Tempting Nora (30 page)

As she came to Main Street
, she stumbled to a stop right outside of a convenience store. People were staring at her, but she didn't care. She was so scared that she kept glancing over her shoulder, certain that she was going to see Gideon in hot pursuit. If he found her, she wasn't sure what she'd do. She felt betrayed and hurt, but mostly she was just terrified. No matter what his feelings were for her now, she wasn't sure she could ever look him in the eye again.

The thought made her heart crack into pieces.

She hadn't cried when Amon had approached her in the hall, she hadn't cried when Gideon had revealed himself as an inhuman, and she hadn't cried when Kali had wrapped her cold fingers around her neck. It was only now, as she stood in the middle of a crowded street, the dam within her broke and all of the tears came pouring out. As she recalled seeing Gideon with wings over and over again in her mind, she let out a desperate sob. She crumbled to the ground, her knees drawn up to her chin, feeling truly alone in the world. None of the people who walked up the sidewalk had any idea what she'd just been through. They didn't know that demons could be in their midst, tempting them to do horrible things.

She
buried her face in her arms.

After some time had passed
, she felt somebody tap on her shoulder. She jumped to her feet, prepared to run again. Fortunately, she had no cause to flee. The person who'd touched her was a woman she didn't know. Nora stared at the stranger suspiciously, half expecting the woman to sprout wings. At that moment Nora realized that her trust in humanity had been shattered. Even if she managed to live through this—and she wasn't sure how she could—she would never be able to look into somebody's eyes and not flinch.

"What?" Nora stammered, wringing her hands.

"I'm sorry that I disturbed you, but I noticed that you were crying for quite a while," the woman said. "Are you going to be okay?"

For a moment
Nora considered lying and saying yes, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She wasn't sure that she would be okay ever again.

"No." She sobbed harder. "I'm not going to be okay."

"Do you want to call somebody?" The woman dug a phone out of her pocket. "Surely there's somebody who can take care of you."

For a moment she studied
the woman's face and searched for a secret agenda, but she saw none. She strained her mind, trying to think of somebody who could help her. She could call Robert, she realized. Gideon might know she'd gone to him, but it wasn't like she could stand on Main Street like a dimwit. Sooner or later, Amon would find her and that would be even worse than coming face-to-face with Gideon again.

"I
would like to call somebody." She sniffled. "Thank you."

After she accepted the phone, she dialed Robert's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hello," Robert said.

She was so relieved to hear his voice
that tingles spread through her limbs.

"Oh, Robert." She started to sob wildly
all over again, unable to control herself at the sound of his familiar voice. "Help me. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Nora?" Robert
said, his voice laced with concern. "What the heck happened to you? I've been trying to reach you for the past two days."

"My phone
was destroyed." And that was the least of her worries. "Please just come get me as fast as you can. I'm so scared."

At the thought of
her fears, she looked over her shoulder, half expecting Amon to come soaring right at her. Her teeth chattered.

"Where are you?" Robert
asked. "I'm coming right away."

"I'm on Main Street," she said. "
I'm by the Italian diner that your ex-girlfriend likes."

"I know where you are," Robert said. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Hold on."

"Thank you," she said.

After Robert hung up, her
arm fell slack at her side. She couldn't believe this was really happening to her. Still quaking, she handed the woman her phone, noting that the screen was now covered in fingerprints because her hand was so sweaty.

"Thank you," she managed to say, even as she choked on her own emotions.

"Don't mention it." The woman nodded sadly.

"My friend is coming," Nora said when the woman still didn't leave.

"I'll stay with you until the person comes, if that's okay," the woman said. "I don't like the idea of leaving you all alone like this."

Nora normally would have appreciated such an offer, but she was so horrified by what she'd seen that agreeing was hard. Still she found it hard to believe that any demon would lend her a cell phone to call for help, so she forced herself to nod.

Both of them stood in silence for a while. As she glanced warily over her shoulder for what must have been the thousandth time, the woman grabbed her hand. Nora flinched so violently that the stranger released her at once, but she still remained at her side, just like she promised.

"It's all going to be okay," the woman said.

"I don't think so," Nora said, mostly to herself.

"It will," the woman repeated. "I know it will."

"How?" Nora stared at the woman incredulously, feeling her stomach churn.

The truth was the woman's optimism angered her. How could
a stranger even fathom what she'd been through? Had the woman ever endured watching the man she loved turn into some sort of half-demon? She thought not.

"I jus
t do." The woman shrugged. "Oh look, there's your ride."

A car pulled to the side of the road. Robert jumped out of the
vehicle and hurled himself at her. As he yanked her into his arms, the woman gave her an encouraging smile and stepped back.

"Don't cry anymore, Nora," the woman said.

Too distraught to even wave, Nora wrapped her arms around Robert, ignoring the woman's advice as she started to weep even harder. The familiar odor of grease on his shirt was comforting for once, making her lose her self-control too quickly. While she bawled, she could feel him shaking just as much as she was. She met his eyes, confused about why he trembled. It was only when she studied him that she realized he was distraught because he was so concerned.

"What happened to you?" Robert asked.

