Page 67 of Destruction of Two

Fucking gross.

He leaves the room without a sound, Heaven trailing obediently after him. Silence is the gift he leaves us. But it only emphasises the erratic pulse in my mother’s veins and the shallow breaths slipping from her parted lips.

Love… is complicated.

* * *

Izara’s dad left within half an hour. I think this place unnerves the mortal man more than he lets on. My own mother left in a flurry of dousing holy water, blessing the room and accidentally singeing Phoenix’s skin with the stuff.

The door closes behind my sweet mother. And then we’re finally alone.

Finally.

My hands find her hips and I rest my head against her shoulder. Too many emotions have me tired and all I want is to wrap her up, fuck her senseless and then, you know, apologize and snuggle.

But she pulls back from me.

She’s walking away. Again.

“I have to finish my lesson. I’ll be back later.”

Later.I’ve heard that word leave her lips daily over the last couple days.

“We need to talk,” Syko says, shoving off from his spot on the wall.

His words don’t slow her step.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Tonight. Or maybe before class in the morning. I’m sorry. I can’t miss this lesson.” She brushes her hand along his knuckles and he reaches for her.

But she’s already gone.

Malek and Phoenix stare blankly at the closed door.

She’s avoiding me.

“Motherfucker!” My teeth grind and my eyes close to the world. I shove my hands through my hair harshly and a million instances of me and Izzy together fly through my mind but I can’t find a single one that would have completely driven her away from me.

Maybe I shouldn’t have invaded her privacy in her room like that… I shouldn’t have fucked her when her emotions were so scattered… I shouldn’t have...

“Shade’s doing something,” Syko says suddenly.

Malek’s dark gaze shifts to the nephilim who’s clearly trying to sort all this out in his mind.

“Saint and I heard him over the weekend speaking with a demon. I don’t know what he was talking about but he’s not as trustworthy as Izara thinks he is.” Syko looks to Phoenix, but it’s Malek who speaks.

“Izzy likes him. I saw her just now, Professor Shade is like a father to her here.”

A father. Fuck that.

“We need to just talk to her. If we make enemies out of her allies, she’ll never listen to us.” The calm way Phoenix just thought all that out is opposite of the way his muscles are straining in his massive shoulders and arms.

He really does try to be better for her.

He’s right though. We need to just talk this out.

The four of us leave level headed and prepared to try to fix what I think might already be broken.

But we don’t find her.