A Demon Made Me Do It

Chapter 16. Liora


I know something’s wrong the moment I open my eyes; there’s a disturbance deep within my soul. Something’s happened with Lucky. But I don’t want to know what it is. I don’t want to think about anything right now. I just want to lie here in my bed and bask in the soft sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window. School’s out until tomorrow, so I’m going to savor this one last day of peace and quiet before having to face Kieron and my humiliation.

To anyone else, I’m sure it would seem like I’m overreacting. So what if Kieron was at the mall with Drusilla. So what if they were sitting by each other, laughing, obviously enjoying each other’s company. So what? It’s not like he and I were anything special, or ever could be. And we’ve only known each other for what, a week?

Somehow, it feels longer. Much longer. And even though it was obviously all in my head, it’d felt like our connection was deeper than just friends. For the first time in years, I actually wanted to let down some of the walls I’d built to protect my secret. I wanted him to see me. Moreover, I wanted to see him. Really know him.


But it’s definitely better this way. He needs to be with a girl like Drusilla, and I need to be alone. It’s the only way. It’s too dangerous allowing myself to fall for someone, when, inevitably, both of us will be hurt—and in his case, destroyed.

How selfish of me to even entertain the notion of a having a relationship… how cruel…

How pathetic.

There is a light tapping on the door. “No school today, remember? I get to be lazy all morning,” I call out. Tatiana ignores my words and enters.

“Rise and shine. It’s a glorious day outside,” she sings, carrying in a large glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice.

I sit up, smiling at my guardian. Oh, how I love Tatiana. She’s always been here for me, through good times and bad. She’s the one whose shoulder I can always cry on. The one whose ear is always available to listen to my problems. The one who reminds me who I am, even when I feel my most worthless. No one else could’ve handled me and Lucky the way she has, with effortless grace, eternal patience, and limitless understanding.

Impulsively, I hug her and plant a kiss on her cheek. She responds with a crackly laugh. “What’s all this?”

“Just felt like giving you a hug is all. I don’t give you enough of them and that’s going to change.”

“Well, you won’t be hearing me complain about that,” she says, her white eyes crinkling in amusement. “What’s brought this on? Not that I mind, of course.”

I lie back down, propping myself up on the pillows and sipping some of the juice. “Dunno. I just feel like, life is too short. Gotta tell the ones you love how you feel before it’s too late.”

The words come out of my mouth without me even thinking about them. I scrunch my eyebrows together, trying to think what would be making me feel this way. Perhaps I’m still affected by what happened at school? Yes, that must be it. I am normally not the sentimental type.

“Well, I appreciate the gesture. Now hurry up and finish your juice. You don’t want to keep your visitor waiting.”

“Ack! What? What visitor?”

She brings her hand to her mouth. “Sorry, dear, I got distracted with your lovely hug. Yes, there’s a gentleman caller waiting for you outside. I told him you would be getting up soon, and he said he’d wait. But you mustn’t keep him waiting too long.”

I’m already halfway to the bathroom. Quickly, I splash some water on my face and brush my teeth. My eyes are bloodshot and a bit swollen. Was Lucky crying last night?

I run a brush through my hair, briefly touching that place on my neck where it burns a good twenty degrees hotter than the rest of my body. The crimson star, permanently branded on me at birth, is a constant reminder of a world I’d like to forget. It’s always there, haunting me.

I throw on some jeans and a sweater. Even though the sun is making a rare appearance today, it’s still cold outside. My hands shake as I fumble with the laces on my boots.

Why is Kieron here?

It has to be him; no other guy has ever come to my house before. I don’t even think anyone else knows exactly where I live.

I race to the front door, only slowing down at the last moment so as not to appear too eager. I take a deep breath. He’s there, leaning against the truck, his beautiful face bathed in the glow of the soft morning light.

“Liora, hi. Hope you don’t mind me stopping by,” he says, ambling toward me.

“Of course not, its fine. How are you?” My heart speeds up the way it always does when he comes close…actually, when he’s anywhere in the vicinity.

“I’m good. I would’ve called, but I don’t have your cell number. And your home phone isn’t listed anywhere.”

He checked? “Um, yeah, we don’t have one.”

He tilts his face to the sky. His skin looks so smooth it’s like one of those air-brushed models in a magazine. “I was wondering what you were doing today…if you had any plans.”

I shake my head. “No, nothing special planned. Just gonna hang out, maybe do some homework later…”

“Wanna go fishing again?” His eyes light up. “You don’t have to actually fish if you don’t want…just keep me company. This time I promise there’s plenty of gas in the tank, and we’ll leave way before dark.”

