He knelt on the floor, Rosalind half in his lap as she held his face to hers, voice soft despite the circumstances. “Three colors and objects.”
The way her mouth continued to move, it wasn’t the first time she’d given the order, but somehow that one stuck.
“Your blue sweater. Dark brown walls. That hideous tan blanket.”
“Two breaths.”
The air caught in his lungs, tongue dry as he fought to obey. “I can’t?—”
“What do you smell?”
Dav’s first inhale was too desperate, but then he was trying again and again until something caught. Until his lungs were full again and his head wasn’t spinning so much. “Warm cinnamon and sugar.”
Rosalind slapped a hand over her mouth. “Fuck, I still have bad breath from breakfast?”
His head was just clear enough for him to laugh, or maybe it was a sob as he choked out, “I thought I was supposed to curse.”
He didn’t expect her to laugh, didn’t expect her to be here at all, so when her features softened into concern, that fear threatened to pull him rightback under.
“Hey, no,” she whispered, and then she was hugging him.
Dav didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know if he should wrap his arms around her or if he even deserved her touch. Didn’t know if he should push her away in shame or sink into her hold and never leave that comfort.
What he did do was collapse, like his entire body had lost its will to remain upright. But Rosalind was there, whispering soothing words against his temple and hair. Gentle, when all he deserved was her anger and the guilt crushing him from the inside.
His voice cracked as he buried himself against her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Her reassurances didn’t change, nor did the soft way she stroked his head and neck as she held him close.
“You should hate me for this. I never touched another demon the moment you came into my life, but I still… There were things I could still do to earn coin for the bakery… I’m so sorry,” he mumbled, unable to pull away. “Please, why don’t you hate me?”
“Why would I hate you?” Her arms tightened around him. “You know, I had a million things going through my head when I followed you. Maybe demon sex club wasn’t on the list, but the moment I saw you?”
Dav didn’t want to look, but her fingers were under his chin, tilting his head back so he could see those soft features where there should have been anger or betrayal or any other devastated emotion that she was justified in feeling.
Instead, there was a dampness lingering in the corners of her eyes as shesmiled.
She knew.
Somehow. Somehow this human knew every raw piece that Davarox had hidden for years. Not once had she accused him of something deplorable like cheating, as if she really did see and believe the good in him that he’d tried so hard to give her.
Her lips wobbled, eyes taking him in and soothing pain he had thought would never go away. “For what it’s worth, they are not paying you enough for whatever you’re doing here.” Some sound escaped him that he couldn’t identify and was probably disgusting, but her features were still bright. “Bet you’re wishing you’d never let me near your books.”
He wet his lips. “I wasn’t going to come back.”
“But you wanted a safety? In case the fundraiser didn’t go well?”
“I believe in it, but…”
“You’re always preparing for the worst-case scenario.”
“You can’t tell Laz.”
“Hey, of course not.” Rose adjusted her grip on him. “But you know he wouldn’t care about this, right? He cares aboutyou, not?—”
It was his face. It was the flinch of his eye or the clench of his jaw or some other minuscule flare of his nostrils that were too subtle for any demon to pick up. But this human, with her kind heart and ever-observant gaze who could strip him bare in seconds,saw it. Felt it.
Her sigh was audible. “You love him.”
