Haunted Hearts

Chapter 14

After returning to Elena's home, we trained on our breathing exercises for a while until she returned from work.

Dinner with them was a comforting rarity, a home-cooked meal I never thought I'd experience again after my mother's passing. With my father, our meals usually were fast food and canned food.
But this was amazing.
It felt like home. It tasted like home. The type of taste that a restaurant could never duplicate. The taste of love and safety.
The salad was a great way to open my appetite for the duck stew and mash potatoes which were completely delectable. And at the end, we had some Mexican flan for dessert. Everything was made from scratch by Elena. And it showed.
My heart swelled with happiness and contentment, only to be weighed down by Elena's incessant chatter about spirits over dessert and tea. Her words sat heavy in my stomach, threatening to spill forth like a torrent.

Logan filled her in about what happened at the coffee shop. She found it peculiar how quickly the demon had seized control of my mind, citing her calculations of demonic possession lasting seven to twelve minutes. It troubled her further that he displayed such uncommon patience and kindness towards me, towards our situation. Unlike the typical demons who usually discard humans like worthless after striking a soul bargain. But she knew about how he had tried to harm me with his shadows. So this little contradiction puzzled her even more. And I could see why. Maybe he realized that by being a dick he wouldn't get far with me. Maybe he was manipulating me into thinking he was harmless. Whatever it was, it only made me more restless.

I remained silent throughout her discourse, my stomach roiling with unease. The duck threading to get out of my belly, one way or another.
Logan, ever perceptive, suggested we prepare for Jessica's party upon seeing my troubled expression. I gave him a thankful smile, as we said goodnight to Elena.

Heading upstairs, I indulged in a shower, reluctantly washing away the comforting scent of coffee from my skin. I hated that I actually enjoyed being impregnated with this scent. Because I loved this scent. The smell of coffee was one of my favorite smells and the demon probably knew it. Which is why he put it on me. Branding me. Teasing me. I hated him so much. But I would find a way to make him pay.
He needed to pay.
And his soul would be mine.

Once I realized I didn't have anything to wear for Jessica's birthday party, Elena generously lent me one of her daughter's dresses, and to my surprise, it was my size. The verdant green fabric complemented my hazel eyes, lending a reddish hue to my typically dirty blonde hair. The dress draped elegantly to my knees, accentuating my curves with understated grace. As I applied a touch of mascara on my eyelashes and a coat of red lipstick, a tentative knock sounded at the door.

As I swung open the bedroom door, Logan's gaze swept over me, leaving me momentarily breathless. "Wow, you look—wow," he murmured, his astonishment evident. And I almost fall apart at how he looked at me.

A blush tinted my cheeks as I replied, "Thanks." I didn't know if he knew but his words lifted me up. I hadn't felt so alive since my mom left us. My wardrobe had been limited to hoodies and my late father's shirts ever since my parents split up. Due to financial constraints. "Your sister's taste is exquisite." I said and his smile stayed on his lips but there was a hint of pain on his eyes, "does she live somewhere else? I haven't met her yet, I'd like to meet—."

"Yes— Somewhere else," Logan replied taking my hand while his thumb traced lazy circles in it. "You're beautiful, Morgan," he said, drawing closer, his eyes ensnared by mine as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

I smiled shyly, reveling in his compliments. "You look very good yourself," I managed as he lowered his face to kiss my cheek, sending my heart into a frenzy of anticipation.

"Are you sure you want to go? That thing will be there," he voiced his concern, his gaze heavy with invisible burdens, as though witnessing my suffering pained him deeply.