I scrunch my nose, remembering. “Sure. Sounds great…let me just go tell Tatiana…”

Just over an hour later, we unload the gear from Kieron’s truck and head toward the river. Birds are out in full force, singing and enjoying the sunny day. The grass sparkles with dew, looking like a blanket of crushed emeralds. We set up camp by the water, just like last time.

Nearby are wide stretches of velvety moss, and as Kieron baits his line, I give into temptation and take off my boots. The soft coolness beneath my feet brings back a memory—one of me as a child, playing outside on a warm summer’s day with Kayla and Michael. The thought of them brings a small smile to my face. As I wander closer to the cliff’s peak, I glance over my shoulder to see Kieron watching me. He also has a smile of contentment on his face.

I inhale deeply and let the fresh mountain air flow through me. In with the good, out with the bad…I tell myself silently as I take several, long deep breaths. For several minutes I stare out over the valley, at peace with myself and the world below. Funny how being up here makes all my problems seem so small and far away.

I turn and see Kieron still watching me. He has his pole in one hand, but his focus is squarely on me. He’s not smiling now; he’s just looking. The several yards between us could have been mere inches. I see strength in his eyes…and safety. Like I belong there. Slowly, his soft mouth curves into a half-smile. He reaches out his hand and beckons me to him.

There is nothing holding me back. Nothing is telling me to stop. Every fiber of my being, every ounce of my soul, is telling me to go to him.

As I sit down, he shifts over slightly so that our bodies touch. My heart is racing, yet I’m strangely calm. With the tips of his fingers he gently guides my chin toward his as he slowly brings his face down, closer. His eyelashes tickle my cheek as he presses his soft lips against mine.

A few minutes later, we both reluctantly sit back. He smiles, and chuckles to himself. Dizzy with happiness, I stand up on wobbly legs and take a few steps down to the water’s edge. I need a moment to process this new version of myself. I’m the girl who’s just been kissed and held by the most amazingly sexy, beautiful, and caring man on the face of the earth. I’m that girl. That just happened to me, Liora Greyson.

I meet Kieron’s gaze, and in that split second, our connection is sealed. Everything is changed. We’re no longer the same two people who sat side by side in the truck driving up here. Now we’re something else entirely… something new, beautiful, and miraculous.

He lounges back on the blanket and fiddles with his pole before casting his line into the water. “How are you feeling?” he asks. I love the way his mouth moves when he talks…the way his lips form their shape around the different words. And especially, the way they feel when they’re on mine…

“I feel good. A bit warm maybe. Didn’t realize the sun was actually going to work today,” I say and laugh. “But I feel good. Very good. How about you?”

His gaze lingers on me. “I feel good, too. I feel too good.” His voice is strained, his eyes look almost…sad.


I sit back down beside him. His hand reaches for mine, but his words have made me wary. And the haunted expression on his face. Something is bothering him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, softly.

His eyes search mine for the longest time before he answers. “Nothing. Everything will be fine…it is fine.” He smiles again, and any traces of his earlier concern disappear.

I don’t press it. Even though I’m dying to know what he’s thinking, I don’t want to ruin our nice moment. Maybe it’s because of what I saw at the mall…maybe he has something going on with Drusilla, too.

I don’t want to know…but I have to know.

I gather up the courage to find out. “Kieron, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. ‘Sup?” He flashes me a quick grin, unhooks a squirming trout and places it beside him.

“I thought maybe I saw you at the mall. But I’m not sure...”

He lets out a small chuckle. “You saw me talkin’ to Dru, huh?”

Hearing him call her by her nickname is like fingernails scratching a chalkboard. “Yeah, well, it’s no big deal…you can talk to whoever you want,” I mumble, turning my eyes away from him.

“Yes, but I don’t want to talk to her. I want to talk to you.”

My eyes creep up his cheeks to meet his gaze once more. “Oh. Well, why were you then? Didn’t look like you had a gun to your head.”

He laughs. “Well, that’s true. It wasn’t as if I was running down a mountain onto some crazy man’s property with her,” he says and winks.

“Touché.”

“Actually, I was trying to do you a favor.” He casts his line and looks at me from the corner of his eye. “I saw you in the dress store with Corrine. Drusilla was on her way in with her friend and I didn’t want her to ruin your fun, so I distracted her for a while.”

Even my toes are smiling right now. Meeting his gaze, I lean toward him again. He lays down his pole and wraps both of his arms around me tightly.

Being here, kissing Kieron and having him kiss me back is sheer ecstasy. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced. In this moment, held securely in his arms, I feel a deeper connection with him than I have ever felt with anyone…ever. I forget that I’m half-monster, and that he and I are doomed. It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is right here in my arms, this boy kissing me so sweetly and with such tenderness.

Right now, everything is right in my crazy, mixed-up world.

Everything makes sense.

Everything really is perfect.

Finally.