Page 64 of Sweet Venom

So I said the thing I always tell myself. The thing that makes it easier.

“Aren’t we all?”

It was safer that way. Easier to pretend that lying was just part of being human. But the truth was uglier. I’ve been lying to myself for years—telling myself I don’t feel this, that I never have. That Azariel doesn’t reach inside me in a way no one else ever has.

And lately... that lie is starting to fray. One breath, one look, one word from him—and I can feel it unraveling.

I cleared my throat when the air around us turned heavy. “Hey, at least we have one thing in common right?” I huffed, pretending like the thought of us having anything in common repulsed me.

And then it happened.

He smiled.

He fuckingsmiled.

And just like that, time collapsed around me. The world blurred at the edges, fading into shadows, because at that moment, there was only him.

If I thought the cold version of him—the sharp, untouchable god draped in silence—was beautiful, then this… this was something else entirely. His smile was rare. Dangerous. A sunrise cracking through a decade of storms. It felt like kissing the sun after years of drowning in rain.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

My heart pounded like it didn’t recognize the shape of my own chest anymore. I’d never seen him smile before—not even a hint of it. Not a twitch. Not a flicker. And this tiny, flickering ghost of joy was almosthuman.

Too human.

It wrecked me.

I tore my gaze away, fumbling for the one distraction that never let me down—my phone. My fingers moved faster than my thoughts, unlocking the screen before I could fully process what the hell was happening inside me.

My chest ached. Just like it used to—on the nights we’d sit in the rose garden and read under the stars. Back when I pretended the sound of his voice didn’t keep me awake long after he was gone.

I focused on the glowing screen, desperate to tether myself back to the world outside of him. Notifications exploded across my phone the second it unlocked.

Messages. Dozens of them.

Artemis: Girl, you’re famous. If I had a heart, it would totally hurt. You didn’t say shit.

Mom: Love bug. Look. (An attachment followed—some kind of post.) Told you.

Vade: Way to go, sis. Your filthy books are blowing up! ;)

Dad: You’re finally getting the recognition you deserve. So proud of you, my heart.

Uncle Enzo: That’s my girl.

My fingers froze. My pulse didn’t slow—it only got louder.

I frowned.What the hell was going on? What are they talking about?

My fingers moved almost on instinct as I scrolled through my social media feed, expecting… I don’t even know what. But definitelynotthis.

My breath caught.

There it was.

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