“I meant something like some bananas or lettuce for salads.” His head cocks sideways as he looks at the different brands of bananas. Some are browner, some yellow, a few even green.
Grabbing a bunch, I sniff them. There’s not much scent, and the skin feels smooth. “You know, these look like bent dicks. I bet this is why you went straight for them, huh?”
He sputters and chokes on his breath. “Why the hell would you think that?”
Oh right, he wasn’t there for the talk earlier. “You know, apartment D? I see why you picked it. I mean, four guys in an apartment D—it’s pretty funny.” I toss the yellowish bananas into the cart along with a bag of grapes. I saw something once where men feed grapes to women while they’re lying down. Definitely on my bucket list now.
“So, because of that I need to buy food that looks like it too?” His eyebrow raises as he frowns.
Wouldn’t he? I suppose not, but I totally would. Anything to fuck with the others. “I mean, I guess not. But it is kind of funny seeing Aries all riled up when I bring up the apartment D thing. Maybe I can give them to him and make the innuendo clear.” I picture his face in my mind as he sees a bunch of bananas in his face. That will definitely be cause for another nose pinch, or he’ll storm off, leaving me be with my happy bunch of yellowish dicks.
He snorts as he grabs some weird purple vegetable. “Then this will really get him.” He puts it in the cart. “An eggplant is an emoji that people use as a reference to a dick. It’s perfect.”
“What’s an emoji?” I eye up the purple monstrosity and hope a real one doesn’t look like that. That would hurt like Hell. Well, actually worse than Hell. It would rip me in half.
“Sometimes I forget how out of the loop you are. Remind me to show you my cell phone later on.”
I want to ask what a cell phone is, but I bite my tongue for fear of looking more stupid. We start heading towards long lines where people are paying for their food, which sucks, because I’m not ready to go back yet. As he puts everything on the belt, I glance at the magazines next to the checkout. Apparently this poor woman has aliens growing inside her brain, and the world’s largest baby was born 200 pounds. I flip through the pages, intrigued by the craziness of the world.
The paper gets snatched out of my hand, catching me off guard. “What the?”
Levi flips through the pages, a smile plastered on his face. “These things are wild. I know it’s not real, but man, whoever comes up with these articles has an imagination. I love reading these things.” He places it on the belt to buy it.
“They’re not real?” I watch as it rolls closer to the end. I wonder if it will get sucked down under the belt.
The cashier laughs, causing me to glare at her. Her cheeks flame red as she adverts her gaze back to the groceries.
“Nah, it’s all made up. Kind of like reality TV—it’s somewhat real, but mostly someone writes the scenes, and people pretend it just magically happened that way. Humans love their drama.” He pulls out a huge wad of cash and gives the cashier a few bills to cover our purchase.
I need to get myself a stash of cash like that. I wonder how he gets money; we don’t have any in Hell.
“Even those orange people who like to drink and party on TV? That’s fake?” I watch as he shoves the wallet back into his jeans.
Grabbing the bags, he heads toward the door. “Nah, those chicks are crazy. That show is real and my favorite.” As we get to the car he insisted on driving instead of teleporting, he stops and looks at me. “Wait, you watch it too?” He laughs. “No wonder Aries was fucking miserable when we got back. He hates anything drama filled, especially that show.”
Now, I know how to torture the bastard. Reality TV and horrible references to the male anatomy.
As we drive along, I stare out the window, trying to memorize the way back to the apartment. Except he’s taking a ton of side roads, and he’s made five circles so far. He’s trying to throw me off and make sure I’m confused so I don’t try to leave on my own. Just great.
A large cathedral-shaped building comes into view. Glass windows that are half the size of the brick walls circle the building, along with a large green roof with carvings at the peaks.
“What’s that place?” I can’t help but stare at the beauty. Something is calling me to it, and I need to see it myself.
He glances through the window. “That’s the local library. It’s filled with books you can borrow to read. Not really my thing.”
I push my face to the window as he passes it by. “Can we go? I just want to see the inside.”
