Twenty

Twenty

DESI

"So, you're telling me that Harry Styles is a demon?" Jace asks.

Pointing at the pantry, I open the door from across the room and float a bag of pasta to my outstretched hand, then pour it into the boiling water on the stovetop. For the past twenty minutes, Jace has flipped through pictures of celebrities, searching to see if they have a mark.

"You tell me. Do you see a mark?"

"It's well hidden in his tattoos, but it's there. That dude seems way too nice to be a demon."

I feign offense, placing my hand over my chest. "Pardon you, sir. But I am a very nice demon."

"That you are. Keep your eyes on the sauce and make sure it doesn't burn."

Not only is Jace scouring the skin of this realm's most famous beings, but he's also overseeing my first attempt to cook him dinner. I don't blame him for questioning my skills in the kitchen; cooking is hard work. Stirring, boiling, simmering, it's difficult to remember it all. Thankfully, my power is handy when it comes to preparing food.

I twirl my finger and the spoon stirs the red sauce.

"Whoa!" His excited outburst makes me jump. "Snoop Dogg? An angel?"

I laugh as I wave my hand over the ladle stirring the noodles. "For real? Wait, I saw a demonic mark on Martha Stewart the other day on her cooking show. It's on her wrist of all places. And they're like, besties."

"Angels and demons could be friends then?" he asks.

"I wouldn't have thought so. The energy we create clashes. We would never so much as step foot in the other's realm. The results would be devastating, throw everything off kilter. Not only would the energies be at risk but so would the beings that originated there. But I guess it's possible when we're here. Actually," I say, leaning forward on the counter on my elbows, "that makes me think that maybe Meredith could be an angel."

His eyes widen. "Wait, Meredith, our neighbor Meredith?"

"Yeah, I know for a fact I saw a mark on her back a few weeks ago, but I couldn't tell which one it was. I figured she had to be a demon because we got along so well, but now that I know about Snoop and Martha . . ."

Jace just shakes his head as he gets up to grab some plates.

"I'm surprised you're shocked that demons and angels can be friends. Didn't you tell me that your dad and the ruler of Pax have a gentlemen's bet? That sounds pretty friendly to me."

"There's nothing on the line but bragging rights, but it's also more than that. What ruler doesn't want to have the bigger kingdom?" I look over my shoulder and raise my eyebrows. "Demons and angels have dick measuring contests too. Anyway. At the end of every century, they compare numbers. Whoever has the most new energies wins. Angelo has always had the upper hand, but now that humans have become more technologically advanced, it looks like Dad might win for the first time."

With the plates laid out, Jace moves in next to the stove. He crosses his arms and ankles, leaning against the counter. "Please don't tell me that technology is the root of all evil. It would be devastating to my career."

"Don't worry. It's not," I tell him, tapping two fingers against the worry line between his eyebrows. "It has actually made life for most humans easier. No more hunting for what you eat and spending hours sewing fabric into clothes. Humans aren't as weary as they once were. For the most part, having a peaceful life in this realm makes them crave a little chaos in the next."

Jace rubs his jaw and looks up like he's scrolling through all the new possibilities in his head. "That's interesting. I always thought that once you live this life, you want a little serenity. RIP and all."

"Angelic concept. It is one of the many desperate measures Angelo has turned to in efforts to swing things in his favor."

I hold up a spoonful of sauce and raise it to his lips. He hums his approval before asking, "Isn't that sort of dangerous, infringing on human free will?"

"Yeah, it could be. You know the drill. We need balance in the Force."

Jace laughs and says, "I am so rubbing off on you. So, which are you, Desideria? The dark side or the light?"

I move to the sink to strain the noodles. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the dark side."

"I thought you said something about being a nice demon," he says, moving behind me and slipping his arms around my waist, sliding his fingers under the hem of my shirt.

I swat at him. "Hey, now. I'm trying to cook your dinner without ‘burning the sauce.' If you get me going like that, we might burn the house down."

He laughs and slaps me on the ass as he makes his way back to his stool. "After dinner then."

"It's a deal." Stepping to the sink to wash my hands, I'm drying them off on a hand towel when one of my rings flies off my finger and rolls under the refrigerator. "No!" I drop to my knees to stop it, but it's too late.

"What happened?" Jace asks, squatting down beside me.

"My ring . . . it slipped off my finger and rolled under there."

"Oh, no big deal, I'll just pull it out. Here," he says, ushering me aside.

I grin at him. "Move aside, big boy. I got this." With both index fingers, I pull the fridge away from the wall, and Jace gasps behind me.

"I'm telling you, I'll never get over it," he whispers.

Grinning, I glimpse the piece of shiny silver and stoop down to get it. I pick it up, and right behind it is a photo, face down in a pile of dust bunnies. Cocking my head to the side, I pick it up and turn it over. What I see shocks me to my core.

It's a photo of Jace and a beautiful blond, arms wrapped around each other, faces close . . . a definite couple's pose. This looks like a relationship way too serious for Jace. At least the Jace I know.

I slide the photo into my back pocket while I replace the fridge, and then turn to him.

"Did you get your ring?" he asks, not looking up as he serves our food.

"Yeah. I found something else back there too," I say, taking my seat beside him.

"I bet. Probably some spiders and dust. I may like a clean house, but even I have a little bit of sloth in me when it comes to cleaning behind appliances."

