Page 20 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

Nova couldn’t figure out what changed or what she might have done wrong.

Reflecting on her morning, she remembered that they all had breakfast together. Despite Allister's attempts to tell her he would have someone hired for house tasks, Nova expressed that she enjoyed cooking and was raised to clean up after herself. She was no spoiled Princess, regardless of her inheritance. The breakfast that Thomas referred to was mere toast and coffee. That wasn’t going to do. Nope!

She made scrambled eggs, bacon, and pumpkin-spiced pancakes. It turned out that Thomas loves pumpkin-spice pancakes as much as she does. It was both Allister and Thomas’ first time eating them, and they were a hit. They both pleaded with Nova to have them again sometime soon.

To which she agreed.

The breakfast was filled with light-hearted conversation and laughter. They were still getting to know one another, and bonds were slowly building.

Nova noticed that even Roz was more at ease and relaxed. She wasn’t looking for flaws in the guys like she often did. Before those two guys, no one was ever considered good enough in Roz’s opinion.

Allister told her that although there had been a few days of delay, he had cleared his work schedule so they could take a whole day to go furniture shopping. The three got ready and met at the door. They filled the elevator with fun conversations and discussed little things they would be looking for.

They agreed to nothing white or pretentious, nothing stiff as a board; there had to be comfort. They weren’t opposed to leather or fabric, although leather was nicer visually to them all.

Everything else was fair game and open for discussion.

Nova loved how Allister genuinely valued her input. Not many did in her life lately.

They exited the elevator and building with smiles, which she interpreted as joy.

Something changed the moment they entered the car, however. The only thing that Nova could think of was when Luke, a teen from her father's shop, ran up to her on the sidewalk before they reached the awaiting car. They briefly chatted, and Luke snatched her phone to exchange numbers. Luke pulled her into a surprise, quick hug before leaving. She couldn’t figure out what went wrong. She wasn’t rude to Luke but introduced Allister and Thomas to him before departing.

She felt tense once she entered the car, like a rabbit wandering into the wolf's den.

What could have happened to change the energy? She was sure that she hadn't done anything wrong.

Thomas sat quietly and uncomfortable, shifting in his seat. She would catch him picking and pulling at his skin, an unusual habit Thomas often displayed.

Allister looked cold. His face read of anger and something else that she couldn’t place at the moment, but it was unwelcoming.

Nova focused on the scenery out the window, ignoring the bad vibes. Perhaps while she was chatting with Luke, Allister got a work call.

She remembered that when her dad would get hectic calls from work, his mood would dip temporarily. She was sure that Allister would bounce back soon. She’d give him his space until then.

She was wrong, however.

They had been walking around yet another furniture store for nearly two hours, and although Thomas tried to help, Allister was still giving Nova the cold shoulder and silent treatment.

Nova walked over to a beautiful mocha-coloured studded leather sofa and chair set. As soon as she sat down on it, she sighed in relief. It was the perfect balance of plush and aesthetics.

“Oh my goodness, Tommy!”

Nova smiled. “Come. Try this one out.”

She patted the cushion next to her. Thomas grinned and rushed over to sit.

Just as Nova had, Thomas sighed and smiled. “This is the one, Kiddo! Good eye!”

Thomas praised her, causing Nova to crack her cheeks with the size of her smile.

“Allister?”

Nova asked cautiously. He stood there in silence, glaring at the sitting pair. “What’s wrong?”

she finally asked with an exhausted sigh.

She was met with cold silence still.

“Do you not like the sofa? We can keep looking if you’d prefer.”

She tried to appease the angry businessman staring down at her in annoyance.

“Get whatever you want.”

He scoffed rudely, and Nova flinched at his tone.

“Okay, I don’t know what crawled up your uptight arse, but you've taken a fun outing and ruined it with your immature tantrum. I am done here!”

With that, Nova turned and looked at the wide-eyed Thomas. “Thanks for not being a complete douche-bag, Tommy. I’ll see you later.”