His foot hesitates on the gas as we start to slow. “Aries will kill me. There’s no way he’s not already flipping out, because we took three hours at the grocery store.”
It’s slowly moving farther away. “Come on, please? Just a minute, I promise!” I plead like the souls do when they get to Hell. Desperate.
He groans as he stops at a stoplight. He glances at me, a pained expression on his face. “Don’t make me do this. Choose between you and him.”
How dramatic. I remember now why men drive me crazy. “Fine, I won’t.”
He lets out a sigh as he relaxes into his seat.
I pop open my door and jump out of the car while we’re still stopped. “I’ll make the decision for you. Now Aries can’t be mad at you.” Shutting the door, I smile as I skip off toward the library.
I listen as the wheels to the car squeal around the corner. Shit, I don’t have much time. Taking off at a run, I make it to the library steps just as Levi appears at the corner. I forgot they have that nifty appearing ability. Running as fast as I can, I take the stairs two at a time. By the time I reach the top, my entire butt and thighs are in protest. My muscles feel like they’re on fire as I hobble into the building. I glance back as Levi casually strolls up the steps behind me.
Maybe he’s not as mad as I figured he would be. I slow up so I can let my muscles relax. The inside of the library is stunning. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling in books. I stand in the middle of the entrance and spin in a circle, trying to take it all in. How have I never known about these places?
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Levi stands beside me, watching me spin.
“It’s breathtaking.” I stop and focus on the shelves across from me. All the spines of the books are lined up perfectly, each a different color or shape but somehow flowing with each other.
He nudges my shoulder toward the shelf. “Go ahead. We can take five.”
I jump up and down as I debate where to look first. Without thinking, I bear hug him and plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you!”
His cheeks turn red as his hands slide against my waist, holding me against him. Neither of us speak. My breath catches in my throat as I stare at his lips. I wonder what he tastes like. I would bet he tastes sweet. Biting my lip, I move closer so our lips are only a millimeter apart. The scent of the sea and salt caress my senses as I close the distance between us, my lips barely touching his.
“Excuse me! No PDA in the halls,” a shrill voice yells from across the room.
My pulse races as I jump backward out of his arms. “Sorry,” I mumble as the angry lady glares over her glasses toward us. She’s barely tall enough to peer over the desk. Her white hair sticks up around the edges of her face, making her look like a crazed cherub.
Moving away from him, I avoid his stare as I point over my shoulder. “I’m gonna head over here.”
Swiftly, I walk away, avoiding the onlookers’ stares. I can only imagine what we just looked like to them, but that’s not what has me running in fear right now. The fact that I want it to happen with him while feeling the same toward Lex has me worried I might be causing more problems than I thought.
The ride home is silent as I flip through one of the five books I checked out. Who knew reading could be this much fun. I read the first few chapters of one that a girl in the library had recommended. The main character is a young girl, who’s a twin, and she b
umps into a boy who doesn’t realize they’re twins and kisses the wrong one, thinking it’s his girlfriend. My heart flutters at the thought of a boy actually kissing me. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up mostly innocent and to enjoy a human lifetime.
All the other angels got a chance to live out a full human life on Earth. I would have too if I wasn’t banned from Heaven. It’s one thing that makes me feel guilty about tricking Adam that day. I could have experienced a human lifespan, reincarnated for the experience and knowledge you can gain from it. Pushing out a frustrated breath, I close the cover.
We pull up to the apartment, and I realize my frustrations may not be from what could have been but what’s happening.
As we enter the room, I toss all of my books onto the coffee table. Spreading them out, I glance at each one, debating which I feel like reading first. The bedroom door slams open and out pops a frantic Lex.
“There you both are. Where have you been? He’s on a rampage searching town for you both.” Lex’s wide eyes flit between Levi and me.
“When is he not on a rampage? I swear Aries has been in charge of the deaders too long. All that gray sludge would make anyone miserable.” I flop down with the original book I started and prop my feet up on the couch.
