A Demon Made Me Do It(23)

“Take me to the Galaxy nightclub on the corner of Fifth and Main,” I command the driver as I let myself in the back. The man instantly makes a dangerous and illegal U-turn and begins driving to my destination.

The couple remains silent, as I have no desire for them to speak. I stare out the window at the whizzing scenery and try not to think of Bones—what he is doing right now. I glance at the seat beside me; there’s a playbill and a bouquet of flowers. Aww, how cute. Is it date night? But this couple appears to be in their fifties or sixties; certainly they are not still subject to the ridiculous rituals of romance…

“Why are there flowers here?”

Both remain silent.

“You may speak,” I say.

The couple look at each other, unsure who should answer. I roll my eyes. “Man…answer me.”

“They are Irena’s favorite. I give her these flowers on the twenty-second of every month.”

“Why?”

“Because she likes them, and they make her happy. I like making her happy.”

“No, I mean why on the twenty-second?”

“That is the day we met. It is the day we were married. It is the day our son was born.”

How touching. “You do this every month?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Thirty-seven years and three months.”

My eyes narrow. Surely this can’t be true. But under my spell Sapies are incapable of lying. This man is telling me the truth. “You mean to tell me that every single month for the past thirty-seven years you celebrate the day you met and got married, and you bring her her favorite flowers?”

“It is also the day our son was born,” he reminds me. “I missed one month because I was in the hospital. But then it was she who brought the flowers to me.”

My curiosity piqued, I lean forward. This man’s story intrigues me. I knew that some Sapies stayed together for long periods of time, but I didn’t think they actually liked it.

“Tell me, do you love your wife as much as you did when you were first married?”

The man stares straight ahead in a zombie-like trance. “No,” he replies.

I slump back in my seat. Yup. That’s what I thought.

“I love her much, much more,” he finishes.

A strange, achy emptiness spreads over my chest. “Have you ever loved another?” I ask.

“That would be impossible.”

“Have you ever wanted to be with another woman?”

“Not for one second.”

A sense of bewilderment fills me. Surely this wasn’t possible… “Have you ever cheated on her?” I ask, somewhat desperately.

“I would rather cut off my own hand than touch another woman with it the way I touch my wife.”

I slink down lower in my seat. “Would you die for her?” I whisper.

“Happily. A million times over.”

Suddenly, I feel very sad. And very alone.

“Pull over,” I demand even though we’re still several miles away from the club. The man immediately obeys and screeches the car to a halt. As I get out, I give them one final order. “You never saw me, I was never here. You took a wrong turn, but now you are on your way home.”

The couple drives off, and I walk the rest of the way to the club. What is wrong with me? Why am I having such an emotional reaction to that man’s story? This is the kind of stuff she loves…she’s always reading sappy romance novels. I just saw one in real life.

So why do I feel so sad? Why can I feel Liora’s heart breaking inside of me?

I don’t like the answer that fills my mind, but I cannot deny what I know to be true.

I shake my head, trying to force the thought away, but it creeps back into my gut.

I’m sad because this will never, ever, happen for me.

Or for her.

We are destined to live without ever experiencing that kind of love.

This is our ultimate curse.





Chapter 5. Liora


Normally I dread the mile and a half trek through the woods to Dove Creek High. Not the walk itself—that part I enjoy—but the fact that I have a long day of misery ahead of me.

But not today.

Today, I feel more alive than any day in recent memory—as if all the mixed-up pieces inside me had miraculously rearranged and lined up in proper order. For the first time, I’m actually looking forward to school. Just knowing he’ll be there, nearby, makes me feel I can endure almost anything.

I know I’m setting myself up for a dangerous disappointment. I know nothing can ever happen between Kieron and me, just as I know he’s only talking to me so I can help him with his studies. Guys like him go for sexy girls like Drusilla, or gentle southern sweethearts like Samantha Morgan. He’s new, so he hasn’t figured out how the social system works yet. But he will soon enough, and then he’ll want nothing to do with me. I’m sure of it.