Chapter 75 Chapter 75
“Should we… go home soon?” she asked tentatively, meeting his unreadable gaze that conveyed nothing of what he was thinking, but his eyes were light blue, telling her that his resentment had disappeared. She wondered if he was aware of how telling the play of colors in his iris could be—it often helped her in figuring out what was going through his head.
“It’s late already,” he said and walked back to the trail that would lead them to the parking lot at the edge of the woods. Valerie followed him closely, her gaze wandering over the greenery nearby.
Since the sun was sinking lower, it would get dark soon, and she assumed that more demons would roam around the area later. Until then, she wanted to be home.
“Maxwell?” she asked as she caught up to him. He watched her from the corner of his eye, and she took it as a cue to go on. “Do you want to eat dinner with me later?”
His eyes widened slightly, as he hadn’t expected her to say something like that, but he wasn’t opposed to the offer. “Yes.”
She smiled lightly, a skip in her steps when she walked on, not noticing how his lips quirked up at her elation.
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A few days passed. Valerie could tell that Maxwell wasn’t mad at her anymore, but he was tentative around her and didn’t get too close to her. He still accompanied her when she went to work, still ate dinner with her, still watched movies with her in the evenings, but something between them had changed.
When they sat on the sofa, she didn’t snuggle up to him anymore, sitting a good meter away from him, and he never moved closer. It made her feel awkward and also somewhat guilty because she thought that this was her fault. She missed their playful bickering and his cheeky comments.
Valerie asked herself why men had to be so complicated all the time. Even before their argument, Maxwell’s behavior often hadn’t made any sense to her. He would kiss her one second and call her annoying the next, tell her he hated humans, and then spend the evening playing video games with her. He was a walking contradiction, and she constantly wondered what was going on in his handsome head. The prideful demon never told her, and that likely wouldn’t change, especially not since he had become distant after their argument.
She wanted things to go back to normal between them and opted to ask Thorne for help. He knew both of them well, and therefore, he was the best choice for this. After she called him, he agreed to pick her up later in the evening to drive into town with her so they could talk without Maxwell listening in.
When the doorbell rang, she was ready to leave, having changed her clothes and applied makeup. She left her bedroom the same second Maxwell left the living room, and they nearly collided with each other. He shot her a weird look when he saw that she was dressed up and opened his mouth to ask a question, but she was in a hurry and never noticed his intention, running to the front door and ripping it open.
“Thorne.” she said and hugged him briefly, hearing him chuckle in response.
“Are you ready?” the demon asked. He was in a good mood and happy to spend some time with his human friend.
“Yes, I just got dressed. You arrived at the perfect time,” she answered, holding her purse in her hand.
“What’s going on?” Maxwell’s irritated voice sounded from behind her, and she turned to see him standing at the door to the living room, glaring in their direction.
Thorne smirked knowingly. “We’re going on a date,” he said, prompting Valerie to gawk at him.
“I’m coming with you,” Maxwell answered and narrowed his eyes at the other demon.
“No.” Thorne and Valerie said at the same time, not exactly serving to lift Maxwell’s bad mood.
“We want to spend the evening by ourselves. I’m sorry, Maxwell. We‘ll go together next time, okay?” she said apologetically, knowing that she really needed Thorne’s help and it wouldn’t work if Maxwell listened in… However, she did feel guilty seeing his bitter frown after she told him she didn’t want him to accompany them. Biting her lip to hold in a sigh, she walked out the door with Thorne.
“If you don’t bring her back in one piece, you’re getting hell, Nicholas Clarke,” Maxwell growled slowly before they left. Thorne looked at him over his shoulder, sending him a reassuring smile.
“Noted. Don’t be so angry, though, this really isn’t what you think it is,” he replied and waved as he walked down the stairs with Valerie.
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They ended up visiting a restaurant not too far from the river, being lucky enough to get the last window table before someone else snatched it away. Many people were here since it was a Friday evening, and Valerie spotted some couples among them who were obviously on a date.
Feeling a pang in her heart, she concentrated on the menu and picked a random dish, not caring about what she would eat. She had more important things to think about after all.
Thorne studied her calmly, knowing what was going through her mind even though she hadn’t voiced it. They had already talked about what had happened with Uriel, and Valerie was grateful she could confide in him. He had proven again and again what a great friend he was, always supporting her.
“I noticed that you two seem distant from each other,” Thorne finally addressed the issue, and she nodded.
“It’s been all weird between us since the disaster with my ex. We both overreacted in our own way, and I wish I could take back some of the things I said to him, but it has happened, and I can’t undo it,” Valerie sighed, fidgeting with her napkin on the table. “Maxwell is good at hiding his true emotions, and since I can’t be sure what’s on his mind, I don’t know what to do to reverse the damage… I was hoping you could help.”