Beloved Purgatory (Fallen Angels, Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

he was beside me. I placed my palm on his chest, felt his
heart race. My limbs ached. Each heartbeat in my own chest felt
strained, as if it were held together by strings that were snapping
one by one. And my lips smiled until my cheeks hurt. He'd be here
until--
    I turned my head into the pillow.
    "Are you still thinking about the angel?"
    I sighed. "No, but thanks for reminding
me."
    "What is it, then?"
    I don't want to tell you. I
want us to stay like this, forever . I
glanced at him--at his warm skin and beautiful, familiar green
eyes--and unconsciously I spoke the fears I'd hidden: "I don't
think I'll ever be able to enjoy a simple moment with you again
without thinking about--" How I am destined
to kill you because you love me .
    "Everything worthwhile in this life dies," he
interrupted softly. "Don't speak of it anymore."
    His lips pressed against my
forehead, and I twisted my hands in his shirt. "Oz, it's just so
messed up." It's not good enough. You
shouldn't accept it--I can't accept it.
    He brushed my hair behind my ear. It was a
little damp, and so left a cool trail on my cheek. "We each have
things we don't want to talk about," he said. "Just remember that I
don't regret anything."
    I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. "I
do, though."
    "Please don't," he whispered. "For the first
time in my life I feel fragile, and precious."
    He felt fragile and precious to me, too--like
a newly plucked leaf that would soon wither in my hand.
    If the curse was real, I would kill
him--because my heart had been enchanted by those deep, green
eyes--because I loved him. He loved me too, and somehow that just
made it worse.
    The flashlight fell between us. Long shadows
from my arms spread over his skin like bars as I wrapped my arms
around him and twisted my fingers into his back. It must have been
uncomfortable, but I didn't stop and he didn't push me away.
    I'd stolen him, an action as innocent and
heedless as a child picking a leaf, because he was so beautiful.
And so it was by these innocent and heedless hands he would
die.
    How much time did we have left? Days, years,
decades? It didn't matter. Whatever the amount, it would never be
long enough, because there is never a good time to hurt the one you
love.
    ***
    I turned over and glared at the sunlight
peeking through my blinds. What the hell? Now that it was fall,
wasn't it supposed to stay dark until at least...
    I glanced at the clock. 12:30. Alright, I
guess that meant the sun wasn't coming out early just to spite
me--and the fact that I thought the sun was even interested (or
capable) of screwing around with me proved that I hadn't gotten
enough sleep last night.
    I stretched out my arms and flopped to the
side.
    And hit Oz right in the face.
    "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"
    He winced and pulled his hand away. An ugly,
dark bruise covered the corner of his eye. "Devi, did you just give
me a shiner?"
    My stomach rushed into my throat. Then I
remembered that demons healed almost instantaneously. "I can't
believe you did that," I whispered, and tossed Beauty in his
face.
    "Did what?"
    "Don't pretend like you don't know. You made
the bruise show up, didn't you? That's really, really mean."
    He pried the pillow from his face. There
wasn't a 'shiner' there anymore, of course. "Come on, I think it's
cute."
    "Yeah, me beating you up is hilarious."
    "I wouldn't mind being woken up every morning
like that--as long as I woke up next to you." He grinned. "By the
way, you hog the bed way more than Princess. And you steal the
sheets."
    "You're impossible." I shook my head and sat
up.
    And saw another guy in my room.
    And screamed.
    My voice echoed through the room like a
banshee rising from hell. Instinct took over. My hands flew to the
nearest weapon--the princess Beauty pillow--and I threw it straight
into the intruder's face.
    Only it wasn't an intruder. It was the angel,
which meant I'd just assaulted him with a pillow for the second
time.
    His glacial expression remained intact as