"Dust, definitely, but . . ." I slide the picture across the counter with an impish grin. "Who's this? Your high-school girlfriend?" I make a kissy face and give him an overexaggerated wink. "You two look very cozy."

His jaw drops and he inches his fingers toward the image. "No, she wasn't my high-school girlfriend." Lifting the photo, he studies it for a moment longer before crinkling it into a ball.

"Wait!" I say, putting my hand over his. "Who was she? What happened?"

"Hannah. My ex-fiancé." Jace sinks into his stool like the picture sucked all the life out of him and shuffles the food around his plate. "We were together when I had my accident. When they cut me out of my car with two feet of pole still lodged in me, she's the one they called. Other than a couple of work associates, the contact list in my phone wasn't long."

I lift my hand in wide-eyed shock. "Wait. What about your parents? Didn't they come to the hospital to take care of you?"

"No." He falls silent, gnawing on the inside of his lip. "My dad died a long time ago. And my mother . . . she didn't care enough to hang around. Left me with a ton of mommy issues to take up with a psychiatrist."

"I'm sorry, Jace. If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought it up."

He shrugs. "It is what it is. Those mommy issues seemed to play out in my relationship with Hannah too. From what I could tell from the letter she left on this counter with her engagement ring, she couldn't handle me being in a coma. The doctors were talking about spinal damage when I woke up. And just like good 'ole Mom, when shit hit the fan, she bolted. Story of my life." He ends by shoveling a large bite of food into his mouth.

The matter-of-fact tone with which he speaks about these two life-altering events stuns me. First of all, Jace had been engaged? And to a woman who left him when he was in a coma? And his own mother abandoned him before that. No wonder the man doesn't trust anyone anymore.

I pluck the photo out of his hand, toss it across the room into the sink, and flip on the garbage disposal with a snap of my fingers. "Damn, Jace. What a heinous bitch," I blurt, and my face flushes. "Sorry. I just felt a wave of wrath my brother would've been proud of."

A quiet chuckle comes from him. "Don't worry about it. I thought I erased her existence from this place. Turns out it's not so easy getting rid of your ghosts."

I hop off the stool, all thoughts of dinner forgotten, and hurry to his side, pulling him to face me. I position myself between his legs and place my palms on his cheeks. "Listen to me, Jace. It all makes sense now, why you don't trust people, why you don't do relationships, don't let yourself get attached." I run my thumb over his bottom lip. "But I swear to you, I am here for you, and the only time I will leave is when I physically can't stay any longer." Tears fill my eyes at the thought of my friend lying alone in a hospital bed because his bitch of a fiancé couldn't handle the possibility that she'd have to actually be there for more than just the fun stuff. "Do you hear me? You can trust me. Okay?"

"I hear you, Desi."

It's a start. I don't expect him to let go of that fear overnight. He said himself that he's sought professional help to deal with it. He's been hurt in ways I don't understand. I have both parents, and they would sever limbs for each other—and for me—if that's what it took. My brothers and their partners are devoted until the end. Jace doesn't have any examples of unconditional love left in his life. And it's heartbreaking.

I lean forward and brush my lips against his. "But do you believe me?"

"I want to, but that's going to take time. Be patient with me when it comes to trust."

"I can do that."

He tilts his head at the empty stool next to him. "Sit down and eat before we have to trash your masterpiece and order takeout."

I climb onto the stool next to him and pull my plate in front of me. "Is it actually good?"

He smiles and nods. We eat in silence for a few minutes, and after I take my last bite, I ask, "What are you doing tomorrow? We should do something. I feel like I've been cooped up in the house a lot lately."

"Have you ever skied before?"

I snort. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not the most athletic person."

"True. How about sledding?"

I grin. "That's more my speed. If I fall, it's a far shorter distance to the ground." I bounce in my seat and clasp my hands to my chest. "I happened to buy cold weather clothes the other day at the mall, just in case I got to do something fun like this!"

"Oh, a trip to the mall. That's new. If you break that closet with all your clothes, you're not getting your deposit back," Jace says with a laugh while gathering our dishes.

"Ha! You're funny." I stand, and as soon as he places the dishes in the sink, I snap my fingers, washing and putting them away. He pivots around with a smile. I close the distance between us and push him gently against the edge of the counter. Running my finger down the center of his chest, I say, "What can I do to thank you for planning such a nice day for us tomorrow? I feel like I need to show you my appreciation." My fingers drift to his waistband and trace over his belt buckle.

He slides his fingers around the back of my neck and pulls me close, my lips a breath away from his. "I can think of a few things, but they're going to have to wait. Edmonds got the proposal and he has a couple questions for me. Can I take a rain check?"

Disappointment blooms in my chest, but I push it down. "Sure. Just come wake me up tomorrow when you want to go, okay?" I back off and walk to the stairs.

"Hey!" Jace jogs after me and grabs my wrist. He pulls me against him and lowers his lips to mine. The kiss isn't as heated as the other night, but it is sweet and feels just as good. I'm questioning if Jace Wilder is bad at anything.

With a final peck, he pulls away and says, "Thanks for everything you said. You didn't have to get upset about Hannah and my mother, but it was nice to know you were."

Any disappointment I felt a few moments ago is long gone with that kiss and those words. "You're welcome. But, yeah, I did have to get upset. They did you dirty, and you didn't deserve it. No one deserves such a dick move, but especially not you, Jace. You're a good person. The best I've ever met. Human or demon."

"I can say the same for you, Desideria." He kisses me on the forehead and disappears down the hallway leading to his office.