“Not Aries—Ryce. When you guys hadn’t returned after three and a half hours, he went nuts. He started blowing up Levi’s phone, then he took off without a word.” He stands up straight, crossing his arms over his chest while looking down at us.
I feel like a chastised child. “Hey, there was not a time limit specified as to when we had to be back. And if Aries isn’t pissed, then Ryce shouldn’t be either.”
“Oh I’m pissed. I’m fucking livid!” Aries’ booming voice causes me to jump.
He storms into the room and snatches the book out of my hands. “Hey, what the fuck?” I stand up and try to grab it back, but he holds it higher than my head.
“So this is where you all went?” He advances on Levi, his nostrils flaring. “I told you she was your responsibility. You fucked up.”
Instead of backing away, Levi goes toe to toe with him. Intrigued, I sit back down, cross my legs, and turn my attention to the obvious testosterone-fueled pissing match happening.
“We went to the fucking library. What’s going to happen there? Is she going to get a paper cut?” Levi pushes against his chest. “You act like you’re the only one who cares about her safety. Get the fuck out of your own head and look around you for once. We all fucking care.”
“Don’t touch me,” Aries seethes.
Lex pushes his way between them, his gentle demeanor trying to defuse the situation. “Come on, guys, she’s back. We don’t need to fight over this. She’s safe and home.”
A loud bang causes us all to jump as the front door slams open. Ryce stands there, fists clenched, chest heaving, and eyes bright red. Oh for Hell’s sake.
“Calm down, man, she’s back.” Lex tries to calm the mood of the pissed-off prince, but he doesn’t listen.
He’s too far gone—I should know, I’ve been there myself. Biting my lip, I glance between all four of them. Should I get up and intervene? If I don’t, one of them is going to kill the other one. I don’t know if they can reincarnate like I do after they die.
Ryce pushes through Lex, tossing him to the side where he hits the couch with a thud. Aries backs away from Levi, leaving him completely open for the murdering Ryce is planning to do. This is all so fucked-up. Ryce swings and a loud crack sounds through the room as his fist connects to Levi’s cheek. Blood spurts from his lip and sprays the wall.
“Stop it!” I scream. Jumping up, I crawl across the furniture that’s now scattered from their tussle.
Before I can reach either of them, an arm locks around my waist and pulls me against a hard chest. I struggle and kick against him to stop the beating Ryce and Levi are currently giving each other. A right hook lands on Ryce’s eye, causing him to stumble back a few steps, but it doesn’t slow him down.
“Let me go!” I twist and turn, but his grip only tightens. “This is your fault. If you weren’t such a stubborn asshole and would let me out of here to see things, none of this would be happening.”
Aries’ voice rumbles against my back, “Princess, this is your fault. Look what you’re doing to them. This is why I need to get you back to Hell. Do you understand now?”
I stop trying to escape and watch the scene before me. Blood is dripping from both of them, but they’re still standing. Ryce’s eyes are bloodred, but Levi’s haven’t changed. They’re darker, angrier, but not red. Lex is sitting on the couch, his head in his hands, defeated.
“I didn’t mean to,” I whisper. The destruction I’m causing—it’s just like my fall from Heaven over again. How many lives can I possibly destroy by myself?
“Enough,” Aries commands. They both stop, fists midair, both of them panting from exertion. “Clean up, both of you, then we’re having a meeting in five minutes.”
They both walk off in different directions, one heading into the bedroom, the other disappearing through another door I had not noticed until now.
“You can let go now. It’s over,” he whispers, his tone unsure but calmer. My nails are dug into his arm. I didn’t even realize I was holding on to him. Releasing them, I slowly ease the tension in my body.
He doesn’t move, letting me lean on him for a second as I let everything sink in.
“You good?” he asks, running his fingers lightly down my arm as he lets go.
I nod, afraid to hear my own voice if I speak. He stares at me before nodding and heading toward the other room.
“So, what kind of meeting are we having?” My voice cracks as I swallow past the lump in my throat.
“We’re having a family meeting. You can wait out here.” He shuts the door behind him, and just like that my heart breaks, releasing the little bit of hope I was holding on to.