"Let's get in the car," she said. "I can't explain here."

Robert began, "But—"

"In the car," she cried, looking worriedly over her shoulder.

"Okay." Robert's eyes widened further as he took a step back and opened the door for her.

After she scrambled into the passenger seat, she took a deep, steadying breath that did little to calm her nerves. As Robert climbed behind the wheel, she examined the backseat, moving empty fast food boxes while half expecting a demon to come bursting out of a fry bag.  After she found nothing, she settled back into place. Even as Robert began to drive, she nervously stared out the window, searching for demons amongst the crowd.

"Nora, tell me what's going on," Robert said
.

She
sighed, knowing how unbelievable her story would sound to Robert. Even though she wanted to tell him the truth, she knew that she couldn't. The man would think she was insane. Heck, at the moment, she thought she was insane. Her bottom lip quivered as she stared at her hand.

"I'm sorry," she
said. "I can't tell you."

"
You have to tell me," Robert said.

Robert, I want to. I really do.
Unfortunately, she feared what he would say when she told him. Plus, telling him the truth might make him a target for Amon. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he was hurt because of her.

The thought made her groan
. Unfortunately, Robert heard her.

"
Should I take you to the hospital?" Robert asked.

"What?"
Her mouth dropped open. "Why would you take me to the hospital?"

"Have you looked at yourself?" Robert asked.

She inspected herself in the rearview mirror for the first time. Dark bags were under her eyes and her face was pale. Her hair was matted after rolling around in the sand at the lake. She looked like a ghost from a Japanese horror movie, ready to curse whoever was nearby. Even her eyes, which were normally warm, looked like black pits.
My eyes are just like Kali's,
she thought, biting her bottom lip. Good grief, she was frightening herself. She looked away from the rearview mirror, once again watching people walk down the sidewalk. Even in the safety of the car, the thought of seeing demons strolling down the street was terrifying.

For the second time a tremor r
an through her body.

"I
really should take you to the hospital," Robert said. "You're obviously going into shock."

"Don't do that." If she went
to the hospital, she would be like a sitting duck. "Just take me to your apartment for now."

"
The only way I'll take you to my apartment and not to the hospital is if you tell me what's going on," Robert said. "Did somebody rape you?"

"No.
" She winced at the insinuation.

"Then what is it?" Robert asked.

She balled her fists to the point that her fingernails dipped into her palm.

"Have you ever realized that someone you
love isn't who you thought they were?" she asked.

"What?
You mean like somebody being twofaced?" Robert glanced at her warily. "I've seen that a lot. You know I have a lot of psychotic ex-girlfriends."

"
No, that's not it." She clenched her fists. "I mean bigger than that. Like if somebody had a monster inside them and you didn't know. That sort of thing."

"You aren't making any sense." Robert paused, his eyes widening in horror. "
Wait a second. Have you been drugged? Is that it?"

"I haven't been drugged
." One more guess like that and she'd kill him.

"
Alright." Robert nodded, noting her frustration. "Just tell me something. Anything."

She hesitated, realizing he did deserve to hear something. The man looked terrified.

"My apartment burned down," she said. "That's why I don't have a phone right now."

"What?" Robert
almost rear-ended the car in front them. "Why didn't you tell me when it happened? Where did you go?"

"I…went to Gideon's," she said. "I've been sleeping at his place. That's where I've been."

Even though they were in the middle of a moving lane, Robert stomped on the brake. The car jerked to a stop, making other cars careen and honk.

"You went to Gideon's?" Robert asked. "Did he
have to tie you up in order to bring you there?"

"No, I went willingly." Though if she'd known what he was, then she wouldn't have.

"You went willingly?" Robert let out a hysterical laugh. "You, the woman who trusts no one? I thought you hated him."

"I d
on't really hate him," she admitted.

"
I knew it," Robert said.

"You might want to drive again," she said
, not wanting to talk about her feelings for Gideon now.

Robert tightened his grip on the steering wheel
and started driving.

"
Gideon made you cry, didn't he? That's why he's not the one comforting you right now." Robert ground his teeth. "Did the two of you, ugh, do
it
? Is that why you're so upset?"

"No
." Her stomach lurched.

"Did he beat you?" Robert's eyes
narrowed.

"No."

"Did he cheat on you with another woman?"

"No."

"Did he break up with you?"

"No."

"Then what did he do?" Robert asked. "He must have done something really bad to make you freak out like this."

Yeah, he sure did. Revealing himself as a demon qualifies as something
really bad.

"He misrepresented himself, okay?" she said.

"Misrepresented himself," Robert muttered. "This is a woman thing, isn't it?"

She punched Robert in the shoulder so hard he almost swerved into oncoming traffic.

"Ouch." Robert frowned, then brightened up surprisingly fast for a man who'd just been punched.

"What?" She scowled at him, wiping
tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm glad you punched me,
that's all," Robert said. "You weren't yourself for a moment there. I've seen you rant and hurl coffee mugs, but I've never seen you cry."

Shaking her head, she
glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Ca
n I offer you some advice?" Robert said.

"Why bother t
o ask?" She raised an eyebrow. "We both know you'll tell me anyway."