Not what I expected as a response.
He chuckled, rolling onto his side—onto me, really. “My bet—I won. I told you that you’d tell me you loved me on New Year’s Day.”
Looping my arms around his neck, I shook my head. “No. You lost.”
Daemon frowned. “How do you figure?”
“Look at the time.” I tipped my chin toward the clock. “It’s past midnight. It’s January second. You lost.”
For several moments he stared at the clock like it was an Arum he was about to blast into the next county, and then his eyes found mine. Daemon smiled. “No. I didn’t lose. I still won.”
Chapter 33
I crept back into my house right before six in the morning, feeling airy and…happy. I needed to shower and get ready for school. There was a part of me that felt wrong for the smile on my face. Should I be content after everything? I wasn’t sure. It didn’t seem fair.
And I needed to see Dee.
After I stepped out of the steamy bathroom wrapped in my robe, I wasn’t startled when I saw Daemon lounging on my bed, freshly showered and changed. At some point, I’d felt him.
I made my way over to the bed. “What are you doing?”
He patted the spot beside him, and I crawled onto my knees. “We need to stick close together over the next couple of weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the DOD shows. We’re safer together.”
“Is that the only reason?”
A lazy, indulgent grin played across his lips as he tugged on the belt of my robe. “Not the only reason. Probably the smartest, but definitely not the most pressing.”
Things had changed between us in a matter of hours. We talked more last night…and kissed some more before falling asleep in each other’s arms. Now, there was an openness, a partnership in things. He was still a total smartass. And yeah, that smug grin still irked me.
But I loved him.
And the jerk loved me, too.
Daemon sat up and pulled me into his lap. He kissed my forehead. “What are you thinking?”
I burrowed my head into the space between his shoulder and neck. “A lot of things. Do…do you think it’s wrong to be happy right now?”
His arms tightened. “Well, I wouldn’t send out a mass text message or anything.”
I rolled my eyes.
“And I’m not entirely happy. I don’t think I’ve really come to terms with everything. Adam was…” He trailed off, his throat working.
“I liked him,” I whispered. “I don’t expect Dee to ever forgive me, but I want to see her. I need to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’ll forgive you. She needs time.” His lips moved against my temple, and my heart squeezed. “Dee knew you tried to warn her off. She called me when you told her to leave, and I told her and Adam to stay out of there, but they parked the car down the street and came back. They made that choice, and I know she’d do it again.”
My throat tightened. “There are so many things I wouldn’t do again.”
“I know.” He placed two fingers under my chin, tipping my head back. “We can’t focus on that now. It’s not going to do any good.”
I stretched up, kissing his lips. “I want to see Dee after school.”
“What are you doing for lunch?”
“Other than eating? Nothing.”
“Good. We’re skipping.”
“Going to see Dee, right?”
His smile turned wicked. “Yeah, but first, there are things I want to do, and we don’t have nearly enough time for that now.”
I arched a brow. “Are you going to try to squeeze in dinner and a movie then?”
“Kitten, your mind is a terrible and dirty place. I was thinking we could go for a stroll or something.”
“Tease,” I murmured and started to stand, but he held me there.
“Say it.”
“Say what?” I asked.
“Tell me what you told me earlier.”
My heart leaped into my throat. I’d told him a lot of things, but I knew what he wanted to hear. “I love you.”
His eyes darkened a second before he kissed me until I was ready to say screw the whole doing-right-by-me thing. “That’s all I ever need to hear.”
“Those three words?”
“Always those three words.”
…
News of Adam’s passing hadn’t hit the school yet, and I wasn’t telling anyone other than Lesa and Carissa. The story was he had died in a car accident. Police would back it up if questions were asked. My friends took it like expected. There were a lot of tears, and again I was surprised that my eyes could still fill with them.
Daemon poked me once in class to remind me of our lunch plans, and then one more time because he felt like it. Layers of guilt followed me through most of morning classes, alternating with brief moments of exhilaration. I knew that even if Dee forgave me, it wouldn’t change anything. I needed to come to terms with the role I’d played.
But I also knew I couldn’t stop living.
When I entered bio, I met Matthew’s eyes. There was a twitch to his lips before he opened up his grade book. Lesa was abnormally subdued due to what I’d told her. Halfway through class, the intercom kicked on.
The school secretary’s voice rang out. “Katy Swartz is needed in the principal’s office, Mr. Garrison.”
A jolt of unease pierced my stomach as I grabbed my bag. Shrugging at Lesa’s look, I passed Matthew a near-panicked one as I headed out. I sent Daemon a quick text from my mom’s cell that she’d given me that morning, letting him know I was being called to the office. I didn’t expect him to respond back. I wasn’t even sure he had his cell with him.