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Huff giggled, his long ears tickling my clavicle. “Where’s Baney? Class finished over forty-five minutes ago.”

“Yes, about that.” I placed the little Heechu onto my palm and held it in front of me, then it sunk in. Did I just understand him? My heart rabbited and I gasped. “You spoke English.”

He grinned, showing off his pointy smile and nodded. “Mhm.”

“What the hell, you little fuzz ball. Are you telling me we didn’t need Bane as a translator this entire time?”

His tails vibrated as his eye closed, and I worried I’d hurt him somehow until he broke into a fit of gurgley-growling laughter, rolling around on my palm. “I’m sorry, Meeky,” Huff said once he tamed his delight. “I couldn’t resist.”

I scowled at him, my lips twitching. “You’re lucky you’re so tiny and cute.”

Comfortable silence wrapped around us, Huff breaking it after a moment. “Anyway, where’s Baney?”

My stomach somersaulted. “Oh, right…Some, um, demons, who called themselves Freddy and Marv, took over his body.”

Huff’s fur bristled and his eye widened. “Not again.” He wrapped his ears around himself as if giving himself a hug and covered his eye with his two upper paws, letting out a gurgley-growl in Heechu that sounded suspiciously like a swear. “Do you know where they went?”

My lips tilted down. “No. Sorry, Huff. But they only left about a minute ago.” I pet the top of his head gently. “Does this happen often?”

“Thankfully, no. Not as much as it used to anyway. It’ll be okay, the Heechus and I will take care of it.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“It’s better if you leave it to us, Meeky,” Huff said, hugging my fingers with all three tails, then winked away.

“Oookay, then,” I grumbled, shaking my head and gathering my things.

CHAPTER 22

Fated Bestie

MIKO

Iknew walking and journaling at the same time was ill advised but I did so anyway. I had to. My metal state couldn’t remain stable much longer if I didn’t explore everything that happened in the fairytales.

I scoffed.

Not to mention, everything with Bane too, from our first kiss while in Beauty and Beast’s motherfucking castle, to him teasing me with his damn tail in a room full of people, to fingering me on the professor’s desk, to meeting his goddamn demon skullmates.

My anxiety hammered spikes into my stomach lining and I cringed, blowing out a stuttering breath. It. Was. A. Lot. I can’t take much more of this stress. My teeth ground together as I fully took in the horrendous handwriting on the page and fought the urge to rip it out and start over.

“About time you showed up, Koko.”

My eyes flew to Monstera’s narrowed ones as I looked up from my messy scrawl, then back down to the page. I closed my journal, hands shaking the barest amount, and clutched it to my chest.

I observed her casual stance, my gaze catching on the thumbs hooked into her flowing floral maxi dress’ pockets and shoulder leaning against my apartment door. Unfortunately, I knew her too well to believe her relaxed posture. My shoulder’s slumped. I shouldn’t have put off contacting her.

Nothing to do but withstand the inquisition.

“Where, in the unholy fuck, have you been?” Mo asked, throwing out her hands and aqua eyes wild, then wrapped me in a tight hug as I reached the bottom of the stairs. “I thought you died, asshole!”

She smothered my face against her neck, and I breathed in her signature scent soothing my nerves, and my arms wrap around her middle. “I’m sorry, Monswan,” I choked out.

Dammit, don’t cry. She’ll know something’s wrong if I do. Trying to ignore the way my nose burned and the back of my eyes heated, I squeezed her back. Hell, she already knows or she wouldn’t be here.

“Oh, Meeks,” Monstera said, rubbing my back. “Let’s get you inside and you can fill me in. Okay?”

I nodded against her shoulder, then we broke apart. How she always knew when I needed her most, I would never know. I would never stop being grateful for her presence in my life. Holding my journal tightly to my chest, my gaze drifted to Mo as she methodically stripped me of my backpack and patted my pockets. I laughed when a beautiful smile curved her lips and she extracted the skeleton key.