Without knowing why, she grabbed his hand and soothed her thumb over his knuckles.
Unshed tears glistened in his eyes as he spoke.“It just made me so angry.There were so many things Emerson never told me, and I always wondered if I’d been a better person, a better brother, if he’d have opened up to me.”He scrunched up his face and pressed his fingers into his eyes.“He never told me anything.We were twins, and we were supposed to be each other’s other half, but…he hated me.I was constantly fucking up, and I haven’t even learned my lesson.He’s dead, but it should have been—”
“No,” Skye interrupted.“No, Remi.”
His jaw trembled.
She squeezed his hands between hers.“No one should have died, but you don’t get to wish you took his place.All you can do is live your life.Live it for him.”
“He’d be so disappointed in me,” Remi said.
Skye wasn’t equipped to comfort someone.She had no idea what grief felt like.“When my mom died,” she said.“I didn’t cry because demons don’t have feelings like humans do, but there was this…pressure.A heaviness in my chest that hasn’t ever really gone away.”She shook her head.“What I’m trying to say is that I know how it feels to be uncomfortably changed by something you can’t control.And it sucks.”
Remi gave her a sad smile.“Yeah, it really does.”
Skye bit the inside of her lip as she angled her body toward him and slid her hands from his wrists, over his forearms, up his biceps, and along his neck, to tilt his face up to meet hers.“It might not mean much coming from me, but I’m proud of you.I was so proud to be Tilted Haze’s band manager.Every show you guys put on, every song you sang, I could feel the passion in it.The fans feel it too.And you should be proud of yourself for that.Your talent, your hard work.It’s incredible.”
Remi leaned forward, planting one hand behind her.Their faces were close enough that she could feel his breath on her lips.“Why did you come, Skye?You could have left me in jail.I wouldn’t have blamed you.No one would have.Not after how I treated you, but you came back.Was it for the bargain?”
Skye averted her gaze.Remi gave her the perfect excuse.She could tell him it was for the bargain, even as the truth was ringing in her head.
Because demons aren’t supposed to get addicted to a soul.Because, even without yours, sitting next to you is the first time I’ve been able to inhale a full breath in weeks.
“I believe in the band,” Skye said.“I want to see you guys get everything you want.Everything you deserve.”
Remi hummed in acquiescence.Skye wondered if he could hear the unspoken words behind those two sentences.I believe inyou.I want to seeyouget everythingyouwant and deserve.
The arm that was at Skye’s back inched closer.Remi’s free hand cupped her jaw.“I want…”
Skye fluttered her eyes shut as he pressed his lips to hers.Quick, chaste, gentle.
But his palm on her face felt off, too smooth.She opened her eyes and pulled his hand down, cradling it within her own.The skin was pink like a wound had healed with new skin.
“What happened?”she asked.
“It’s nothing.”
“It looks like a burn…” Skye furrowed her brows and met his sheepish gaze.
“You…when you left.Before.I, uh, I tried to stop you from leaving, and the flames burned me.It was stupid.I shouldn’t have put my hand in the fire.I think I just assumed they weren’t like burning flames.It was dumb.It’s fine now.”
“Remi…” Skye said, something was cracking open inside her.“I’m s-s-orry.”The last word was croaked out, choppy from never having been said with any sincerity before.Demons didn’t feel contrition, but Remi’s physical pain made something claw her insides.She didn’t like it.
“It’s fine—it’s my own fault.”
“No,” she said, gritting her teeth.There was a weird sensation building inside her.She took a moment to try to decipher it, to approximate where it was located, but could only feel a growing pressure behind her eyes, a thickness in her chest, and then it hit her.
Remorse.Was this a demon’s version of remorse?
She cleared her throat and tried again.“It’s not just that.I’m sorry for manipulating you.For getting you fired from your job.For forcing your hand with the bargain.For making your life harder.”
She didn’t really regret everything she’d done, but she meant the apology.She didn’t want to manipulate him or his emotions anymore.
Remi yanked his hand from hers, and Skye didn’t blame him.He probably didn’t even believe her—she could hardly believe herself.
But he’d only pulled his hand away to resume cupping her cheek.Both hands held her face, his thumbs stroking along her cheekbones.“I’m sorry too, Skye.I—I know that I blamed you for a lot of stuff that wasn’t your fault.I just needed someone to be angry at.It wasn’t fair to do that to you.”
She shook her head.“It makes sense.Of course you didn’t trust me.”
