Page 34 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
I looked away, unable to meet his knowing gaze. "No."
"And why is that, I wonder?" he mused. "Afraid she might reject you? Or afraid she might accept you, demon and all?"
"You don't know what you're talking about," my voice was cold.
"Don't I?" Blackwood set his empty glass down on the stone wall. "I did you a favor tonight, clearing up that little mess. The least you could do is be honest with yourself, if not with me."
I remained silent, staring at the path Rosie had taken back to the house. The lights in our room window had just come on. She was there now, probably hurt and confused.
"She deserves better than me," the words dragged from some hidden place deep inside me.
"Perhaps," Blackwood agreed. "But fate rarely concerns itself with what we deserve." He turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing, those memory spells are effective but easily broken. I'd suggest you get your story straight."
With that, the man walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the ache in my chest.
Chapter Sixteen
CHAPTER 16: ROSIE
Islammed the door to our shared bedroom with enough force to make the antique wood frame shudder. My hands were still trembling from anger, from hurt, from the hundred conflicting emotions crashing through me like waves against a rocky shore. The elegant guest room that had seemed so romantic just hours ago now felt stifling, a golden cage.
"Take all the space you need," I muttered, mimicking my own words back to myself as I kicked off my heels. "God, I'm such an idiot."
I paced across the plush carpet, my stockinged feet silent as I moved. The gown that had made me feel like a princess now felt constricting, too tight across my chest where something painful was expanding, pressing against my ribs, making it hard to breathe.
"I know what you are, Aldaine," I whispered to the empty room, repeating what I'd said to him in the garden. "I've seen your true form. I'm still here."
But that wasn't enough. Whatever connection I thought we'd been building these past days with the heated glances, the protective touches, the way his eyes followed me like I was something precious, had clearly meant something different to him than it had to me.
My reflection caught my eye in the ornate full-length mirror beside the wardrobe. I barely recognized the woman staring back. Her makeup was smudged at the corners, red hair tumbling from what had been an elegant updo, cheeks flushed with emotion. She looked lost. Vulnerable. Nothing like the confident woman who had walked into the engagement party on a demon's arm.
"He's dangerous, especially to you," I echoed his warning, watching my reflection's lips move with the words.
What had he meant by that? Why especially to me? The question had hung between us, heavy and significant, before he'd shut down completely, his beautiful face closing like a door being slammed in my face.
With shaking fingers, I reached behind to unzip my dress, needing to be free of the constriction. I struggled with the zipper, my frustration mounting until tears pricked at my eyes.
"Damn it!" I hissed, arms contorted awkwardly behind my back.
A soft knock at the door made me freeze.
"Rosie?" Rita's voice called through the wood. "You in there?"
Relief washed through me. "Come in," I called, quickly wiping at my eyes.
Rita slipped in, already changed into yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, her face scrubbed clean of makeup. One look at me and her expression shifted from casual to concerned.
"Whoa," she crossed the room in quick strides. "Turn around, I'll get that for you."
I obeyed silently, turning to present my back to her. I feltthe gentle tug as she worked the zipper down, her fingers efficient but careful.
"There," her voice kind. "Now, you want to tell me why you're up here crying instead of downstairs wrapped around that walking sex god of yours?"
A laugh escaped me, but it sounded hollow even to my own ears. "I'm not crying."
"Uh-huh. And I'm not nosy." Rita flopped onto the bed, patting the space beside her. "Spill it, girl. What happened?"
I sank down beside her, holding my dress up with one hand across my chest. "Nothing happened. We just needed some space."
