Living with a Demon

Chapter 5 - Leah

I wake up bright and early with a start. The sun may be sleeping, but my body is wide awake and buzzing because I'm no longer in the bungalow. The room is dark with a hint of coldness. I dislike how dry the air is without the water crashing against the shore. If I didn't fear being abandoned on that island, I'd have asked Damon to leave me there.

After eating alone in silence, the food placed me into a deep coma. I crawled onto the softest mattress I've ever felt and passed out to the sound of waves crashing on the warm sand.

The humid air is gone, replaced with coolness. Irel said their equivalent to Fall started two weeks ago when we first met.

Crawling out of bed, I wrap what I believe to be a blanket around my shoulders. Finding the light switch, I flick it to bathe the bedroom in a soft glow. According to Irel, all the house lights are programmed to start dimmed in the morning to allow my eyes time to adjust.

A soft brush against my neck leaves me shivering. "Why won't you talk to me? What's the point of touching me if you remain silent?" Stopping at the coffee maker, I wait for an answer I know won't come.

After last night, I'm still on the fence about having a fuck buddy. With my life in danger, do I want to place Damon in the crossfire? Derrek is a resourceful male. If he learns about Damon, he won't stop until Damon is six feet under. Jealousy and rage go hand in hand with Derrek.

With coffee in hand, I retrace my steps toward the bedroom. With the lights on, the sight that greets me is cozy. Cream-colored pillows and blankets accent the dark oak four-poster bed. Running my fingers along the wood, I marvel at its design. It's been curved, twisted, and carved. Leaning closer, I believe there are words engraved. I'll have to ask Irel what they mean. The smoothness of the wood tells me the craftsman is far more talented than most back on earth.

The closet is built with the same wood as the bed. The engravings appear there as well.

"Are you the one who carved these?" I run my hand along the grooves in the closet. It's empty and enormous. "It's funny, you know. I've always dreamed of a closet this spacious. Now that I have one, I know I'll never fill it. I'm praying I can keep the house until I have a job."

Just thinking about my poor life choices places a dampener on my morning.

Sighing, I leave the closet and head toward the bathroom. I don't have to cross my fingers to know it will be crafted with precision and love.

"I don't know how you did it." Derrek would have me locked in a room by now with all the talking I've done to Damon. Then, he'd burn this house down with Damon inside. Unless the invisible male can leave the premises?

Stepping into the bathroom, I marvel at the simplicity of it, and yet, there's such beauty in the rustic room. "It's as if you pulled these two rooms from my dreams." The perfect cabin experience with an added bonus of a Jacuzzi bathtub. The sinks are metal with wood countertops and sidings. The log walls create a homey feeling. Even the shower with its fake wood tiles calls to me. The rain shower head adds a final touch to its perfection. "I hope you know how much this means to me. I know you didn't build this house for me; that's impossible, but nonetheless, it's stunning. Whomever you end up with will be one lucky female or male."

Once the shower is turned on—it takes a few tries to figure out the dials—the room fills with steam.

By the time I finish my coffee, I can't view myself in the mirror. The heat caresses my skin, demanding I drench myself in the shower.

"No peeking! You don't get to see the goods unless you talk to me." I try to keep the smirk from my face. It's hard. I've never teased a male I can't physically see before. It's thrilling.

There's just something about Damon that sets my skin crawling, and not in a bad way. A simple caress along my wrist or his heated breath against my neck flips the butterflies in my stomach to full blast. I don't remember ever having this much excitement with Derrek initially.

Stepping into the shower, I sigh in relief when nearly all my stress slides down the drain. "Even if you kick me out, I'm taking this shower head with me!" I shout over the pounding of water against my body.

Soft music plays through what must be built-in speakers. It's instrumental and relaxing. Swaying side to side, I allow myself to be truly happy for the first time since meeting Derrek.

I saw the red flags. I saw them every time. Instead of listening to them, I snuggled closer to Derrek, believing he'd change once we married.

I was an idiot.

"Am I safe here with you?" I whisper. Closing my eyes, I rest my forehead against the fake wood tiles. They are cool to the touch, bringing my temperature down a notch. "Please let me be safe here," I murmur.

Time is lost within the roaring heat and steam. My active mind goes over every detail of my escape, of my imprisonment, and the terror. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let Derrek rule my life here on Catier. That promise will only work if I rediscover myself and he stays the hell away from me.

He won't. Derrek believes I belong to him. That he owns me. It won't look good for his image if he can't keep his fiancé in check. I'll have to have Irel's people check on my status on Earth. Did Derrek report me missing? Abducted? I can't see him letting me walk away without covering his tracks.

A ringing sound jolts me out of my musings. "Leah?"

A widescreen appears on the wall next to my head. "Irel?"

"Are you in the shower?" She muses.

I remember reading about the visual intercom, but this is by far anything of my wildest imagination. "Can you see me?" I squeak, stepping away from the screen and turning the shower off.