Falling for The Devil (Devil in Disguise Duet #1)✔

Chapter 11

"Did you have a nightmare?" I ask him, but he doesn't respond. I'll take that as a yes.

"Yeah, I did," he replies finally, but his voice sounds strange. I pull away from him and look into his eyes. He looks scared, sad and mad at the same time.

"What happened in it?"

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine. "You were in it, and I couldn't save you."

I blink in surprise. That was definitely not what I was expecting. How am I even supposed to reply to that?

"And then I woke up," Daniel continues talking. He sounds angry and broken at the same time. "And you weren't in my arms, and I thought that the nightmare was real and that I really lost you."

I bring my hands to his face and slowly start drawing circles on his cheeks with my thumbs. That is the one thing that calms him down when he's feeling anxious. "I'm sorry. If I had even the tiniest idea that you were having a nightmare, I wouldn't have moved."

"It's not your fault," he reassures me as he leans into my touch.

But it is my fault. Ever since I found out that Daniel had nightmares, I would sleep close to him whenever he slept because that way, according to him, he felt less anxious. He also told me his nightmares weren't as bad when he knew I was close to him. Sleeping close to him helped me sleep peacefully too. I felt safe and protected when I slept in his arms- like no one could harm me as long as I was there.

"I'm not going to die," I tell him. "I promise."

His eyes snap open. "Don't do that. Don't make promises about things you have no control over."

"Okay, then. I promise that I'll try my best to survive anything that happens to me. Does that work?"

Daniel considers it for a moment, then slowly nods. "Yes, it does."

"Can you promise me something?" I ask him, and immediately he looks skeptical. Wow, thanks for trusting me so much. "If given a choice between your life and mine, I want you to promise me to choose yours."

He let out a short, derisive laugh. "There's no chance in hell that I'll ever agree to that."

"Why not?" I ask him angrily as I try to pull away from him. Every time anyone threatened to hurt me here, he literally begged them to hurt him instead. Sure, I did the same, but I'm sure when the time comes, they'll give him a choice, not me.

"Because your life is worth much more for me than my life will ever be."

"Your family loves you. They need you," I argue.

"So does yours," he replies, and I sigh. Why can't he just listen to me for once?

"They don't love me. I was the child they never wanted."

He doesn't try to argue with that, and for that, I'm grateful to him. I don't want anyone telling me lies about how my parents actually love me. I know they don't, and I don't care anymore.

Daniel pulls me even closer to him, and my breath hitches in my throat. If either one of us moves even a little bit, our lips will be touching. "I love you, cara," he says, then moves his face and kisses the side of my lips.

I freeze in shock. Did he really just-

"Don't say things that you don't mean," I warn him, and his eyes flash with anger. I'm screwed.

"Are you fucking serious? Do you really think I'd fuck with you like that? Jesus, I never say things I don't mean, especially something like telling someone I love them. I can't-"