I guess if I’m not included, then I’ll stay out here and eat my ice cream, while watching TV shows he hates. Let them battle it out—I’m tired of all of their mood swings. We better get this portal open sooner rather than later. I’m over this.
13
My eyes are heavy, but my body feels like sand. I doze in and out of sleep, my dreams laden with fistfights and the world burning down. I roll over and feel the soft blankets wrapped around me. The smell of salt and grease wafts from the kitchen, causing my eyes to flutter open. Glancing around, I take in my surroundings. The room I’m in has a large bed covered in the softest blankets I’ve ever felt. I run my hands over them, enjoying the feel between my fingers. The mattress hugs me in all the right places as I lie here and enjoy the first full night’s sleep I’ve had in my life.
The sound of crackling and pans banging around has my stomach growling. Seriously? After everything I ate, I’m still hungry? Rolling over, I debate if it’s worth leaving the bed for some fresh food. As I hear more shuffling in the kitchen, I smell the fresh aroma of coffee too. Yup, it’s worth getting up. Maybe they’ll have some cinnamon I can add to it. I push myself out of bed, making sure I’m decent before heading into the other room. Although, it would be kind of funny surprising them with a full frontal before breakfast. I better not—I really just want some food and caffeine right now.
I turn the corner, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I get closer to the sounds of Heaven. Not literal Heaven, because that place definitely doesn’t have a six-foot-five-inch massively built Aries cooking breakfast for the angels. Nope, but that is what I see here. I stand against the wall, admiring him before he notices me. When he’s occupied and not yelling like a maniac, he’s pretty hot. He pushes down a few pieces of bread in the toaster thingy.
His back still turned to me, he yells, “Breakfast. Someone want to wake up the sleeping princess? I’m sure she’s starved.” He flips an egg as he mumbles, “That girl can out eat a food-eating champion.”
Is that him being nice? Be still my heart.
“Looks
like she’s already up and enjoying the show.” Lex winks at me as he walks behind Aries, grabbing a cup of coffee.
Aries turns around, his eyes narrowed, and the scowl reappears on his face the moment he sees me. Guess I was wrong.
“Morning, sunshine. You look like you’ve been busy.” I walk toward the counter where there’s a heaping pile of bacon stacked. “What’s the saying up here? Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey?” I go to grab a piece, but he slaps my hand with the spatula.
“Ouch!” I hiss.
“We eat together. Take it over to the table, but don’t eat any. You think your stomach can wait five minutes?” He holds the spatula out, pointing it at my chest.
Grabbing the plate, I roll my eyes as I traipse over to the table. “Why are you such an asshole all the time?” Grumbling under my breath, I plop the plate onto the table and sit in the chair across from Lex. He snickers, obviously hearing what I said.
Ryce stalks into the room, his face a little bruised by the eye but mostly healed. Averting his gaze from mine, he sits next to Lex. Lex slides a steaming cup of black coffee in front of him, like the sulking is completely normal around here. Glancing between the two, I bite my tongue from asking twenty questions.
Aries drops a plate full of eggs and toast onto the table, and a jar of jam. He sits at the end of the table to my right, but he doesn’t serve any food. Waiting, I try to determine if I’ll be slapped again for taking a piece of bacon now. None of them move, obviously waiting to eat.
Levi shuffles into the room. The entire right side of his face is black and blue. A little bruising is sprinkled along his cheek. He walks over and fills up a large cup full of coffee before stopping at the table and staring at me. My stomach drops as he glares for a moment longer.
“Just sit over there across from me,” Aries sighs like he doesn’t see him planning to murder me in the kitchen.
With a grunt, he slams himself into the chair on my left and takes a sip of coffee. With that, the rest start to load their plates up with food. I have no idea what’s happening right now, but that pile of bacon is getting smaller by the second. I reach out and grab a handful, tossing it onto my plate along with a piece of toast. No one talks as we all shovel food into our mouths.
For Hell's Sake (Queen of the Underworld Series Book 1) Page 7