Claiming a Demon (Dallying with Demons Book 3)

Chapter 20

Sighing heavily,I launched into the last few days with Mal. I had been friends with Selene and Ingrid since I moved into this building and found them being harassed by some older couple on a power trip. I tore the older couple a new one and when they threatened to call the cops, I reminded them that they’d get into trouble for the same reasons they were shouting at me. They were harassing people first. They stormed off, and I made two new friends. Selene and Ingrid introduced me to the paranormal world and never made me feel stupid for asking off the wall questions.

“Hold on. He called you a paranormal chaser?”

I bobbed my head. “Yeah. He thought because I started hanging around Mal while he was going through something hard that I was manipulating him.”

Ingrid was a lot like me, always smiling, so to see the frown on her face was a little disconcerting. “Did you tell him you’d already been to the Other Realm before? Or that you already had paranormal friends?”

“I didn’t really get a chance. Mal wasn’t happy about the accusation and they all started yelling. Then the guy stormed off, and I sent Mal to go talk to him. How come you never told me about paranormal chasers?”

Ingrid shrugged. “We didn’t think it mattered. You’re not one, and it wasn’t like you needed to watch out for them. It’s seriously messed up that someone would accuse you of being one just because you were being kind.”

“Some asshole calling you names shouldn’t put you in this kind of funk, though. What else aren’t you telling us?” Selene demanded.

I sighed. I’d been hoping they’d latch onto what Aziel said and forget the rest. I should’ve known better. Selene especially was incredibly perceptive.

“I don’t know. I really like this guy and he seems really into the idea of a relationship, but…”

“But?” Ingrid urged when I didn’t immediately continue.

“But it sort of feels like he only wants to use me as a distraction. I mean, that’s sort of how we started out, but then we agreed to date, so I thought things changed. When he got back from talking to his friends, though, he teleported me away without a word and wouldn’t tell me what happened no matter how much I asked. The only thing he wanted was sex. Which is fine. I told him I’d distract him when he needed me to, but I’m getting really attached to him. I don’t want to get my hopes up and then end up heartbroken when his problems settle and he doesn’t need me anymore.”

Ingrid’s face softened, and she scooted in close, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Oh, Zach…”

Selene took my hand, leaning against my side. Surrounded by my friends, I felt a little better. They took a minute, just to show me they were there, before they started offering suggestions.

“Have you talked to him? If he was into the idea of a relationship, he should be open to communication,” Ingrid suggested.

I shook my head. “No, not yet. He was really upset tonight, and I didn’t want to add more to his plate.”

Selene made a face. “Okay, I get that, but don’t take on all the problems yourself instead. Your feelings matter too.”

Ingrid nodded in agreement. “If he’s not willing to take your needs into account, maybe he isn’t in the best place to start a relationship. You two could stay friends for now and wait until his life isn’t so chaotic to try again.”

I heard what they meant underneath it. I told them about Mal’s dad being sick and their tone had that same edge to it that Mal’s friends had. They didn’t see a positive outcome for Mal’s dad.

“Is there any chance his dad will pull through?”

When Ingrid flinched, my stomach sank.

“I’m sorry, Zach. I wish it was different. But the shadow plague is a little like the demon equivalent of stage four cancer in a virus form. The survival rates are slim. Healers all over are trying to figure out how to combat it, but without risking the healers themselves, it’s almost impossible.”

It was no wonder Mal looked so heartbroken. This was a lot worse than I thought.

“And if he goes to a healer’s facility? Does it change the odds at all?”

She tipped her head back and forth. “Possibly. It means his care is better managed, and there isn’t much of a wait if he takes a turn for the worst. It doesn’t guarantee anything, though. And a lot of paranormals only go to those facilities as a last resort. It gives them a bad rep, since they’re mostly used when things are too far gone to heal at home.”

Which was why Mal’s family was avoiding it. They didn’t want to admit things were that bad. I understood the urge to turn a blind eye, but it wasn’t helping anything. And it wasn’t helping Mal. Sucking in a deep breath, I let it out slowly.

“Okay. Thank you for explaining it to me. Maybe you’re right. If he’s going through all this, it would be wrong of me to expect a relationship right now.”

That didn’t mean I’d abandon Mal. I had been there for him since we met and I wasn’t going to stop now just because my feelings got hurt. I’d just curb my expectations. Put the relationship idea on the back burner for now. Maybe that would protect my heart enough that when Mal eventually ended things, I wouldn’t be so devastated.

* * *

I left Selene and Ingrid’s a lot later than I’d intended. In my defense, the brew kicked in and we all got a little silly when we were drinking. They brought me out of my funk and we played music and danced around until we were all laughing. Then Selene showed me what she was working on and went on a rant about having to make multiple trips to the Other Realm because she kept forgetting ingredients. I couldn’t stop laughing, and she was drunk enough that she could barely manage a scowl before she started laughing with me.

Ingrid fell asleep on the couch first. She was more affected by the brew than even I was, so it wasn’t really surprising. But when I started to nod off, I realized it was time to go. Selene walked me out, looking flushed, but still stable enough to function.

“Don’t work on spells while you’re drunk,” I warned her, nearly tripping over myself while putting my shoes back on.

“Hush, you. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m just saying, the last time you experimented while drunk, you burned your eyebrows off. I had to draw them on for weeks because when you did it, you kept drawing them crooked.”

She flipped me off, leaning heavily against the doorframe, but her face sobered as I stepped into the hall.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Giving her a tremulous smile, I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess.”

Selene wasn’t really the loving kind of friend. She was more the friend you drank and complained with and she was always down to hex an ex for me. So when she pulled me into a hug, I was surprised, to say the very least. I hugged her back tightly, soaking in her comfort.

“Just be careful, okay? If things don’t go the way this guy wants them to, then he’s going to be crushed. Don’t let him drag you down with him. You’re so full of light. You don’t need to take on someone’s darkness just because you’ve got feelings for them.”

Letting out a heavy breath, I took a step back. “I know. You’re right. I’ll do my best to just focus on the friend thing for now. I think you guys are probably right, and it’s a little unfair of me to ask for a relationship from him right now.”

She flashed me an apologetic look. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but–”

Waving her away, I took a few steps back. “You two are my best friends. It’s not your job to tell me what I want to hear. I’ll keep you updated, okay? And I want a text tomorrow morning so I know you didn’t explode yourself experimenting while drunk.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I love you, Zach.”

“Love you too. Give Ingrid a hug for me.”

She made a face, which made me cackle. She really wasn’t the hug it out type. Which made the earlier affection special. If I wanted cuddles, I went to Ingrid. But if Selene hugged me, it was to show that she cared.

Turning on my heel, I headed back to my apartment. I knew my friends were right. I was too attached to something so new and I was asking too much of Mal to treat me special right now. He needed a distraction and a friend who wasn’t pessimistic about his dad’s outcome. I could do that for him. I just had to put my feelings in a little box. It was the only way I could protect myself.