Lucian Divine(20)

Her eyes shot open with sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry. How embarrassing. I didn’t know.” It was almost like she adored Keith even more. My plan was backfiring. “You poor thing,” she said as she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me.

I had to get her and Keith to sleep so I could get out of his ugly, dumb body. “You know what I would love, Evey? I would love to just lie down, call it a night. I’ll take your number, and we’ll go on a proper date.”

Her eyes lit up. “I would love that too.”

She put on a pair of flannel pajamas with penguins on them then patted the space on the bed next to her. “Come lie down. I’m so sorry, Keith. I hate that I put that pressure on you.”

Geez, was she really into this guy?

“Don’t apologize. I’ve been trying to sort it out for a long time.” I was actually starting to feel kind of bad for Keith myself.

She cuddled up into the crook of my (Keith’s) skinny arm, and it felt like heaven. I’d never actually been to heaven. I’m not even sure it exists. I know it’s weird, an angel who’s never been to heaven. No one had confirmed or denied that there was a place humans went when they died. But as I lay there with Evey, even in Keith’s body, I started to think maybe heaven was on Earth. Maybe being an angel was like being in hell.

I waited until she dozed off, jumped out of Keith’s body and sat in the corner to make sure he didn’t react. He startled, looked around, and then down at Evey asleep, looking beautiful and serene. He smiled, closed his eyes. He was out. Thank God he didn’t freak.

At magic hour, I passed Joel’s angel, who said, “Hey, thanks, man, good job.”

I’d actually done something right, sort of, but I was dying for a drink. I flew to the market where Henry, one of the banished angels, worked. I wanted to get myself a nice little bottle of Scotch. But instead of Henry, an irritated Mona was posing as the corner market cashier… that bitch!

“Really, you? Where’s Henry?” I asked.

“Really yourself? I gave him the night off. I knew you’d be here. I know about that stunt you pulled earlier.”

“I’m tired. I had a long day at work. I still did my job. In fact, I was on quadruple duty tonight, if you hadn’t noticed. Some angels have no work ethic—like Abigail, for example. Why don’t you get on her shit?” I shrugged, grabbed the bottle, and headed out the door.

Mona called after me, “She’s not on probation. You are, Lucian.” A moment later, Mona appeared at my side and put her hand on the bottle. She focused her beady little eyes on me. “All I’m saying is to take it easy on the booze. I know you’re dealing with a lot right now.”

I squinted at her. “You mean you’re actually capable of feeling compassion? I need my paycheck please.”

She scoffed and then pulled an envelope from her pocket and handed it to me. “Don’t push me. Don’t spend all this money on alcohol either. Go enjoy your hours. Get laid for God’s sake, Lucian.”

“For God’s sake? Really, Mona? Why not for my sake?” I yelled. “Why is everything for him?”

She flew off in the other direction, mumbling something about being underpaid.

I drank only half the bottle on Evey’s stoop before cutting myself off. Proud moment. I was really growing up after two thousand years. I popped into Evey’s room because I hadn’t heard any noise and I wanted to make sure everyone was still breathing. They were. It smelled like bad breath—Keith’s, not hers of course.

They were fine, all wrapped up in each other. Magic hour was over, and time was speeding up, which was sometimes dizzying for angels. When I stumbled back against Evey’s dresser, she startled awake. She shouldn’t have been able to hear me. She jerked and inadvertently woke Keith up.

“Hey, babe,” he said groggily.

What a dweeb.

“Babe?” Evey asked.

“Yeah, we had a crazy night last night, huh?”

“What are you talking about?” Oh no, this was all going to blow up in my face. She leaned in toward Keith’s, to look into his eyes. “You look different. You seem different.”

“I don’t really remember much from last night,” Keith said. “I think I blacked out. Did we do it?”

“No, remember, you said you were… that you had…” She glanced toward his pants area.

Keith jumped out of bed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t have to be a bitch.”

I was about to slap this fool, but then I realized it was kind of my fault. I moved across the room and knelt by Evey’s bed. “Let him leave,” I whispered. “Let him walk away.”

She was staring off into space. Could she hear me?

“I was nice to you about it,” she said weakly as Keith tied his shoes at the edge of the bed.

“I was fucked up. I don’t remember anything.”

“Okay, I get it,” Evey said.

I was hurting her. Even though I was trying to protect her, doing everything I could to make sure she was safe, she was still getting her feelings hurt after having so much sweetness and compassion. She still looked to be zoning out.

“Let him go, Evey,” I whispered again.

Keith left without saying good-bye. He slammed the door behind him.