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“Ben,” I croak. He ties off the trash bag and crouches in front of me. “What do I say to her when she gets here?”

“Well, you know, they didn’t teach me much about talking to women in seminary,” he jokes. “Just…stay off tricky topics. Don’t talk about feelings, don’t mention the break-up. If you have to talk, ask about her family, or tell her about what the cats have been doing.”

“Yeah…alright.”

“Oh, and Annie might be able to vanish into thin air, but I can’t,” he says gently. “Do you want me to stick around? I could just wait in the office, or…”

“Can you, uh…can you stay out here?”

“Sure, sure. I’ll just be your very handsome, charming new roommate, ok? You needed one after you lost your job.”

“Ok,” I mumble, then stand up and wander down the hall to the bathroom. I’ve been avoiding looking in mirrors, but now I do, and I cringe. My hair has grown out much longer than I would usually allow it, and it’s greasy. I haven’t shaved since she left, just trimmed here and there with clippers when I started to look like a yeti. Ros hated it when I tried to grow facial hair, so maybe it was my own small, petty attempt at revenge. I try to scrub my face and beard clean, then scrounge through my drawersfor anything I can use to look slightly more presentable. I’ve got nothing, but Ben keeps a jar of pomade on the counter, so I pick it up and debate what might be the best way to use it.

“You look…adequate,” says a quiet voice. Annoth pokes her head all the way around the bathroom door. She’s swapped her robe for a pair of basic yoga pants and a tank top, with her hair in a long braid over her shoulder, but she still looks like a bombshell. For a split second, I consider asking her to stay out while Ros is here, but…that’s not me. I’ve never been petty. Ros deserves to be happy, even if it isn’t with me, and trying to make her jealous won’t help me feel any better.

“Adequate,” I laugh. “Just what every man wants to hear.”

Annoth reaches out and takes the pomade from me, then pops it open and scoops some onto her fingers. Ben has been showing her how he uses it every morning, so I dip my head and let her run her fingers through my hair, pushing it back. She radiates warmth, quite literally, and the closer she stands, the more I want to reach out and touch her. My life has been so cold lately, and ironically, the only warmth that’s come back into it is via Hell.

“There. Now you look…more than adequate.” She doesn’t drop her hands when she’s done, just stands there with her fingers resting at my temples and a strange look in her wide, black-as-coal eyes.

“You should…probably go now,” I tell her.

Her hands fall and so does her gaze. “Yes, you are right.”

“And, could you not talk to me while she’s here, please?” I tap the side of my head.

“If you wanted to avenge yourself, to frighten her…torment her or something of that nature, I would be more than willing to help,” Annoth says, and she sounds strangely earnest, as if she actually believes that hurting Ros will make me happy. A weak laugh escapes me, and for some reason, I reach out and take her hand, gently pressing my thumb into her palm as she closes her fingers over mine.

“You said you want to learn about humans, so here’s a good lesson for you: as a general rule, we don’t hurt the people we love.”

“You still love her?” Annoth asks, a small line appearing between her eyebrows.

“Of course, I do.”

She silently examines our hands, clasped together in front of her chest.

“What must that feel like?” she whispers. “To be loved…” With a loud whoosh and a swirl of shadow, she vanishes, pressing herself back into my body. I blink a few times, adjusting to the sensation of hosting her again, then check the mirror. I do look better now, I’ll admit. Maybe I’ll keep the longer hair.

“Thanks…Annie,” I say out loud. There’s no response, and then I hear the cats start to meow frantically, followed by a knock on the door. Out in the kitchen, Ben is still making dinner, and he smiles when he sees me.

“He cleans up pretty nice, doesn’t he, Annie?”

In response, the lights flicker and the TV switches to playingStar Wars: Episode IV. Ben laughs, then looks at Virgil and Dante, who are pacing and yowling by the door.

“Let’s get this over with,” I say firmly, putting my hand on the knob.

18

Annoth

The woman on theother side of the door is much more beautiful than I imagined she would be, and I am filled with inexplicable rage. The few photographs Theo keeps around the apartment do not do her justice. She is all softness, from the shining brown curls draped over her shoulder, to her pink skin, red lips, and gentle smile. Even the expression in her hazel eyes is soft, but I can see pity too as she looks Theo over. I feel the urge to remind her that she is the one who has done this to him, but I hold myself back. His body is shaking badly and he clenches his muscles to prevent it from showing.

“Teddy,” says Ros in a sweet voice that perfectly matches her appearance. “You look…different. The beard. It’s good, though.” She bends down as the cats approach, scooping them both up in her arms and fussing over them.

“You look the same,” says Theo bluntly.

Ros gives him a rather sad smile, then she notices Ben.