Secret Confessions (Book 1)

Angeldust

I think he will adore it!

Reading the text Molly sent, I barely hold in my giddiness. For the past week, Alastor has truly been trying. He only leaves the house to extract the souls he's owed. Other than that, Alastor has spent every day with me.

Lounging on the sofa, head in my lap as he reads and me scrolling through my phone or watching the news.

Surprisingly, he even enticed me to read a brown leather bound book he dangled in front of me, promising that it had fantasy and romance.

Being a sucker for romance, I started reading it while absentmindedly stroking his ears. Halfway through, it mostly contained gory battles and dismemberment.

Now I see why he likes it so much.

There's a small love interest in it, but altogether, it's a decent read.

The days passed in a content, warm, and happy blur. Reading, laying in bed, even some heavy petting.

I was flabbergasted when Alastor hesitantly agreed to allow me to braid his hair today. So, while his nose was in a book, I used my brush to gently brush the coarse red and black strands until they felt silky, and wove them into small intricate braids. Bright neon colored ponytails on each end.

As Alastor softly hums a tune and turns a page to the book he's reading, I very slowly bring up my Hellphone, aiming the camera downward to capture the bizzarness of his hair in braids.

I snap the picture and send it to Molly, who texts back immediately.

Oh my God, Anthony. That is positively adorable! He will kill ya though if he finds out there's a picture of him like that.

"Darling." Alastor murmurs, tilting his head back to gaze up at me.

"Yes babe?"

"If that circulates Hell in any shape or form, I will personally see to it that you will never see the light of day again. Do I make myself clear?" Although Al's tone is pleasant, his eyes glint with dangerous intensity. Menacingly. He means every word.

"How did ya know?" I gasp, my hand inching behind me to hide my phone.

"While they can be troublesome little things, my ears are excellent at picking up even the slightest of noise. The clicking of a camera, for instance."

"Yea, but how did ya know it was a camera noise? Ya aren't exactly tech savvy, and ya don't own a Hellphone..."

"When I was alive, there was a brief time I took photographs with Mother's vintage camera." His eyes glaze over at an unknown memory I can't see, and I watch a sad smile pinch his lips and furrow his brow.

"What would ya take photos of?" I ask.

"Nature. Mother cooking or simply immersing herself in a good book. She allowed me to practice with it. To help me get better."

"Why did ya stop?"

From fond happiness, to stormy rage, Alastor sits up, snapping the book he was reading shut. "That, my dear, is a story for another time."

Grabbing hold of his arm, I turn him to face me, thumb brushing his cheek. "Ya know ya can tell me anythin', right?"

"It was during a time in my life that I'd much rather forget about, dear." Taking the hand cupping his cheek, he gently pulls my hand away, gaze latched to the ground.

His usual iconic smile fades until I'm staring at a serious expression. What unnerves me, is that for once, his voice has no hint of static.

As the Radio Demon, his voice never loses that popping, crackling, ear grating static. It's part of what makes him... him.