“You were?” he asked, sounding surprised.
He genuinely didn’t know. Did that mean he couldn’t read my mind when he wasn’t present?
“Yeah, but I take it back,” I grumbled.
“Come now, Chase, don’t be so moody.”
“You just got me fired. Sorry that I can’t be happy about it,” I ground out in a low hiss. “Look, can you just leave me alone for a while?”
“But I already gave you two a generous amount of alone time,” he whined.
“Not us. Me.”
Faust went abruptly silent, but it wasn’t because of my plea.
“You’re being watched,” he warned.
I stilled. The last time he said that, Sagitta’s scary younger brother had been hunting me down like prey. I risked a glance over my shoulder, but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. It was just a boring corner of the mall populated by a phone kiosk and a failing clothing brand.
Still, a telltale itch crept along my spine. Faust was telling the truth. I didn’t want to find out if it was Cygnet or not. At this point, I just wanted to go home and wallow. And as much as I wanted to simmer in my feelings alone, it would’ve been rude to leave without my roommate, so I headed back to the food court to find Sagitta.
Besides, if Cygnetwasstalking me, I wanted Sagitta by my side.
“Chase?”
I spun around at the familiar feminine voice. “Lily?”
She beamed, running towards me with multiple bags hanging off her arms. “Oh my god, hi!”
I gave her a quick hug and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“That store is going out of business, so they’re having a big closeout sale. I got so many cute dresses,” she chirped. “What about you?”
“Uh, it’s a long story, but I got fired today.”
Her face fell. “Oh no! Why?”
I hesitated. Sagitta said I should keep my possession a secret, but if anybody deserved to know the whole story, it was my best friend.
We sat down on a nearby bench and I told her everything. The possession at the party, the failed exorcisms, Sagitta moving in for a week, our intimate tryst, and finally, the shit show at my job earlier.
Lily listened intently, never looking judgmental or doubtful. When I finished, she asked, “Wow... So now what?”
“I dunno. I’m out of work, I just got in a fight with Sagitta, and I’m still possessed.” I let out a weary laugh. “Do you actually believe all the shit I just told you?”
Her eyes were soft. “Chase, of course.” She put her manicured hand on top of mine. “You were the only person who believed me when I first came out as a woman. Now it’s my turn to support you.”
Her comforting words washed over me, soothing and kind.
“Oh, hang on, that reminds me,” I said, then reached into my pocket for the pin. “I got you something.”
When I handed her the gift, she beamed and threw her arms around me. Her skin was soft, and lightly perfumed.
“You’re sweet, Chase. Thank you,” she said as she pulled away, smiling.
My crappy mood dissipated like mist in the morning sun. Now I felt embarrassed for my outbursts.
Sagitta was right. Iwasactingchildish earlier. I grimaced when I remembered his hurt expression, the pain in his eyes that I caused.
