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 just 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 ran 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 don'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.
"Can I offer you some advice?" Robert said.
"Why bother to ask?" She raised an eyebrow. "We both know you'll tell me anyway."
"Too true." Robert nodded.
"What is it then?" she asked.
"Forgive Gideon," Robert said.
"What?" Nora went rig
id in her seat. "But he lied to me. He lied."
And about sometime atrocious too.
"Here's the thing, Nora. I lie to the women I date all the time. I do it to make myself seem better than I am. I once even convinced a woman that I was an ice-skater just because she said she likes the winter Olympics. That's how desperate I was to impress her." Robert paused. "It doesn't surprise me that Gideon misrepresented himself to make you like him."
"So I should accept somebody who lies to me?" The idea made her blood boil.
"I'm not saying that. Lying is never good. I'm just saying that sometimes one lie slips out and it can be a heck of a lot easier to keep lying than to admit what you did. If Gideon's truly is a jerk, then you should cut him loose. But the thing is, I never got the feeling that he's a jerk. On top of that, I saw the way the man looked at you. He looked at you like you were his entire world. People can't fake that kind of thing." Robert patted her hand. "The fact also remains that when you were in trouble, you didn't go to me. You went to him. I'm a little offended by that—"
"Robert." She gave an exasperated sigh.
"—but it's the truth. You must care about him. And if you really care about someone, you have to give them a chance." Robert frowned at her. "That's why I want you to talk to Gideon. Maybe he's truly a jerk or maybe he's just a guy who, like me, is so uncomfortable with himself that he stretched the truth to make you stay by his side. Give him the benefit of the doubt. That's all I'm saying."
"Why are you on his side?" She felt the sting of betrayal for the second time that night.
"I'm not on his side. I'm on yours. It's just that I've been in the dating world for a long time." Robert gave a pained sigh. "You, on the other hand, are new to all of this. I wanted to give you advice before you lose Gideon and regret it forever."
For a moment she didn't say anything. She just stared at Robert and saw the solemnness of his expression. You shouldn't listen to his advice. Gideon is a fallen angel. The situation isn't what he thinks it is. Still she nodded anyway and stared down at her lap.
****
While sitting on the couch in Robert's apartment, Nora warmed her hands on a mug of coffee. Robert sat beside her with his arm draped over her shoulders. As she thought of Gideon, she gave a depressed sigh. At that moment she felt like her heart weighed ten thousand pounds.
"I think I have something that will make you feel better," Robert said, likely noticing her sorrowful expression.
"Do you have a shotgun and ammo?" She straightened up.
"Very funny." Robert gave her a sour look. "No, I have chocolate."
For a moment she thought about creamy chocolate on her tongue and realized she didn't want it.
"No, I'm not in the mood," she said.
"What?" Robert looked like she'd taken the hypothetical shotgun and blasted a hole in his foot. "No chocolate?"
"No." She shook her head.
"My advice didn't do you any good, did it?" Robert bent his head.
She didn't say anything.
"Should I call Meg?" Robert asked.
"Why?"
"You know, so you can have some one-on-one time with a fellow female," Robert said. "That way you can bash Gideon and get your anger out of your system."
"I don't want to bash Gideon." She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with Gideon, but she did know she didn't want to bash him.
"But I thought you were mad at him." Robert looked thoroughly confused.
"For my best friend, you sure don't know my emotions very well." She grimaced. "I'm not mad at him. I'm hurt. There's a big difference. If I was just angry, I would have broken his nose and been done with it."
"I suppose that's true." Robert nodded soberly.
As her friend went silent, she shook her head at his ridiculous ideas. He wanted her to call Meg? And say what? The two of them barely knew each other. It would be awkward trying to confide in her. The longest conversation they'd had was when Meg had explained about her crazy friend, Chloe.
Wait a second, Chloe wrote me that weird note. She could even remember Chloe's message word for word.
Gideon is more dangerous than you think. Be wary of him.
Judging from Chloe's message, it was almost as if the woman knew everything.
Everything.
Realization struck like lightening, causing her to leap from the couch. The coffee mug slipped from her hand and hit the floor. Chloe knew that Gideon is a fallen angel. I don't know how she knew, but she did. Nora was filled with a new sense of purpose. If Chloe knew about Gideon, then maybe the woman had some idea about how she could protect herself from Amon. All she had to do was contact her and…and…
And what? Talk about demons? What if Chloe didn't know anything at all?
No, she was almost certain the woman knew about Gideon. At the very least, she had to reach the other woman somehow to make sure. She looked at Robert who, while muttering explicates, stared down at the coffee seeping into his fuzzy blue slippers.
