Page 38 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
Our eyes met across the room, and the bond between us surged with such ferocity that I had to grip the edge of the table to steady myself. Her expression was guarded, uncertain. Hurt still lingered there, along with something that might have been longing.
Or perhaps that was merely my own wishful thinking.
Rita appeared behind her, saying something that made Rosie force a small smile. They made their way to the table, and I felt my body tense as Rosie approached. Would she sit beside me? Would she avoid me altogether?
She paused beside the chair next to mine, her fingers tightaround the charm.
"You left this at the door," her voice soft for my ears alone.
I nodded once, not trusting myself to speak.
After a moment's hesitation, she slipped the charm into her pocket and took the seat beside me. The relief that flooded through me was embarrassingly intense. Rita sat across from us, her shrewd eyes missing nothing as they darted between Rosie and me.
"Sleep well?" Rita asked Rosie with pointed concern.
"Like a baby," Rosie lied. I could hear the falsehood in her heartbeat, smell the fatigue on her skin.
"And you?" Rita turned her interrogation to me.
"Adequately," I replied smoothly, though I hadn't slept at all. How could I, when every instinct I possessed demanded I be at Rosie's side?
The tension between us was interrupted by a commotion at the entrance. Stephany had arrived. Roger stood and made his way to her side. Her eyes scanned the room until they found Rosie, a malicious smile spreading across her too-perfect face.
"Well, look who decided to join us after ruining my engagement celebration," she announced loudly enough for the entire room to hear.
Conversations halted. All eyes turned toward our end of the table. Rosie stiffened beside me, her hands clenching into fists on her lap. I fought the urge to cover them with my own, to protect her from this petty human's barbs.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rosie replied, her voice admirably steady despite the anxiety I could smell rolling off her in waves.
Stephany and Roger made their way to the table, taking seats directly across from us. Roger's face still bore the faint marks of my grip from the previous night, his neck bruised where I had nearly crushed his windpipe. Good.
"Oh, come on," Stephany drawled, serving herself from a platter of pastries. "Everyone's talking about your boyfriend's little episode. Attacking the groom-to-be? Really classy."
Whispers erupted around the table. I heard Rosie's name mentioned several times, along with mine. The speculation was rampant. Who was I really? Why had I attacked Roger?
If they only knew the truth, that I had nearly killed the man for daring to touch what was mine.
"I didn't attack anyone," my tone could have frozen hell. "I merely removed an unwelcome hand from my girlfriend's person."
Roger snorted, wincing as the movement clearly aggravated his headache. "Overreaction much? I was just talking to an old friend."
"By pinning her against a wall?" I inquired, my voice dangerously soft. The crystal water glass began to crack beneath my grip.
"It's not Rosie's fault her date has anger management issues," Stephany interjected with false sympathy. "Though I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. She always did have terrible taste in men."
The glass shattered in my hand. Water and tiny shards spilled across the tablecloth as conversations around us died completely. I felt my control slipping, the rage building within me. My vision began to blur at the edges, and I knew my eyes were starting to change.
But before I could respond, before I could do something I would regret, Rosie pushed back her chair and stood.
"That's enough," her voice rang clear through the dining room.
Stephany's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"I said that's enough." Rosie's hands were steady now, her chin raised in defiance. "Let's get a few things straight. First, your little prank last night? You telling me you needed me in the garden, just so you could laugh about me standingalone like an idiot? Real mature, Steph. Really showing your wedding guests what a class act you are."
Stephany's mouth fell open. "I didn't-"
"Save it," Rosie cut her off. "And second, Roger, you weren't 'just talking' to me. You were drunk, you were disgusting, and you were trying to feel me up against a wall while telling me how I was 'the one that got away.' Which is hilarious considering you were the one who cheated on me with my stepsister."
