Chapter 120 Chapter 120
“Wake up,” she repeated once more and looked at him when his eyelids fluttered. A low groan left his throat. He scrunched his brows, and then he opened his eyes so suddenly that she flinched back.
They moved searchingly through the room, his breath quickening in a panic until he spotted her next to him. Valerie was astonished at how fast he moved when he sat up and hugged her, nearly crushing her with the inhuman force he used. His arms were like a vice, keeping her body close enough to his that she struggled to breathe for a moment. As soon as his brain caught up with his actions, he loosened his grip, and she relaxed.
He didn’t say a word, and he didn’t need to for her to know that he was far from alright. They didn’t require a bond anymore to understand each other’s feelings. She felt the rise and fall of his chest as he took a shuddering breath and hid his face at her neck, warm puffs of air fanning over her skin. Her hand came to rest on the back of his head and moved over his silky white hair soothingly.
“It’s okay, Maxwell. Calm down,” she whispered, and he responded to her words by hugging her waist and clutching her t-shirt with his hands. She wished she knew what was wrong with him since his unusual behavior seriously worried her. Never before had she seen him act like this. He radiated crushing sorrow, and his erratic breaths told her that he hadn’t recovered from his nightmare yet.
When wet drops of water touched her neck, she was shocked and faltered. “Are you crying?” she whispered.
“No,” he replied hoarsely. “Demons never cry.”
“I see,” she said quietly and wound her left arm around his torso, wanting to offer comfort. Her right hand continued to brush over his hair as he rested his head on her body, just below her collarbones. Whatever he just went through, it must have shaken him up so much that his shell cracked. She’d never thought she’d see the day he would cry in front of her. And to be honest, she never wanted that either. It pained her, the sight of his crushed form in her arms sending a pang right through her heart. Her hands moved through his white strands of hair, his body relaxing a little more with every second that passed. He held on to her for dear life, like he’d expect her to vanish into thin air if he let go.
“I missed you,” she said softly, hearing him sigh in response, but he didn’t speak. She took it upon herself to fill the silence with her voice, believing it would offer him comfort and distract him from whatever had been bothering him. “I was lonely without you, and I’m sure you must have felt the same way. It was strange to be home alone all the time, to eat dinner without having company. You’re important to me, and that’s why I’m glad you came back. I expect you to stay,” she whispered, seeing his head shift a little, revealing his face. She noticed that he’d closed his eyes and listened to the soft sound of her voice without looking at her. Despite having been unconscious for so long, he appeared exhausted, shadows lying under his eyes.
“Are you falling asleep again, hm?” she sighed, her hand moving from the back of his head to brush his long braids with her fingers, occasionally grazing the side of his neck. She’d never stop marveling at the silkiness of his hair and its pure white color. It was a strange hair color for a demon to have, and she knew for a fact that most demons had darker hair, but she loved him just the way he was. He couldn’t be more perfect in her eyes. Her touches continued, and he genuinely enjoyed them, his tired mind not registering anything but the sound of her voice and the soft caress of her hands on his hair.
Valerie glanced down at his head that still rested over her chest. Considering how much he clung to her now had her wonder yet again why he left her in the first place. Seeing how worried he’d been when they had encountered Zane, and how he’d protected her, she was convinced that she was important to him. And not just a little bit.
She came to realize that he didn’t leave her out of selfishness, but for an entirely different reason. It had been his way of trying to keep her safe from the demons who posed a danger to bonded humans, but he must have realized that parting ways with her had been a stupid idea, so he came back on his own, and she was thankful for that. Still, a part of her wanted to give him a tirade for making her go through hell for a whole month. Being separated from him had been painful; she’d often been on the verge of giving up, and if it hadn’t been for Thorne and Travis, then maybe she would have.
Sighing, she gazed at him, seeing that his eyes were closed. He seemed to have calmed down now, but apparently didn’t want to budge. “Don’t you think you’ve been asleep for long enough?” she remarked quietly, her smile filled with adoration for him. “Will you get up?”
“No, I'm not getting up,” he mumbled.
It wasn’t like she could refuse him, so she let herself sink on her back and pulled him down with her. Half of his torso ended up on the mattress while the other half rested on her, his head nestled to her neck. He hugged her waist and tangled his legs with hers, getting comfortable. Valerie knew that he didn’t plan on moving from this spot anytime soon, and she didn’t mind that. She enjoyed being with him after a month of separation; the strange void within her heart was finally filled, even though they weren’t bonded anymore. His sole presence sufficed to calm her and ease her worries.
She closed her eyes, absentmindedly playing with his long braids that were splayed over her chest. His embrace was comforting—slowly, she was getting tired too, but she knew that she couldn’t just sleep in the middle of the day. Then again, it was always night in hell… Valerie sighed and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling.