinning on his heel against the pavement of the road. “I hate to ask, but do either of you know what happened to Clover?”
“No,” Dax and I both say at the same time. Ryan nods his head.
“Well, see you around.”
