Through Your Eyes

Chapter 13: Valarie

As morning finally rolled around, I forced myself out of bed. I barely got any sleep that night because of all my excruciating pain, and I already dreaded seeing Reese again. Still, I dragged myself out of the house and began my search.

While walking through the city, I instinctively knew where to turn with some unknown force guiding me. I had absolutely no idea where I was going, but I knew Reese would be there when I arrived. After almost an hour passed, a strange sense of calm washed over me.

They were close.

And sure enough, as a familiar park came into view, that silhouette that haunted me last night stood before the pond, their back turned to me. I took a deep breath and cautiously approached.

"...Reese?" I asked in almost a whisper.

They gazed over their shoulder and our eyes locked. "Well you came back fast. Now the real question... is why?" They raised an eyebrow, their expression guarded.

I halted my approach, staying a safe distance away. Already, that strange chill was replaced with a sense of warmth and comfort. I didn't truly feel safe, but our connection forced me to. If we were normal soulmates then I would've been able to give into those instincts and actually love this 'person.' I wouldn't be so on edge and afraid that they'd kill me any moment.

Even though our lives were linked, their icy expression indicated they were fully willing to kill us both if I posed any threat to whatever strange mission their 'job' gave them. I took a small step forward with my hands raised to show I meant no harm.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't want to bother you again... but I had to."

They laughed coldly in response and fully turned around to face me. "Had to? Why? To turn me in to your little cop friends?"

"NO! I uh- I'm not here for work..." My voice trailed off as I realized how embarrassing it would be to admit the real reason I sought them out.

They stepped forward so we were almost a normal distance apart. Leaning closer they asked, "Then why did you even look for me in the first place?"

I flinched back unintentionally. Even though they appeared as human as I did, all I could see was the true monster hiding underneath. I couldn't erase that image from my mind, nor could I overlook the crimes they committed for that strange 'devil job' they claimed to hold.

My eyes darted away from theirs as I couldn't look them in the eye anymore. I didn't know what to say to them or what I even could say in this scenario. Reese snickered above me, finding my silence funny for some reason. I attempted to calm my breathing before gazing back up to lock eyes once more.

With newfound determination, I finally answered their question with one of my own. "Do you 'devils' know what soulmate withdrawal is?"

They laughed. "You mean that strange sickness humans sometimes get?"

"Yes."

When I added nothing else to my answer, understanding finally came to them. I wouldn't just randomly mention it, and they knew that. Their eyes lit up and an exaggerated "ohhhhh" escaped their mouth. "Doesn't that usually take longer to affect you all? You aren't makin' this up, right?"

"I know. This is ridiculous! But I literally went crazy last night because of it! I- I just-!" I buried my head in my hands and groaned softly as I remembered that awful hallucination.

The aggression in their voice faded to something that almost sounded like they cared. "Was it... that bad?"

Before I got the chance to reply, they placed their left hand on my shoulder to comfort me. Despite myself, I instinctively leaned into their touch. And before I knew it, I buried my head against their chest and wrapped my arms around their neck. All my built-up emotions came pouring out and I couldn't stop myself.

Reese didn't even mock me, only gently patting my back while leading me to a familiar bench. I cried uncontrollably as all the stress, fear, and rage finally washed out of my system. I held too much in for far too long with no one to turn to.

Even if I couldn't trust my soulmate at that moment, Reese was all I had to lean on.

"Shhh, it's alright. I'm here for you now," they whispered softly.

I sniffled slightly before finally lifting my head to look up at them with teary eyes. "Are you really, though? Earlier you looked ready to kill me."

They inhaled sharply through their teeth, looking almost guilty. "Okay, you're right about that. I was prepared to end both our lives if you proved to be a true threat, but now I understand you didn't have any bad intentions. Plus it's better for the both of us if we can figure this out and get along. We could maybe even help each other out a bit."

I rubbed the corners of my eyes and contemplated their words. Reese knew exactly what would happen if they killed me... but they were still willing to do it? That almost seemed more concerning than them being a devil. They clearly had no concern for their own life or safety. But why?

Could I truly trust their words? Could the two of us figure this out and support each other like normal soulmates? Or... would I end up just like my sister?

As those dark thoughts took over my mind, I locked eyes with them once again. Using my last ounces of courage I asked, "How could we even make this work? And why don't you care for your own life? Didn't you say you had family back home who cared for you?"

They sighed deeply. "Yes, I do have family in hell who I care about a lot. My only goal in all this is to help and support them, so if I can't do that then- then I'm just a burden who's better off dead..."

They averted their eyes to avoid my gaze as their voice trailed off. Not knowing how to even respond to that, I sat silently staring at them. After a minute they added, "But it's not like I'm actively trying to die or anything, so you don't need to worry. And you know what? Talking like this is good! This is how we can fix our relationship moving forward!"

I stared blankly at their face when Reese turned back to me, still struggling to process everything. They noticed my hesitation and placed both my hands in theirs, squeezing them gently to bring me back from my spiraling thoughts.

"You clearly need me, and I probably need you too. So why don't we work together on this so we can both get what we want without having to risk either of our lives? Do you want to give it a try?" they asked, lowering their head slightly so our eyes were level.

As I gazed deeply into those dark eyes glowing a vibrant red, I realized just how important this next decision was; it impacted the rest of my life. I already knew they weren't human and were certainly very dangerous. I knew all the risks involved with trusting them again, yet deep down within my soul, something urged me to say yes and to try once more. As I gazed into those clearly inhuman eyes, the only words to escape my mouth were: "I do."