chapter 22
Heather waited for Robbie to watch out for the other girls to leave, so he could take her home. She didn’t explain why, and he didn’t ask, thankfully. She would have to make something up, and she didn’t like lying.
On the brief drive home, Heather flushed at thoughts of Uri. She had never seen him so…sexy before, with his face flushed with desire. If what he said was true, he was turning human, which meant…
Was he in love with her?
When Robbie pulled up to her apartment, he growled. Heather looked up to see Uri, asleep on her porch. The landlords wouldn’t like that. She put a hand out to restrain Robbie, who was getting out of the car to probably beat the snot out of Uri.
“Wait, Robbie. He’s okay.”
He looked at her with furrowed brows. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. Go home. Thanks for the ride.” She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek before getting out of the car.
Walking over to Uri, she looked at him. He was leaning against her door, with a crumpled up Burger King bag next to him, sleeping like a baby. She nudged him with her toe.
“Uri, wake up.”
He jolted awake with surprise, and looked up at her sheepishly.
“Sorry.” He mumbled, rubbing his face.
“It’s okay. We just need to go inside, before Ralph makes his rounds. Come on.” She helped him get up and inside her apartment.
After settling Uri on her couch, and letting Taco out, Heather went back inside to check on him. Her body flushed with warmth at the memory of the kiss they’d shared earlier that night.
"Is Ralph the policeman that patrols the neighborhood?"
Heather nodded, "Yeah. He knows I walk home in the early hours of the morning, and he sort of watches out for me."
Uri nodded, then his gaze dropped to his feet.
“Are you okay, Uri?”
He looked at her, pain in his eyes. “No.”
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
He sighed and looked like he was gathering his thoughts. “Everything is so intense. I had no idea that humans felt so strongly about everything. I’ve been so emotional.”
“What happened last night, Uri? I never got a chance to thank you for helping me with…him.”
He threw himself on her sofa with an exhausted sigh, raking his fingers through his hair, causing it to flop in various directions. “I’ve been following you home, since that first night. At first, I wasn’t sure why; it was just an impulse, to try to learn more about you. Then it was because I worried about you walking alone at night.” He stopped and looked at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time. “When the Deceiver started to follow you, a rage overtook me, stole all of my self-control. I don’t know how it happened. When he changed, I changed. I just knew that I had to do something to save you, Heather. I couldn’t lose you, especially not now.” He dropped his head into his hands. "That would be the ultimate irony."
She scooted over, to give him a hug, knowing that he needed comfort now more than anything else.
“But, you did it. You saved me. You killed him.”
“No. I didn’t kill him. I’m not sure he can be killed, except by the Boss, and I don’t think He’ll ever do it. Something about killing him would upset the balance of the earth. I don’t understand it anymore.” He looked at her, beseechingly. “I used to understand so much more, and now I …”
“Welcome to humanity, Uri.” She said gently. “We feel deeply and don’t understand why. Those feeling are what keep us going, sometimes. We eat, sleep, work, and to let off a little steam, have sex. It’s what makes us what we are.” She smiled at him, hoping he got her little joke.
“So, this is normal? All of…this?” He waved his hand up and down his body, distractedly. “The Boss isn’t toying with me?”
“No. From what I understand Uri, He wouldn’t do that. He’s keeping His word, and you’re becoming human. All of what you are feeling is normal.” She squeezed his hand, reassuringly, the question she wanted to ask, unspoken.
“What about at the club? What was that? I didn’t even know myself, there.”
“Can I ask you a question? Will you be honest with me?” She asked him.
“Yes.”
“You said that He would make you human if you fell in love with me. Did you…?” She swallowed. "Fall in love with me?"
He shrugged. “I don’t know what I feel anymore. I can’t stop thinking about you, though. It hurts to think about you. Not an unpleasant feeling, but an ache of awareness that you’re not around. I came here to be near your things, but I couldn’t “poof” my way inside, anymore. So I sat on your porch.” He ran his hand through his hair, disheveling it, more. “I want to do everything for you. I want to help your mother and your sister. I want to help you with anything. I feel this insane need to do everything with you, because I can’t stand the thought of doing anything without you. I want to spend the rest of eternity with you, Heather. It’s sinful, but I want to worship you. It’s a overwhelming desire, like I’d die if it didn’t happen. And it hurt, because I didn’t know if you felt the same way. Is that love?”
She was quiet, taken aback by his declarations. Slowly, she nodded. “I think it might be, yes.”
“Then, what happened at the club? You didn’t answer me. What was that?”
“That, my sweet Uri, was lust. Surely you’ve seen it?”
“I’ve seen it, yes. But I had no idea…” He looked at her. “I was out of my head, Heather. I wasn’t myself. It was alarming.”
“Lust is a powerful emotion to handle the first time. Most people spend their entire teenaged lives dealing with it.” Heather couldn't imagine what it must be like to have lived for thousands of years and not understand lust.
He was quiet for a while, lost in his thoughts, and Heather tried to ease his troubled mind the best she could. She stroked his arm, then pulled Uri to her, to cradle him in her arms like a child. He nuzzled his face in her bosom, breathing deeply.
“You smell different, now.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But it’s good. I like the way you smell.” He breathed deeply again. “I’m so tired…Will it go away? This exhaustion?”
“I imagine so.” She honestly didn’t know what would make him feel better. She wished she could help him, reassure him somehow. She stroked his back, feeling his muscles relax under her touch. “Uri?”
“Hmm…” She loved that sound coming from him. So intimate.
“If it helps you, I’ve been in love with you, since the beginning, I think.”
He pulled away and looked up at her. “You have? How do you know?”
“That night that you hummed Swan Lake and I danced for you, there was something that passed through me then. I feel safe around you, cherished. I can’t explain it any better than you can, but I know that’s what it is. I was so disappointed when you told me what you were, because I didn’t believe you, and I assumed you were crazy.” She laughed ruefully to herself. “It was almost a relief to see Damien’s true form because then I realized that I was in love with an angel.” She pulled him close again, feeling his warmth.
“I love you Heather.” He said softly, as if trying out the words on his tongue.
“I love you too, Uri.” She said with conviction.