Dealing with the Devil [Yandere x Reader]

Chapter 69 - Normal

Life had taken on an odd rhythm.

Somehow, after everything, Christian and I had settled into a strange routine. It wasn't the life I had ever imagined for myself—definitely not what I would've dreamed of—but in some twisted way, it worked. The tension that had been building between us over the past months had eased, at least on the surface.

Christian had stopped hovering so much, and while his intense protectiveness remained, it had become less suffocating. There were even moments where I could almost forget about the darker truths we had unearthed between us.

But it was like living with a wolf, taming its instincts just enough to keep from being bitten. The danger was still there, just hidden under a thin veneer of control.

I leaned back in my chair, holding my phone in front of me, FaceTime buzzing with the chatter of my friends. It was our weekly catch-up, a ritual I had come to rely on more than I wanted to admit. It kept me tethered to the world outside the strange, insular life I shared with Christian.

Mel was mid-rant, her face animated on the screen as she talked about Damon—her on-again, off-again chaotic relationship that had, miraculously, steadied itself lately.

I found myself smiling at her frustration, at how similar her situation was to my own, though she didn't fully know it.

"Nah, it's like Damon calmed down so much, it's insane," Mel said, sounding genuinely baffled. "Like, he's still batshit crazy, but more... I don't know, controlled? Like he knows when to stop now. I can't explain it."

I laughed, adjusting my headphones.

"Same with Christian. He's still intense, but he's been so chill recently. It's like he stopped watching my every move."

I couldn't believe how easily the words left my mouth—how normal I made it sound. The truth was far from normal, but somehow, we had all gotten used to this warped version of love and control.

Mel snorted, her eyebrows raised.

"Girl, I can't believe we're actually talking about this like it's normal. How did we even get here?"

How did we get here?

The question floated through my mind, but I brushed it aside with a laugh.

"Welcome to the chaos," I joked, leaning my chin into my hand. "But hey, at least we're surviving, right?"

Lora, who had been quietly listening, chimed in with a thoughtful tone.

"Honestly, it's weird how calm everything's gotten," she said, her voice uncertain. "But... is this normal? Like, is it normal for us to just get used to their crazy behavior?"

A ripple of discomfort passed through me at her words. She was right. The calm we had fallen into—it wasn't normal. It was temporary.

A lull in the storm.

My thoughts were interrupted by Lora continuing, "Jess put a waiter's head through a wall last week."

My eyes widened as Mel gasped. "Wait, what?!"

Mel burst into laughter, though it was clear the situation was both ridiculous and concerning. "How does that even happen?"

Lora rolled her eyes.

"Some guy got mouthy with me when Jess went to the bathroom, and I guess when she came back, she just... lost it. Next thing I know, this dude's head is halfway through the wall. We got kicked out of the restaurant, obviously."

I couldn't help but laugh, but there was a knot in my stomach that wouldn't go away. Jess's behavior—our entire group's behavior—was far from funny.

"Well," I said between laughs, wiping the corner of my eye, "you're in for a long ride, Lora. That's just the beginning."

Mel groaned, shaking her head. "We're literally all dating psychos. How did this happen? When did this become our version of normal?"

It became normal the first time we didn't run. I wanted to say it, but I didn't. Instead, I just smiled and let the conversation continue.

Lora sighed, a bit more serious now. "Probably when we didn't run screaming the first time they went off the rails. I mean, think about it—we all kind of chose this."

She wasn't wrong. I had stayed. We had all stayed. The intensity, the control, the possessiveness—somehow, we had convinced ourselves it was part of the package, part of loving these men who seemed larger than life, even when they suffocated us.

But sitting there, surrounded by laughter and lighthearted conversation, I felt a strange sense of comfort. Like we had built this bubble together, where we could joke about the things that might terrify other people.

A world where our version of normal was completely warped, but it made sense to us.

"Yeah, we're definitely in too deep," I said, smiling despite the heaviness in my chest.

I glanced over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Christian listening in. But he was in the other room, giving me space, something he'd been surprisingly good about lately.

Mel's voice softened.

"You sound happy, though," she said, her concern creeping into her words. "I mean, we joke, but you do seem like things are better with Christian."

I hesitated, thinking about it. In a way, she was right. Things were better, at least on the surface. Christian had backed off just enough to make me feel like I could breathe again, like I wasn't constantly under his thumb. But that didn't erase the darker moments—the threats, the possessiveness, the way he had mapped out every scenario in case I tried to leave. The calm wasn't real. It never was.

"I guess things are... better," I said slowly, careful with my words. "But, you know, it's still Christian. He's always going to be a little... intense."

Lora chuckled. "Understatement of the year."

Mel nodded. "As long as you're safe and happy, that's what matters. Damon's still a handful, but like I said... he's learned to control it. I think these guys get it now—how far they can push before we break."

Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud. They had learned, sure, but that didn't mean they wouldn't push us again. That line was always there, waiting to be crossed.

"I think I need wine for this conversation," Lora said, breaking the tension with a laugh. "Be right back."

As Lora disappeared from the screen, Mel leaned closer to the camera, her tone more serious. "But seriously, Y/N, you're okay, right? With everything?"

I forced a smile, pushing down the doubts clawing at the back of my mind. "Yeah. I'm okay. Things are weird, but... manageable."

Mel studied me, her gaze softening. "Alright. Just... if you ever need to talk, you know you can. We all get it more than anyone else."

"I know. Thanks, Mel."

When the call ended, I sat there for a while, staring at my phone. Their voices still echoed in my mind, the laughter and the dark truths we had danced around. It was comforting, knowing I wasn't alone in this madness.

Eventually, I got up and walked into the living room, where Christian sat on the couch, flipping through a book. He glanced up when I entered, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"How was your chat with the girls?" he asked, his tone light.

"Good," I said, leaning against the doorframe. "Lora's girlfriend put someone's head through a wall, so... you know, the usual."

Christian chuckled, shaking his head. "Sounds like we're all in good company."

I crossed the room and sat next to him, feeling the warmth of his presence. The distance I had been keeping from him had blurred into something more comfortable, a balance that worked.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice soft.

I nodded, leaning into him. "Yeah. I'm okay."