Page 73 of My Roommate from Hell
That means his birthday is close to Ashley’s, which is August eleventh. That would mean he’s a Leo, like her. She’s the one who taught me about star signs, after I noticed how many books she has on the subject in her room. A pang of missing her hits me right in the chest.
“You’re such a cheater,” I say.
“It’s in my nature.”
I lean against the one clean spot of bench I can see. I feel a little bad for Madison and Evie, as they’re clearly going to have a huge clean-up job tomorrow. Almost every inch of bench space is covered in empty bottles and cans.
There’s a moment of quiet, and I appreciate him coming here. I’m still not completely sold that this is his idea of fun, but he’s at least giving it a good shot. Then I remember he’s only doing this because of our deal. If it weren’t for that, there’s no way he’d be here.
“What’s wrong?” he says. “Did I say something?”
“No,” I say. “You’ve been great.”
“Then what is it?”
“I just remembered you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our pact.”
“Oh. If you’d asked me, I would’ve come to this. Deal or not.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, of course. It might not seem like it, but I’ve liked you from the start, Greene. And I wanted you to like me.”
I chew my lip, and the air becomes a little heavy. It’s not awkward, exactly, I’m just not sure what to say to that. I could tell him that I liked him from the start, but he’d know that’s a lie. I remember matcha lattes and smiles across the room, and know he is at least telling the truth. He has always tried, at the very least.
“What did you think of the game?” I ask instead.
“Loved it,” he says. His ruby pendant flickers red, like a candle being blown out. “By the way, I have an idea. Do you trust me?”
“About as far as I can throw you.” I crack a smile so he can tell I’m joking. Still, intuitively, I fold my arms over my chest. “What’s your idea?”
He takes the full cup from me, and our fingers brush. Sparks run down my arms, the sensation alarmingly strong. What the hell was that? I hope it’s some sort of demon magic, or my natural response when touched by an attractive boy. I don’t want to feel this way because he, specifically, is touching me. He moves in closer, so he’s right in my personal space. The air feels so warm it’s nearly hot. It’s so different from how it felt when Tyrell came close. He’s an attractive guy, too, but with Zarmenus it’s noticeably different, and not just because of the heat radiating off him.
“Hop up on the bench,” he says, his voice low.
“What?”
“Quick, someone’s coming.”
He puts his hands on my waist and lifts me up like I weigh nothing, putting me onto the bench. I know I’m not the biggest guy or anything, but he shouldn’t have been able to pick me up with that much ease.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Shh. Wrap your legs around me.”
He moves into the gap created by my legs, lifting his hands so they’re near my face. I do as he asked, putting my legs around his.Both his hands cup the sides of my face, and he leans in closer, as if to kiss me. I’m so shocked I can’t move. But he stops, his lips an inch away from mine. This close, his eyes are one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen. They’re amber speckled with fiery orange, the color flickering like flames. This close, there’s no missing who, or what, he really is. No human has eyes like this.
“What?” he asks.
“Your eyes—they’re so pretty.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same about yours.”
Someone gasps. It’s Avery. He skids to a stop and his mouth drops all the way open.
“No. Fucking. Way.”
“Avery, wait!” calls Zarmenus, springing back from me just as his plan becomes clear. We’re supposed to be dating, and if we were, we would probably be making out at any given opportunity. What better way to start spreading the word of our relationship than getting caught doing something illicit? What better way to sell people who might be skeptical than by making them think we don’t want them to know about us?
