Telegraph Ave

Bitter Sweet Mornings (Pt. 1)

It had been a little over a week after the incident at the beach.
Of course the bodies were discovered but no one would have guessed it was Mark or me, so for now the case was drawing a blank. An investigation was still being held still, which worried me slightly.
"Lucky us."
I murmured as I sat on Mark's couch, before shutting off the TV. The news always made keep anxious, especially now since I knew so much.
I rarely watched it here anyway but Marks house has a TV so I figured why not?

I found out this was his family's summer home but no one used it for years so he took it. This was the first summer he actually went down here. It was really nice. I hadn't seen it due to it being so close to that beach, on the complete opposite end of the island.

"Lucky me."
He corrected, kissing the top of my head softly and walking into the kitchen. I turned around to face him while still sitting on the couch when he continued, "If I get caught somehow, you aren't going to take any of the fall, alright?"
I glared at him, but his back was already turned as he began making us two cups of coffee.
"No, Mark, I-" I began as I stood up, but he interrupted me.

"It isn't up for debate."
Walking around the couch, I stared at him or rather his back. I felt my anger slowly rising and knew I had to say something. I stood and slowly walked to the kitchen, trying to breathe to calm myself down a little.
I was now standing near the counter opposite to him. "I don't care if it isn't up for debate, I'm not gonna sit back and let something happen to you. That's ridiculous."
He roughly sighed outwards, but I carried on, "Do you really think you can get rid of me like that? That I'd just leave and let this play out as if I hadn't been there? "

He quickly turned around and closed the distance between us in a few long strides, as he stared down at me. I put on my best brave face and glared back at him.
"Listen, you're aren't stronger than I am. Okay? Understand we aren't the same. Understand that if I wanted to, I could easily get rid of you."
I didn't want to admit that the thought of it scared me, so I kept glaring at him but I felt my hands shaking and bit my lip to stop myself from crying.
"Understand that I could kill you in an instant.  That I do not need your protection. That I do not need you."
He was completely serious and meant each word. I was so easy to get rid of, but was I easy to replace? If he wanted he could have killed me any time, but he didn't. Knowing this I finally spoke up, my hands still balled up at my side, "Fine. Then kill me. Get rid of me. Do it. If you were going to, you would have done it already. And if I was going to leave, out of fear, I would have done that already too." I slowly relaxed my hands but couldn't relax enough to stop looking so angry,stop feeling so angry. He sighed and his glare lost a lot of it's power.

It was tense, the silence was awkward and uncomfortable. I hated it. But I was angry, I wasn't gonna just let this go. I walked away and sat back down on the couch without another word.

Staying silent, I focused the wood floors before I glanced at the pajamas I wore. Well "pajamas" being one of Marks shirts which was large on me and my boxers. They were comforting a second ago, now they just made me angrier. 

Soft sounds of bare feet padding against the floor came from behind me and stopped when I heard his voice, low and husky, "Jace, I-....We..." He paused, sighing before he continued,  " You said it yourself. If I wanted to, I already would have." He gently placed his hand on my shoulder, but before he said more, I shook my shoulder to get his hand off me, stood up, and headed for the sliding glass doors to go outside. He could calmed me down so easily, I hated it. I didn't want to just give in. I didn't want him to have that power over me. I was being childish now, but fuck it. 
I practically slammed the door shut and walked down the wooden porch stairs onto the beach. The white sand between my toes, the salty smell in the air, the cold wind. It was so much calmer out here.
But what did I expect?

I was living with a monster now.

I had no clue what he was. A monster. An alien. Satan. I laughed as I thought the last one. He wasn't Satan but he was something. What he was? I wasn't sure. I didn't care. I'd only seen him harm those two guys and they attacked him first. I'd convinced myself it wasn't his fault, & never questioned it. Maybe due to shock? Maybe because I'm fucking insane? Both?
I sat down in the cold sand a few feet from the house and stared at the empty morning sky. Part of me felt embarassed for making this some big argument, but honestly how would I let that happen without trying to help? I'm sure if he got caught he'd kill them easily but I don't like the idea of standing there and not trying anything to assist him. Of course throwing a tantrum and giving this alien creature the cold shoulder was gonna work, Jace. Yes. Obviously.

Like clockwork, the door closed and I heard sand moving with every foot step he took before he sat next to me, our forearms touching.
I ignored him, completely acting like he wasn't there.
The first thing he said to break the silence; "I won't chase you if you leave."
I scoffed, so much for him being able to calm me down.
"I don't want or need you to chase me. I don't care if you leave or I leave. You're....You're just as replaceable as I am." I lied. I'm sure he knew I was lying by the way I hesitated on the last part. I hated saying it. It wasn't true. I mean given he is hard to replace, what other alien would I date?
He nodded, "Okay, fine. I deserved that. I meant if you wanted me to leave you alone, I would. That if you did leave, I wouldn't hold you captive and force you to come back."
He picked up a rock and used his other hand to brush off the sand, before flipping it in his hands. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I didn't even know how it got this serious this fast.

"Of course you wouldn't. Maybe you'd track me down one last time just to brutally kill me like you did those two guys. Let me ask you something, Mark. Would you leave my body like we did theirs or would you eat it or something?"
I sounded so harsh, giving him this treatment would only piss him off. I was acting like a toddler and maybe it would cost me my life. I didn't care at that point.

"I don't eat the bodies, well I don't have to. I'm a demon, not some cannibal."

I mentally noted that he confirmed he was a demon. Not at alien, arguably a monster.
"If you're a demon, why not just kill me right now? Demons don't love, they only destroy."
He sighed roughly, and I knew I was frustrating him. Good. Let him get frustrated.
"What? Can't handle some banter from some disposable human? Shut me up then, kill me. Possess me. It's a shame you don't have a handle on your emotions, it's a shame a demon even has emotions. Pathetic even."

He still calmly played with his rock and let out a dry sarcastic chuckle,
"You don't mean any of that. Like you said, if you wanted to leave and if I wanted you dead and gone, it would have been done already. Neither of us wants what we're implying we do. So enough. Before I end up actually regretting this."
Ouch. That hurt.

I deserved it, but even knowing this I retorted,
"This is a regret waiting to happen. Befriending a demon is already a huge mistake. Dating a demon isn't any smarter.
He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, a shit eating smirk plastered on his face, "Dating? Didn't know we were dating now. Good. You're stuck with me. Nice choice."
I glared back at him, still angry about the whole thing. But he liked the title dating and that made me happy deep down inside.

"I don't think I did, if this is how you treat your boyfriend."
I crossed my arms my chest, and turned my head as to not look at him. I heard him laugh softly before kissing my cheek and wrapping his arm around my waist. I was still angry, irritated, but calming down slowly and I couldn't deny, being this close? It felt kinda nice.

"I'll treat you so well, just be patient. Demons aren't supposed to even bother with relationships. I wasn't prepared to date when I came down here. That's no excuse, I know. But just let me make it up to you, Okay? Let's head back inside before you get sick."

I wanted to fight it but it was freezing out here and he added we had hot coffee still waiting for us inside so I obliged. This was far from over, but for now, I'd let him off easy.

Just because he's a demon doesn't mean I'll back down.
I'm not scared of him.