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Nathan nodded but didn’t comment on my response. What was he thinking? We drove in silence. His car was nice. I never knew brands, but it was a deep auburn color and clean inside. The clock read 3:33 when it occurred to me to glance down at it because it had gotten dark already. I blinked. What did it mean when numbers like 3:33 or 2:22 popped up? I couldn’t remember, so I asked. Nathan looked at the clock and then over at me.
“People tend to consider it the angel signs. It means perhaps an angel is with you.”
I shook my head, laughing. “Do you think that’s who turned on my television?”
“Listen, I know this is going to sound crazy because I have angel blood, but the aspects of this that fall into religion? I don’t buy into it. I’ve never believed all of that stuff. There is something special about us, but we don’t know what the demons are and we can’t guess at what motivates an angel. No, I don’t think the angels, or whatever those creatures actually are, messed with your television. I also don’t think Cruise’s dead sister came to change the channels either. As far as I’m concerned, it’s probably someone with a remote.”
I opened my mouth to point out that it didn’t explain how the cabinet just flew open, but I closed my mouth before saying anything. My gut said he’d have an answer for that, too, if I said something. I was sure of it.
Just as sure as he was that ghosts weren’t channel surfing. I shook my head, turning to face him in the seat.
“How do younotbelieve it? I thought you were raised in the church or something.
He side-eyed me. “Because I know the people who were teaching it. I met the ones who believed strongly in it, and they weren’t people I’d buy a used car from, let alone a belief system.”
I smiled. “So you grew up here. Did you go to school here?”
“No.” He frowned. “We got sent away to school for a long time. Since my parents died, Maura is homeschooling Meg. She’s terrified someone will take her from us to force us to do what some demon wants. Because of that, Meg has stayed and been pretty pissed about it. She liked you, though. Regardless, she’ll leave next year, and there isn’t a thing we can do about it. She has the right to live her life. “
“I liked her, too.”
Getting sent away to school wasn’t something I ever worried about. Things couldn’t be more different between us, yet I figured we probably had more common ground than we realized. “Why are they protesting in the middle of the night?”
Maybe I should have asked myself the question earlier. Why were they out there holding signs in the middle of the night? It couldn’t solve anything. Protests were daytime activities.
“Why would they protest right now, anyway? It’s dark. No one is there to see them. Government offices are closed.”
Nathan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “You’re right. That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer. We’ll get you a phone, so you can text Cruise questions like that since he’s more likely to have an answer.”
I couldn’t just keep taking and taking from these guys. “I’m going to get a job, assuming I can convince anyone to hire the ex-possessed girl.”
“The ex-possessed get jobs all the time. What do you think you want to do?”
It was a good question and not one I wanted to answer. Deflect-deflect-deflect when I got uncomfortable, just like my mother taught me. Instead of answering, I asked, “Do you just like me because I can do exorcisms?”
He grinned. “Yep, that’s totally why I like you. Your ability to do what about a third of the people in my life can do. That is specifically why I spend time with you instead of all of them.”
I punched his arm and he laughed, throwing his head back. “Do you ask yourself all the time why you like people? Why do you like me? Danvers? I’m not going to say Cruise, because he’s triggering you tonight. But why do you like Danvers? Or do you maybe just like Danvers? You just do and you don’t overthink it.”
“I could completely tell you why I like Danvers.” I shifted in my seat. “Shall I get started?”
He held up his hand. “No. Obviously this is an Addalee thing. You know why you like everyone.” Nathan sighed. “I like you because you’re you. Because you are smart, funny, strong. I like the way you embrace who you are, and you’re not afraid of me.”
“Why would I be afraid of you?” Nathan was the least frightening person I knew.
“Have you seen my eyes change? Or the way I know things that don’t make sense? I am scary, Addalee. That is why I’m almost always alone despite the fact that I am really, truly trying to help people.”
I leaned over, which was harder than I thought it would be because of the seatbelt. Once I got close to him, I kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re not alone anymore. Okay? We’ll be together, at least until you get sick of me.”
He took my hand in his, keeping the other one on the steering wheel. “I won’t get sick of you. Also, how much of that is youand how much was the demon? Or maybe both can be true? How could a beautiful, talented person like you not think you’re wanted? Anyway, you avoided a work discussion. We’ll shelve it, though, because we’re here.”
We are?I looked around, spotting farmers carrying torches, walking back and forth, and chanting things about killing demons.
“I don’t think you can kill a demon.” Nathan sighed. “If they could be killed, we’d be doing it. They vanish when we exorcise them but that doesn’t kill them. They just go back to wherever. And apparently, if they exit a body by choice, they can just take another one. You know that firsthand.” He nodded toward Ryker. “Do you just want to walk over?”
I nodded. “I’m getting it out of him, right now. This time that bitch is being exorciced.”
