"You're a demon?" She looks at me with barely concealed fright - and repulsion. I grit my teeth. It takes everything in me to keep my tone gentle.
"I ... I am." She lets out a harsh scream and backs away from me.
"Leave me alone! Get away from me!" she yells. "I trusted you!" Her voice has risen to an almost hysterical pitch. She slumps to the ground, and turns her face to stare up at me. "I trusted you," she repeated, quietly. Her voice is defeated.
"You can still trust me, Cadi," I say softly. "You can still trust me." She glares at me.
"Don't feed me any more lies." Her voice is broken. She turns to leave.
"Cadi, please!" I brush her curls away from her face. Tear tracks gleam, etched into her tan skin. "I - I wasn't lying when I said that I was falling for you."
Was I lying? Is it still love, if you don't care about them? Is it still love if all you want is for them to look at you with love? To take away their innocence?
Or is that just cruelty?
"I - I didn't tell you what I was because I'm ashamed, Cadi. It's simple as that. I couldn't face rejection from you, and I knew you wouldn't want someone like me ... especially if you knew... " I allow my voice to crack. Normally I would not show weakness, but I need to, if she's going to listen to me. "Bella ... she, she's obsessed with me." That, at least, is true. "She told you because she knew you'd leave me. You're so innocent, so pure. I'm... I ... the things I've done, and seen, and..." I stop mid sentence.
I can see it's not working. She's moved and softened by my words, but they won't persuade her. Not to stay with me, not to give herself up to me.
I have one more shot at this.
"You can go," I whisper. "If you want to. But Cadi... Cadi, I love you."
Tears fill her eyes. She bites her lip. I know she is internally battling herself.
Cadi's POV
He ... he can't be a demon. But suddenly I see it. His fighting skills, his strength, his smirk, his arrogance, his dangerous appearance, his dark sense of humour.
He's here for initiation, same as me. Did he frighten the locals into giving him the hut? Did the 'homeless man' that once lived here even exist? What if ... what if he killed the homeless man?
I don't even know. Shock and betrayal and disgust and jealousy and sadness and love and hurt swirl inside me until my mind is one big emotional mess.
"You're a demon!" I choke out. I can't believe it. How could he?
"I - I am." Oh God. I... I can't process anything. Why do things like this always happen to me? The cruelty cuts into me.
The only man that will ever want me, and that I will want back, and I can't ever have him.
Words tumble from my lips - cruel, harsh words. My anger and hurt speaks for me as I let loose at the harsh unfairness of life.
"Leave me alone! Get away from me. I trusted you!"
"I trusted you," I hear myself repeat. Hurt overwhelms me.
"You can still trust me, Cadi," he pleads softly. "You can still trust me."
I don't want to hear it.
"Don't feed me any more lies."
It's so hard to turn him away. My feelings for him are still there, and you can hear it in my voice. I need to get out of here. I turn to leave.
"Cadi, please!" He brushes my hair away from my face. I don't have it in me to push him away. "I - I wasn't lying when I said that I was falling for you."
Please don't beg me. Please. I love you too, Andres. But I hate you, for what you are, and we'll never be. We never can be. My silent pleads aren't answered. He starts to speak, and I purse my lips in an effort to make myself immune to the words I'm sure will come.
"I didn't tell you what I was because I'm ashamed, Cadi. It's simple as that."
I won't pity you. I won't.
"I couldn't face rejection from you, and I knew you wouldn't want someone like me ... especially if you knew..."
His voice breaks. I clench my jaw. I won't ... I won't pity him.
"Bella ... she, she's obsessed with me."
It's easy to become obsessed with you, Andres.
"She told you because she knew you'd leave me."
If only you knew how much I don't want to.
"You're so innocent, so pure."
Don't remind me.
"The things I've done, and seen..." I don't want to know. Honestly, I don't.
I feel like I'm going to cry. Holding up against him is the worst thing, the worst and the hardest thing, I've ever done. His words are so emotive, and... I don't know.
"You can go," he whispers. "If you want to. But Cadi... Cadi, I love you."
My heart beats. "Andres, I love you too. And..."
-
Cliffhanger!
Should Cadi say yes, or no? Will she find out that Andres is planning to leave her? And what about Bella?
YOU ARE READING
Fallen
Paranormal'Found, discovered, fallen ... it's all the same thing, really.' First Cadi was abused and excluded; Then she was used and flattered; And now she is Fallen. ~An angel who has never really fitted in in Heaven, Cadi is scared at the prospect of the in...
