Chapter 189 Chapter 189
“What do humans do when they celebrate their birthdays?” Maxwell asked without beating around the bush.
Nicholas Clarke’s jaw dropped. He gaped at him before he caught himself and let out an amused snort. “Birthday?” he chuckled. “This is about Valerie, huh?”
“How did you know?”
“Who else would it be about?” Nicholas Clarke grinned slyly, much to Maxwell’s annoyance. “It’s rare for you to ask me for advice.”
Maxwell clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t rub it in my face,” he grumbled. “I don’t know too much about human traditions, and she seems to look forward to it. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“Well, what exactly did she tell you about her plans? You are too vague,” Nicholas Clarke said, crossing his arms as he observed the impatient demon. It wasn’t hard to see that he wanted to return home as soon as possible. Nicholas Clarke was glad that they got along so well since it was rare to see Maxwell care about anyone but himself. He had to fight the urge to tease him about it.
“She mentioned that she wants to invite some friends… that’s all she said.”
“Well, it’s normal for humans to spend time with friends on their birthdays. I understand why you find it weird, it’s not like we demons do that,” Nicholas Clarke answered, trying to remember what he knew about this topic. “Humans receive gifts on their birthdays. You should think of something special for her. She will probably be sad if you don’t gift her anything.”
“Human traditions are weird,” Maxwell mumbled, but seeing Nicholas Clarke’s eyes narrow, he quickly added, “I’ll think of something.”
“I doubt that it’s a good idea to let you do it on your own. It’ll end in a disaster.”
“Hey, I’m not stupid,” Maxwell shouted, ticked off by his friend’s attitude. “I’ve been shopping in the human world before, and I know how this works.”
“I’ll accompany you to make sure you won’t buy anything inappropriate.”
Maxwell sighed deeply but didn’t complain. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to have help with this.
“Why don’t we start right now? Valerie will get suspicious if we meet up too often without her,” Nicholas Clarke suggested. “There’s just one thing that I need to know before we leave. Where did you get the money?” Nicholas Clarke asked suspiciously.
“I stole it,” Maxwell replied, shrugging.
“What?” Nicholas Clarke exploded. “You can’t be serious. Valerie won’t be happy if she finds out you bought a gift with stolen money.”
Maxwell’s brows furrowed in annoyance, and his eyes became tinted with red. Nicholas Clarke cared too much about human laws and rules. Maxwell doubted the rich asses he got the money from would even notice it missing. They had been ridiculously easy to fool.
“She won’t find out,” Maxwell said. “Besides, what does it matter?”
“It’s a crime.” Nicholas Clarke countered.
“Yeah, and? I’m a demon, remember?” Maxwell said sarcastically, cocking his brow. “Why would I care?”
Nicholas Clarke scowled at him, crossing his arms. “Of course, you don’t care, but Valerie will be devastated if she finds out. She will be disappointed in you, and I’m sure that it will make her cry.”
Maxwell paused. He glared at Nicholas Clarke with a vengeance, inwardly seething. “I won’t make her cry, what the fuck,” he grumbled.
“Then come up with a way to gain money yourself! Don’t steal it.”
“But how? Do you expect me to work for these human idiots? They’re below me.”
Nicholas Clarke rolled his eyes, having expected this kind of answer. “You could always get in touch with a witch. They like to ask demons for help with certain errands, and they pay well. I know a few demons who earn lots of money this way,” he suggested.
“This is a shitty idea. " As I would work for someone else,” Maxwell nagged.
Nicholas Clarke smirked to himself. “If you continue stealing, Valerie will be absolutely disappointed in you. She will never forgive you, and she will always be sa—”
“Shut it, Nicholas Clarke,” he snapped. “I’m going to do it, just stop talking.”
His friend grinned victoriously. “Great. I’ll give you the address of a witch who seeks help often. But keep in mind to be polite.”
“I’m always polite.”
“Sure,” Nicholas Clarke answered, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“You have to distract Valerie somehow. She will get suspicious if I’m gone for too long,” Maxwell said. “It’s already two pm.”
“Leave it to me,” Nicholas Clarke said, having a plan in mind. “You take care of the gift and the money.”
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“I wonder why he’s gone for so long,” Valerie mumbled, glancing at her clock. What could he be doing? “It’s unusual for him to leave.”
She wasn’t sure whether his sudden departure had to do with Mason—maybe he wanted to look for him? Then again, she highly doubted that he would leave her in the dark about it. He would have told her about his plans. As of right now, they didn’t have any new leads and could only hope for another door to open for them. Valerie got restless as she thought about it, and she tried to calm herself, but that wasn’t so easy. Her emotions were all over the place. She was scared, worried, uneasy; a nauseating mix.
However, it didn’t last long. Suddenly, calmness overwhelmed her, coming from inside her heart. The mark on her wrist tingled a little bit, and she moved her fingers over it, tracing its shape. Deep conviction filled her, along with unwavering confidence that was so strong it could only have originated from Maxwell. Even though he wasn’t present, she could almost hear him saying, “It’ll be okay.”
She exhaled, closing her eyes as a smile bloomed on her lips. Maybe he was right. She should stop worrying so much and concentrate on the present rather than on their uncertain future. Focusing on the connection between them, she made sure to let him notice her gratefulness through the happiness that was ignited within her. Her smile became permanent when she sensed a hint of relief from him. He was rather perceptive, having noticed her distress easily despite her trying to hide it. She couldn’t fool him.
Valerie lingered in the living room for a while, texting her friends and aimlessly scrolling through Instagram. Travis had recently uploaded a funny selfie, and she left him a comment, but after that, she put down her phone. She wasn’t used to this quiet in her flat, and she soon grew bored. There was nothing to do today, and she couldn’t leave the house on her own—it was too dangerous.
As if someone had heard her thoughts, the doorbell suddenly rang. Confused as to who it might be, she opened the door only to find Thorne, Esther, and Vaughn. Pleasantly surprised, she smiled at them.