"Nora, what's wrong with you?" Robert said. "Look at the floor."
She waved off his comment. The state of his floor was the least of her worries.
"Do you know Chloe's phone number?" she asked.
"Chloe, who?" Robert was still glaring at the coffee spill.
"Chloe, Meg's best friend," she said. "You know, the skinny redhead who I met at the bar."
"Do you mean Chloe Molloy, the woman who runs that matchmaking business?" Robert asked.
"Yeah."
"I don't have her number, but it should be listed on her website," Robert said. "Though I don't know why you would want to call her when there is coffee all over my—"
"Phone," she said, cutting him off.
"What?" Robert raised an eyebrow.
"Give me your phone." She stuck out her hand.
"Sheesh. So polite, as always." Robert dug out his phone and laid it on her hand.
Since Robert had a fancy cell with internet access, she was able to go online to search for Chloe's website. She found it at once and located a phone number listed on the bottom of the page. In a life or death situation like this, there was no time to waste. She dialed Chloe's number, praying that the woman wouldn't think she was a total nutcase. Then again, the woman had slipped a note under her door, so maybe they were both a little insane.
Chloe answered on the second ring.
"Hello," the woman said. "This is Chloe Molloy."
"Chloe?" She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped over the puddle of coffee. "This is Nora Williams, Robert's best friend. I met you at the bar. Do you remember me?"
"Oh." Chloe sucked in air. "Yeah, I remember you."
Nora headed into the hall to get some privacy.
"I know we don't really know each other, but I need your help." Here goes nothing. "I think I understand your note now. Gideon is a…a…"
Good grief, she couldn't even say it.
"Hold on one second, Nora, okay?" Chloe said, interrupting her.
"Ugh, okay." Nora was jarred out of the conversation.
"Gabe, do not lick your sister," Chloe cried. "How many times do I have to tell you? Keep. Your. Tongue. To. Yourself."
Nora went rigid, wondering if Chloe was really crazy after all.
"Sorry about that. My kids are up to trouble again." Chloe gave a pained sighed. "My son is about to be kicked out of preschool for licking all the other children and my daughter has been sent home from class three times already for lighting various objects on fire."
"Various objects?" Nora frowned.
"The carpet, her teacher's hair, and unfortunately, a fellow student." Chloe gave a dejected sigh. "I know I shouldn't blame her pyromania on her dad, but heaven help me, I try to anyway."
"Right." Nora realized that there was no way this bizarre woman could help her. "Well, I think that maybe I should hang up—"
"No," Chloe said quickly.
"Huh?" Nora paused.
"I know what you were going to say," Chloe said. "You found
out about Gideon, didn't you? About what he really is?"
"You know about him?" She trembled from both excitement and misery.
"Yeah, I know about him," Chloe said. "You said you need help. Are you in big trouble?"
The fact that Amon was after her counted as big trouble in her mind.
"There's someone trying to kill me," Nora said.
"Kill you!" Chloe gasped. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," she said bitterly.
"My husband should know what to do about this," Chloe said. "I need to see you right away."
"Why would he know what to do?" she asked.
"I'll explain everything later," Chloe said. "Where are you?"
"I'm at Robert's," she said.
"Give me his address and I'll be right there," Chloe said.
After Nora told her Robert's address, she breathed a sigh—but not of relief.
Chapter Eighteen
Thirty minutes later, Nora left Robert's apartment. Chloe was parked at the curb in a bright red van. Robert trailed behind her, wringing his hands. The guy looked more nervous that she did and she was the one being hunted.
"Are you sure you want to go off with Chloe?" Robert asked. "You don't know her."
"Meg knows Chloe," she pointed out.
"Meg says Chloe's crazy," Robert said.
"Yeah, but I say you're crazy too and you're harmless," Nora said. "Well, mostly, anyway…"
"Ah, the power of friendship." Robert shook his head. "You make me feel so loved."
Nora would have bickered with him some more, but she was in no mood for it. Her mind was on Chloe and nothing else. Even though she felt weak and exhausted, she forced a smile on her face as she approached the van. When she peered through the window, she saw that the other woman sat behind the steering wheel. The woman's face was pale—though to be frank, Chloe looked like she was always pale—and her red hair was in a bun. The woman donned ugly plaid pajamas that even Nora would have thought twice before wearing. When Chloe saw her looking, she waved.
Nora opened the door, but she couldn't climb inside because the seat was covered with dolls. Grimacing, Chloe scooped up the toys and hurled them unceremoniously into the backseat. It could have been her imagination, but Nora swore that the van smelled like singed fibers. She wondered if Chloe's pyromaniac daughter had managed to light something on fire.
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