My body aches for his nearness, but I refuse to let him know. There is something way more important here going on and if what he is saying is true, I need to get a handle on it. "Because she was young and had a lot of life left to live...." My mind flashes back to that day when Selena was hovering over Becca reaping her soul. I remember all I could picture was…"Oh, no." I stumble back a few feet and sit on the couch. "She looks so much like Beth. All I could see was her that night at the prison."
His face softens and he comes over and sits next to me. "I'm not trying to be mean, but that's what I'm getting at." He reaches over and takes my hand. "I'm not going to push you any further with this because I think you got it. There are times where it seems as if you're blending the two people together and Damien knows it."
"I didn't mean to." I can't believe I've been such an idiot. How the hell did the angels think I was worthy of their precious artifact?
"No one accused you of doing it on purpose. You loved Beth as much as me. I get it." He squeezes my hand and leans toward me. "But we can't trust that demon. He's manipulative."
Tell me something I don't know. "I think he's been playing us since before I even realized it." Beth being trapped in that room and that prison reaping. It has Damien's name all over it especially if he's tight with Satan.
"This all feels a little too convenient." He sighs and leans back against the couch taking me with him. "I agree with you. I think he has been involved for longer than we ever realized, and we've been playing into his game. This is another one of his traps he's set up for you."
Doesn't he think I figured at least that part out? "I know, but what am I supposed to do? Let Becca's soul fracture altogether?" I feel responsible for her. I brought her back when I didn't need to. My eyes grow heavy and I sink back into the couch with him laying my head on his shoulder.
"There is no saving her, Chris." His tone is soft and sad. "She's already supposed to be dead."
I flinch. That hits hard. Yeah, I get it. She was supposed to be dead, but damn. "But I brought her back. How do I move beyond feeling responsible for her?" Can he help me move past this? If he can, it will make my life and decisions a whole lot easier. I can finally find peace with most of my choices.
He reaches over and runs his fingers through my hair. "It goes back to what you told me the angel asked you in heaven."
It's crazy. Tonight, we went from happily reunited, to estranged, to this. I'm not sure what this is yet, but I like it and it feels natural. I can't overthink this tonight on top of the real problems we have. "Which one?"
"Is one person's life worth the millions?" He arches an eyebrow at me and frowns. "And in this particular case this one person is supposed to be already dead."
Dammit, he's right. "You've been thinking about this talk for a while, haven't you?"
"Yeah, but it's only because you have a good heart and want to do what's right. You feel an obligation to her." He stands and grabs my hands, pulling me up. "You, my love, need to get some rest. You are about to pass out."
Now that is a very true statement. Yes, reapers may not need much sleep, but this magic has been throwing me off kilter. So, between that and the stress, I've been very tired. "Yeah, I think that's a great idea. I don't know how much longer I can go."
"I'll be heading out so you can get some rest." He leans down and kisses my lips once more. "I'll be back later in the morning so we can get working on Hell's Flame."
"That sounds like a plan." A quick shower and clean pajamas before crawling in bed sound like heaven at this point. I walk to my closet and start sorting through the clothes.
"Good night then." He turns and walks toward the door, then stops, glancing over his shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing."
I grab some clothes and glance over at him. "Yeah, what's up?"
"You and me, we're exclusive." He winks and grins. "I don't share and you're it for me."
My heart skips a beat at his comment, and I nod like a bobble head. "Understood."
"Okay, great." He opens the door and turns toward me. "Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page and both clear. Good night." He shuts the door leaving me alone.
What the hell happened today? I follow behind and lock the door before I jump in the shower. Once I get out and dressed, I brush my hair and teeth, and then climb into bed.
It takes a moment before my eyes get heavy again now that I'm alone with my thoughts. Charlie's words, just like the angel's, keep echoing in my mind. Is one life worth the millions? At the end of the day, can I put Becca's life before the whole entire world? And when I phrase it that way, the answer is immediate.
The problem is, how do I unravel the mess I've already spun?
6
When I wake up, I feel more refreshed than I have in weeks. To be fair, I'm not sure if it has to do with being back in my own bed, or knowing things are okay between Charlie and me.
I grab my phone off my night stand and realize it's only nine in the morning, so I haven't slept in too late. There is still a lot to do, so the last thing I need to do is be