Nova turned, not waiting for anyone else to speak, and left the store. She walked to the nearest convenience store to get off the street. She didn’t know if Allister or Thomas were following her, but she didn’t want to risk it. She needed her space.

How could the last few days be so great? How could the morning start fun and happy but suddenly switch off?

‘He was jealous!’ Roz appeared next to Nova as she scored through the candy aisle. Nova was an emotional eater when she couldn’t talk things out. Her dad was always the person she would run to discuss her problems with. He was always her sounding board, no matter the topic.

“Jealous? Why?”

Nova snapped back, rolling her eyes. She didn’t care if anyone around saw her talking to herself. She was angry, and it didn’t make sense for Allister to be jealous.

‘He didn’t like seeing you run and hug that kid. Then you gave the kid your number right in front of him. He’s jealous!’ Roz explained nonchalantly.

“One, I didn’t run and hug anyone. He was running to me. He is a friend at the shop. There has never been anything romantic on my end. Two, I didn’t give him my number. He took my phone from my hand and called his own number to get my number. You were there. You saw. What the heck was I going to do? Cause a damn scene in the streets?”

Nova whispered.

Nova was worked up now. She was angry. Why was it her fault? Why did he even care? He was about fifteen years older than she was, and he was acting like a child.

She was mourning, and someone offered to support and condolence her. It wasn’t about Allister.

“He is a selfish man! I was getting condolences for losing the most important person in my life. I am over him and his damn tantrums.”

Nova snapped again.

‘hmm,’ Roz squinted, causing Nova to scoff, annoyed.

“You know what I am trying to say. Why is everyone making everything about them? I need—space.”

Nova tossed the candy and walked out of the store, not sparing Roz another glance as she did.

“Screw everyone!”

Nova huffed as she headed toward the place that would break her, but offer warm comfort and happy memories at the same time.

Nova got off the public city bus a block from her family home. She stared down the quiet street and could feel the burning of the tears that threatened to fall any moment.

She saw her six-year-old self on her bike, her smiling dad holding the back of her seat as she peddled fast to make the handlebar rainbow-coloured streamers flutter wildly within the wind. She was learning to ride her bike without training wheels for the first time. Because she was small, she stayed on a smaller frame than most girls her age, but that was fine with her.

She stood there, watching the happy memory play out before her. Her screams of excitement and her father's laughter echoed in the air.

The closer Nova got to her house, the more memories came rushing forward.

In front of the house, sixteen-year-old Nova sat on the driver's side of her father’s Volkswagon Jetta. He was teaching her to drive. The truck was too big, so she learned to drive standard with the car.

She saw her father calmly guiding her in the quiet suburban community. She remembered how scared she was, but her father was always a pillar of calm and patience.

She remembered the day she passed her driver's test on the first try, and her dad invited all the neighbours and the shop guys she grew up around to come and celebrate the newest menace on the road.

They hosted a large BBQ and fire in the backyard. The night's laughter and happiness filled her head, as though it were happening right then.

Nova stepped onto the front veranda and stood before the door longer than necessary.

She saw the door open, and her father was zipping up her Barbie backpack from her first day of Kindergarten. He was an emotional wreck. He crouched down, helping her put on her lilac windbreaker jacket. She saw herself pull back when he hugged her, cupping his face gently. Tiny Nova smiled, kissed her dad's stubbled cheek, and told him that she would be okay.

That was how they were with each other: strong, supportive, and always close when the other needed it. They relied on each other.

Too many memories. All of them want to come forward.

Shaking her head, she straightened her shoulders and reached out to twist the doorknob, throwing herself into the puts of her lifetime of memories.

“Nova,”

Allister's voice behind her, stopping her in her tracks. “I am sorry, Nova.”

Allister took a nervous step towards her frozen, tearful frame at the front door. “I reacted horribly, and I am sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me. Ask me for anything, and I will do it if you forgive me.”

“Anything?”

Nova whimpers as she wipes away her tears.

“Anything!”