Page 114 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
“Ihaveto. It might be the only way to keep you from getting hurt.”
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t do this to me.” Tears welled in her eyes. “You can’t leave without me giving you a name. You can’t.”
“I can’t leave this realm, but I can be away from you, and that may be enough. The last thing I want to do is leave you.” He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “The only thing I want less than that is you getting hurt.” He backed away. “It’s the only way I can ensure your safety.”
“It doesn’t ensure my safety. You’re doing it again. You’re pushing me away for nothing!” Hot tears spilled down Kat’s cheeks. “You can’t do anything. I can’t do anything. You leaving would be a shot in the dark, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.” She threw her arms up and wiped her tears with her sleeve. “It doesn’t look good, but I’m tired of waiting for them to tear us apart and not having my last moments with you be good.” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He groaned and held her in the kiss, clutching her close.
“If we’re going to lose each other, it’s going to be because of someone else,” Kat spoke against his lips. “Not because you left me, hoping for the best. That’s ridiculous, and you know it. Don’t find more ways to be afraid. Can’t you just be with me and make it good as long as it lasts?”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.” His body ached to wrap around her, and his soul yearned to be good enough to stay with hers. “I’m so sorry I put you in danger.”
“I’m not sorry. I’d do it again if it meant getting to love you all over.” She stood on her toes and pressed her forehead to his. “I spent months grieving the fact my dad and I had a stupid fight before we left the house the day of the accident. It was tiny and meant nothing, and we made up, but I still hurt because I spent twenty minutes being mad over something that didn’t matter, and that was twenty minutes less I got to have with my dad before I couldn’t see him again.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “So, I don’t want my last twenty minutes, or last twenty days, or last whatever amount of time to be spent away from you, hurting. I want to spend itwithyou. Not checking the window every five seconds. Not jumping at every sound. I just want to be with you and love you.”
Nex pulled her into a hard kiss, paying close attention to the curve of her lips so they’d become a permanent memory. “Why are you so fucking perfect?” he murmured against her mouth. “I’m sorry, Katherine. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been this vulnerable.”
“It’s a first for both of us, so how about instead of picking fights, we take it on together? Maybe it won’t work out in our favor, but at least we won’t give up on each other.” She kissed his cheek and left her lips there, memorizing the feeling.
“I’m sorry for hurting you.” Nex reveled in the soft touch of her lips, cursing himself from ten minutes ago. “Seeing you with someone else while I’m terrified of losing you,” his face crumpled, “wasn’t easy, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Trusting me would be a good way to avoid that.” Kat slid her hands behind his head. “Because Jeremiah’s probably going to spend more time here, and if you love me like you say you do, that shouldn’t be a problem. Should it?”
Nex stiffened, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Of course not. Why might he be around more?”
“Because he’s my friend and . . .”
“And what?”
“I’m setting him up with a guy from theater, but it has to be discreet because Jeremiah isn’t out yet.” Nex’s shoulders slumped in relief. “I volunteered to let them have a date here so they wouldn’t be stressed about someone seeing them together.” Kat gave Nex one of her smiles he cursed because they made him weak. “So, remember how I was supposed to help hand out supplies and lunches at that school tomorrow?” Nex opened his mouth to argue, and Kat silenced him with a finger against his lips. “Don’t tell me we have to stay home. Can a demon or angel come in here no matter what? Is there any way that staying in this house means we’re safer against people who can walk through walls?”
Instinct compelled him to argue, to say yes, they were safer at the house. Except they weren’t. Locked doors and windows wouldn’t slow down anything that came for them. They weren’t safe anywhere.
He sighed. “I guess not.”
“Okay, then I’m going tomorrow.”
Nex clicked his tongue. “We’regoing tomorrow.”
“And Jeremiah and Remy will be in the house while we’re gone.” She grinned. “I’m hoping it works out because I already came up with their couple name.”
“You what?”
“Yeah. It’sJeremy.” Her smile grew. “Isn’t it cute?”
“Cute.” Nex scrunched his face. “You couldn’t have mentioned he was gay before I got upset?”
“No.” Kat propped her hands on her hips. “Because it shouldn’t matter. I can have guy friends that are interested in women, right?”
Nex shuffled his feet. “Right.”
“Good. We’ll leave at eleven tomorrow.”
Nex tensed, and Kat draped her arms over his shoulders, looking up at him in a way that made him melt. The amount of power she held over him was disarming.
“I’m nervous,” he admitted.
“I won’t make us go, but what’s the point in living if we stay in this house and don’t live? You’re the one who told me I don’t enjoy life. Sitting here waiting for something to happen isn’t enjoying the time we have left.”
