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“Well, I’m sorry you’ve ever had to be strong because of me,” I said gruffly.
She was still watching me as if she wasn’t sure what to make of me. Then she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
“If we don’t find anything based on the journals, Stellan… if we don’t find anything in the Demon’s house…”
My heart twisted. I didn’t think I could stand living like this much longer, and I didn’t think my mom could, either. “Yeah?”
She inhaled again, as if she were steeling herself. “I think I need to go talk to the Demon.”
Chapter11
Aurora
"Let's get ice cream," Stellan said suddenly.
I looked at him, confused at his response to what I’d just said. “Did you hear what I said?”
“That’s our Hail Mary play. I don’t want you visiting the Demon unless we have no other choice.”
I chewed my lip. I didn’t want to see the Demon unless it was our last choice either.
“Didn't we just get done eating?" I finally said, Stellan’s changing personality giving me whiplash, as usual.
"Would you usually not finish breakfast?" he asked.
My stomach grumbled at his question. Those fuckers had interrupted our breakfast. And why shouldn't I have ice cream right now? In the past week alone, I'd been kidnapped multiple times and almost raped. That had to give you some kind of license to live outside the rules.
Although, who was I kidding? When had I ever lived by the rules?
"Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to stall?" I asked, biting my lip as I looked out the window. It was weird. Breakfast, now ice cream. Sex in the bathroom. Where was the urgency?
It was almost like he'd given up hope before we even really got started.
He hesitated a moment, and then finally shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I am. Now that we’re here, it's almost like I can feel what we’re going to find. I’m scared to get to the end," he said softly.
I wanted to tell him not to think like that. I wanted to be the voice of optimism that this time this sort of story would end happily. The girl gets found after years alive and unharmed, or at least not harmed enough that therapy can’t help.
Maybe we both thought that that was just wishful thinking.
"Ice cream it is."
Stellan surprised me when he didn't go to the shop we always used to go to. Instead, he headed across town next to the main park.
"When did this place open?" I asked, studying the sign suspiciously, because ice cream was life and I wasn't big on trying unproven places.
Stellan snickered. "It's good," he promised, before hopping out of the car. When he came around to my side and acted like he was going to open up my door for me, I was sure that an alien had inhabited his body.
Despite the heart-to-heart we’d just had, Stellan and Aurora weren’t just going to be awesome after one conversation. What was that saying? “Rome wasn't built in a day.” In this case, it was more like Rome hadn’t been destroyed in a day, and it wasn't going to be rebuilt in one.
Okay, I was definitely rambling to myself. I crossed my arms in front of me just in case he got some idea to try and hold my hand again. Although I really wanted him to hold my hand.
We walked inside, the cool air of the shop rushing over me. A happy-looking woman with snow-white hair was standing beside a long display case holding an assortment of ice cream options. Her face lit up even more when she saw us.
I wondered what it would feel like, for someone to describe your face as happy looking, to wear a smile that looked untouched by the world.
"Stellan," she said vibrantly, "I didn't know you were in town. And look at your pretty girlfriend," she cooed.
I opened my mouth to set her straight, because one thing we were not, was a couple, but Stellan shocked the hell out of me once again today by throwing his arm around my waist as he led me towards the counter.
