Page 31 of Fighting My Demons

I look over my shoulder to see him next to the mailboxes. I nod, walking over to him.

Tank honks the horn before driving off down the road with my brother.

“I rang Latham and let him know he was here.”

“Why would you ring Latham?” I ask Jack.

“Because aren’t you two together?”

“What? No! I work with him. That’s it.”

Geez, what the hell is going on with everyone assuming I am dating?

“Ah, never mind. But he was concerned and asked me to call if I saw Brian around here,” Jack tells me, and I sigh before walking back to the staircase leading up to my apartment.

“Just call if you need me, Bella. You know where I am,” Jack tells me.

“Yeah. Thanks, Jack,” I tell him as I walk up the steps to my apartment.

On the plus side, I have my car back, but something is definitely off with my brother. But the first thing I am doing when I get inside is looking for another apartment. I can't stay here. They are causing me more trouble living next door, and if they keep interfering, someone is going to get hurt. Getting inside, I toss everything on the counter before hunting for my laptop. Setting up, I go to make a coffee when I hear a knock on my door.

“Bella, open the door,” Latham says.

“Fuck sake,” I whisper to myself before throwing the door open. I groan when I see all three of them standing there.

“If you are here, who is manning the office?”

“Had calls diverted,” Latham says, holding up his phone.

I roll my eyes, and Latham pushes past me and walks inside.

“By all means, come on in,” I fume.

Blaine pecks my cheek on his way in while Xavier pecks my lips, and I swat at his arm, making him chuckle. I shake my head, going to make coffee while they walk off to the living room.

“Black, please,” Latham calls, and I flip him the bird behind his back.

“With less attitude, Bella. Oh, and hold the spit,” Latham says, and I roll my eyes.

I should spit in his coffee, but he would probably still like it.

Chapter Nineteen

Latham

As soon as Jack rings, I pack up and immediately leave work. Blaine and Xavier also do the same the moment they see me pack up my desk. I don’t have to tell them; they’ve overheard Jack on the phone, and I asked him to keep an eye on her until we get back. It irritates me that I can't just mist over to her. Bella is still unaware of what we are; if I just pop out of thin air, she will question us or think she has gone insane. The longer I have been around her, the stronger the urge is to tell her what we are. Maybe then she would feel safer, or maybe she would freak out, like any normal, sane person would do, and out us to the world.

Sitting on her couch, I can hear her muttering in the kitchen when I spot her laptop on the coffee table.

“Working from home?” I ask, looking over at her.

“No, I was bored,” she says, and I can taste the lie that leaves her lips.

Xavier raises an eyebrow at me while Blaine is staring at that weird box on her bookcase. I have been drawn to it, too, ever since she freaked out about me touching it. Blaine looks over his shoulder at her still standing in the kitchen, preoccupied with making coffee. I watch as he slips the lid off. Xavier, also noticing what Blaine is doing, walks over to her in the kitchen, blocking her view of him. I feel like I am betraying her, but she gives nothing away, and curiosity is getting the better of me.

Blaine pulls out a rolled-up green tank top, and I instantly see the blood stains coating it. I can hear Bella talking away with Xavier. He always has a way of keeping her calm and relaxed. It must be his carefree attitude and calm demeanor because he hardly uses his magic to get his way. He is balm to the soul. Looking back over at Blaine, he pulls out a newspaper clipping, and I walk over to him, taking it from him.

“Missing person?” Blaine whispers, looking over his shoulder toward the kitchen.