Why You Should Never Rescue Stray Demons Chapter 43

**OZ**

I shouldn’t be letting this happen. But how am I supposed to stop myself? She’s here. She’s warm in my arms, soft against my chest, breathing the same air. Not to mention, she’s wearing my hoodie, my clothes, and somehow that’s what undoes me. It’s not the teasing, or the flirting, or even the way she looks at me like I’m something more than I am. It’s this. The domesticity of it. The unearned intimacy of seeing her like this and still being allowed to hold her. I don’t WANT to do the right thing. Not right now. Not when doing the wrong thing feels this much like heaven. Her lips brush mine like she’s testing the idea, barely there, just a breath and a question. And I answer without words, without hesitation, pulling her closer and tilting my head just enough to deepen it. It’s not a careful kiss. It’s hungry. Like we’ve been circling around each other too long and finally crashed. My hands tighten at her waist. Hers slip up into my hair. Her mouth is warm and sweet and open and she melts into me like she was always meant to be here. And for a few perfect, stolen seconds, the world is quiet. No lies. No bindings. No fae. Just her and me and this impossible, aching need. 

I know it’s a mistake. But I don’t want to stop. I can’t stop. I can’t even think about stopping. I feel completely out of control. Actually, I really might not be in control. I’m not sure I have a good grip on my glamour. I close my eyes, just in case it slips. I don’t particularly want to send Kacia screaming from our first kiss. Suddenly my guilt strikes me as I realise this might be our ONLY kiss once she realises I’ve been lying to her. She’ll never look at me the same again. So I hold her tighter. I let myself be selfish. Her arms slide up around my neck, soft and trusting. Her breath fans against my lips. I swear the world narrows down to just this moment, her, me, the heartbeat in my throat and the quiet sound of her sigh. And then… Chime. We both freeze. What the hell? Is that… Her phone? The thing barely functions half the time. It refuses to work when we need it, and NOW it suddenly decides to work? 

“Ignore it.” I mutter, pressing my forehead lightly to hers, unwilling to let the moment go. My voice is low, desperate.

“Agreed.” She responds breathlessly, and it’s the kind of sound that makes me want to kiss her until she forgets how to speak at all. I lean in again, lips brushing hers, just on the edge of touching properly when… The phone chimes again. Then again… And again.

“Ugh.” Kacia groans, her head tipping back in frustration. The moment is slipping through our fingers like smoke. I don’t want to let go. But I can already feel her easing back. As much as I don’t want it to be, I know the moment is over. Reluctantly, I lower her to the floor, still reeling from how right it felt to hold her. The phone chimes again. 

“Oz, you need to let go of me.” She says gently. 

“I have let go of you.” I reply, baffled, lifting my hands to prove it. She doesn’t answer, just raises an eyebrow and strokes her hand down the length of my tail… Which is still twisted firmly around her thigh. Oh. Right. Oops. When did that happen? My eyes widen slightly as I slowly unwind it, feeling more flustered than I expected. Kacia smiles, a slow, teasing, wicked thing, and walks off toward her phone in the living room with an extra sway in her step, clearly well aware of what she’s leaving me to burn in.

I listen to Kacia muttering curses under her breath as she wrestles with her phone, trying to coax it into revealing who dared interrupt us. At first, I was furious. That kiss… It was everything. It felt like finally breathing after holding my breath for weeks. But now? Now I’m grateful for the interruption. Because I shouldn’t have kissed her. Not when I’ve been lying to her. Not when I’ve been keeping secrets that would make her look at me like a stranger, or worse. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t have kissed me. She wouldn’t have smiled, or leaned in, or melted into my arms. I stole something I had no right to. And that kiss might be the single worst mistake I’ve made since arriving here, because now I’m doomed. Before, there might have been forgiveness. Maybe even a future. But now? Now I’ve crossed a line. I took something important and made it a lie. But worse still, she doesn’t deserve this. Doesn’t deserve to be held close by someone who’s keeping something so important hidden behind his teeth. She didn’t deserve that. And I don’t deserve her. I feel lower than dirt, when just moments ago, I was flying. I didn’t know it was possible for a heart to break so quickly. But here I am. The higher the moment, the harder the fall. And I’ve landed flat on my pride. But I can’t take it back. So all I can do now is damage control. I see two paths, and neither is easy. Option one, I keep lying. Keep hiding what I know. Never tell her about the fae who summoned me, or what I was originally sent here to do. Accept that I will never make it home and never see my family again. Live a lie. Stay in this half life of pretending until it all comes crashing down. That option isn’t just unacceptable. It’s cowardice. I COULD bury it. Never speak a word. Pretend this is my life now, and she’s my future. I could even tell myself I’m protecting her by keeping it quiet. But that’s just another lie.

And it’s one I can’t live with. Which leaves option two, tell her everything. All of it. Right now. No more dancing around the truth. No more vague excuses and half smiles. Just the raw, ugly truth laid bare, along with whatever consequences come with it. She’ll probably hate me. She might kick me out. But it’s the only path forward that doesn’t involve choking on my own guilt. And if I ever want a chance with her, a real one, then this is the price I have to pay. But maybe… If I tell her everything, if I stop lying and face what I’ve done, there’ll still be something left between us that isn’t a ruin. I hear her footsteps approaching, light and quick down the hall. I take a breath. A deep one. Steadying. I’m the demon here. But right now, I’m the one who’s terrified. She steps into the kitchen, eyes still focused on her phone. I open my mouth, forcing the words out before I can second guess them.

“Kacia, sweetheart?” I begin, my voice gentle. 

“I need to tell you something.” I start. She doesn’t miss a beat. She barely even looks up. She’s moving with purpose now, already grabbing her jacket off the back of a chair. She’s already gotten dressed while I’ve been standing here stewing. 

“Later. Grab your shoes, we’re heading out.” She says, already moving. I blink, caught off guard by the sudden shift. 

“What?” I ask dumbly. I frown. I could let this go. I want to let this go. I could follow her lead, buy myself another hour, another day, but no. No more running. I can’t. I won’t. I step forward, my voice firmer this time. 

“Princess, it’s important. I-” She cuts me off again.

“We have to go NOW.” She says, turning to face me. Her expression is tight. Urgent. “Something’s happened to Dave.” She informs me. And just like that, the moment shatters. The words die in my throat. Whatever hope I had of salvaging this in my own time, on my own terms, is gone. Reality has come crashing back in. The chance is gone. The truth will have to wait.