Where My Demons Hide

Chapter Twenty-Two : Dragon

I lingered around the house while Star worked on something on his system I couldn't see until it was finished. Each time I tried taking a peek, he'd smack me and escort me out of the room. I shook my head and bit into an apple, while waiting for Ohm and Ya to show up. My father called to ask why I had called in the loan to Nice's father.

I explained it all, leaving nothing out.

"She did what?" My father thundered. "Did you not make it very clear you weren't interested?"

"I told her I was interested in guys, Pa." I rubbed my suddenly tired eyes. "I'm not sure how much clearer she needs me to be. Going after Star was the last straw. I could take her hounding me, but I needed to send her a message that Star is off limits."

My father choked. "Everything okay between you and Star—after the incident with N'Nice, that is."

"Khrap."

"Good." My father went silent. "He came to me for help. I knew you wouldn't have called in that loan and taken the house without a reason. I wanted to check with you first to see if you were being unreasonable."

"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"

"No." My father sighed. "You've given Nice countless chances to do the right thing. It seems she has not learned the lesson that no means no."

I grunted.

"Okay, thank you, son." My father told me. "I will have to talk to you another time."

"Okay, Pa."

With him gone I frowned. Nice was like a bad rash I couldn't get rid of no matter how hard I tried.

Ohm and Ya arrived on time and while they rushed up the stairs to see Star, I made lunch. I had no intention of eating with them and by the time I was finished and brought food up, it was as though they didn't remember I was there.

Smiling, I set the tray down on the floor, walked over to brush a knuckle against Star's cheek. "I may be back late." I told him.

"Oh? It shouldn't take that long, should it?" Star looked up into my eyes.

"I'm not sure. If anything, you call P'Gun. He's closer."

"Hmm." Star nodded, offering me a dazzling smile.

Though I wanted to kiss him, I settled for him squeezing my hand then left the house, heading north. I wasn't sure how much he'd told Ohm and Ya about us—hell, I wasn't even for sure there was an us.

As I drew farther away from the house, I tried desperately not to think of Star. Images of his body arching up to me, the bashful way he blushed at the sound of my name spilling from his lips—he was my weakness.

No matter how I fought it, Star was my weakness and the sooner I faced that fact, the better.

I wasn't sure when it happened, but I had fallen for him.

The realization caused me to pull over to the side of the road and flip my visor up. When that wasn't enough, I removed the helmet completely, just so I could breathe.

My mood shifted as I finally managed to pull it together enough to bring myself back on the road. There were so many other places I'd like to be heading in that moment—all of them with Star. But thanks to Ananda Chatmanee not wanting to cooperate, I was stuck paying him a visit. He didn't want to speak to the police about Star and because of the rules, Gun had to back off.

I didn't have such hang-ups.

By the time I arrived at Ananda's place, it was well into the evening. I stopped at nearby convenience store and bought a pack of potato ships and a drink. Sitting on the cycle's belly, I ate slowly, waiting for time to pass and the guests Ananda had with him to leave. The conversation I was about to have with him would not go over well with an audience.