Water and Fire

Chapter 23

Lena walked slower than usually. She constantly had the feeling that someone was watching every step and every move. She even had the impression that people had been watching her during her class. Normally she would just shrug it off. She would simply tell herself that she was imagining things, that she was paranoid, but right now she knew that she probably wasn't.

Every other student could be an angel. Every other student could be trying to identify the demon. Every other student could be keeping an eye on her.

If she would have known that this would be the price for staying on earth, she would have thought twice about it. Why was she even doing this?

For a demon that told her he really cared about her?

How could she have been so stupid? How could she have thought that trying this was a good idea? How could she have started to think that it was possible to enjoy all of this?

"Lena, that frown on your forehead looks ugly." Maria brushed Lena's shoulder and linked her arm with Lena's. "You're not thinking about Brian again, are you?"

"Don't talk about him!" Lena hissed between her teeth and Maria stepped back frowning her eyebrows.

"Okay, someone is clearly not over her broken heart yet." Maria cocked her head and shook it. "Tell me, what does Brian need to do to make it up to you? If you're gonna walk around like this for days I'd rather have the two of you back together."

Lena took a few deep breaths and her hands formed fists. She wanted to tell Maria that she had to shut up. She wanted to scream that she couldn't talk about Brian. Not like this, not this loud and not right here. She just couldn't explain why she was so sensitive. She couldn't explain that thanks to Maria Brian could get killed right now.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?" Lena knew that she sounded more bitter than she wanted to. She sounded a lot more bitter than Maria deserved.

"I get it, it hurts. That's fine. Come, we're gonna find him and we're gonna make the two of you talk." Maria pulled Lena along with her.

While Lena followed Maria she debated what was worse.

Talking to Brian and probably exposing him to all the angels who were watching her. Or running away, probably proving that something weird was going on and leading them straight towards Brian anyway.

She sighed and when they entered the library where Brian was bent over a book, Lena felt her heart beating in her chest.

"I've got someone who really needs to talk with you." Maria seemed to have forgotten that you were not supposed to talk this loud in the library. She also seemed to have forgotten that even though Brian and Lena were officially dating it wasn't something the entire campus needed to know.

"What?" Brian looked up and he frowned his eyebrows.

"I know that you've behaved like a true jerk, just like most men your age."

Lena frowned her eyebrows, but all of a sudden it made sense that Maria had believed her this easily. She was used to it. She was used to men being jerks.

Lena hoped that Brian didn't conclude the same thing. He would probably make an entire list and attract some more attention.

"But Lena here is a lot less fun without you, so if there is a way for the two of you to make it up, go ahead and fix this." She put Lena down on a chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, what are the two of you waiting for?"

Lena stared at Brian and Brian stared back. He was ticking with his finger on the wooden table, while Lena was licking her lips.

"Come on, there has to be something you guys can say to each other?"