Chapter Two #3
Then, her eyes, bright and curious, were back on mine. And I panicked, just for a moment. Would she recognize me? Would my glamor slip? Traum had said before that his own sometimes flipped around Bailey because she saw him for what he was.
But, this woman, who I knew so intimately, didn’t blink.
While I should be glad, something deep in my gut twisted.
I shook myself free of it a moment later.
“My name is Lulu.” With a smile, she held out one hand, the tips of each nail delicately painted.
I stared down at her hand, realizing for the first time that I wasn’t ready to touch her.
Because the evil, dark part of my heart still wanted me to have a very different kind of effect on her.
Because in her dreams. She’d begged for me. She’d talked to me. We bonded.
And, it didn’t matter to my stupid demonic heart, I wanted that same closeness here too, in the living world.
“Oh, uh. Okay.” Lulu slowly dropped her hand, awkwardness invading the space between us instantly.
“Sorry, I don’t like to touch people.”
The awkwardness only rose to be thicker, more tense. I needed to fix this or back off. I could almost feel her growing unease.
“I promise it’s not you,” I rushed on. “I’m just…oh God, I’m not good at this.”
To my surprise, she laughed now, the sweet sound registering in my mind and immediately taking root. “It’s okay. Really. I’m not offended. At least this time. Maybe next time we can work up to a handshake. Especially, since I greeted you by tackling you.”
I couldn’t stop the stupid smile on my face. “I think it might have been me who tackled you. And, next time?”
White teeth bit into that soft lower lip that I had fantasized about so many times.
But now, I waited, my heart pounding in my chest. After a moment, she picked up a pen that had fallen to the sidewalk during my rescue and slipped it into her pocket.
When she met my eyes again, there was a soft smile on her mouth.
“Even if my newbie radar was off before, that definitely sealed your identification.” She looked over her shoulder the way she’d been going. And, then, another quick glance as she started to back away from me. “This is Salus Glen, Zaldi. It’d be impossible to not see me around.”
With that, Lulu raised her hand and gave me a soft fluttering wave which I returned.
And then, smooth as butter, she swiveled and began to walk back down the sidewalk towards main street.
And I tried not to stare. I tried to bring my eyes to my legs, to dust off the imaginary dirt as she had. But, I couldn’t help but watch as she made her way away from me.
That was until a sharp poke in my ribs nearly sent me flying into an unassuming shrub. “Holy Gods,” I twisted away from the pain, turning to stare at my new sister. “Bailey, what the fuck?”
I rubbed at the spot, unable to stop myself from checking to see if Lulu had heard the commotion. She hadn’t.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I told her, giving my glaring sister my attention again.
“I scared you? Aren’t you supposed to have superhuman senses or something?”
“Or something,” I grumbled back.
“Okay, well, if you hadn't been mooning over her, then maybe you would’ve heard me coming. Especially since I was all but yelling your name.”
“I wasn’t mooning.”
Bailey stepped under the shade of a local businesses awning.
One quick look told me the brightly colored window read Nick Knacks in swirling, elaborate writing.
“You were one hundred percent mooning,” Bailey hissed, leaning in as a grin stole across her face.
I could feel my neck heating, even in the mild weather.
“Okay, fine. Mooning. But, what the heck are you doing here?” I glanced around us. “Did you follow us?”
Bailey snorted but quickly ducked under my gaze. “Maybe?”
“Fuck, why are you doing that? Are you okay? Do you need Traum?”
“No,” Bailey looked apologetic now, “I heard what he said. That he wants you to stay away from her. But, I have a feeling I don’t have the full story. When I asked him, he said it wasn’t his story to tell. So, yes. I followed you.”
My shoulders drooped. I was relieved that my brother hadn’t just spread my stories to his new mate, but now, the unfortunate task of explaining my inability to function as an incubus to my new sister fell to me.
My face must’ve said everything. Her voice softened, the kindness I loved so much from her surrounded us in an instant. “You don’t have to tell me anything. But, if you want someone, not Traum, to hear your side of things. I’m here for you. I just wanted you to know that.”
For a long moment we stared at each other, the soft noises of a small town happening all around us. The gratitude in my chest could not make it up and out of my throat, for the fear that clogged it there. Because if she knew everything, she would no doubt come to the same conclusion I already had.
And I wasn’t sure I wanted that.
Not yet. This secret, no matter how big, was still mine and mine only. I would share it, but not yet.
Because the moment my brother found out that I too had a human mate, he was going to lose his fucking mind.