No Angels

.chapter twelve.

Kaitlyn rushed inside and hugged me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

She was crying.

Something inside me got loose.

In all the years we'd been together, I hadn't seen her cry.

The closest I got to unsettling her was when her voice started shaking and she started tearing up.

But to see her break down, so emotionally in ruin?

Never.

"Leo, oh, Leo -"

"Shhh," I comforted her, patting her awkwardly on the head. "Shhh. Do you want some tea?"

Ravi hated tea.

He knew that I knew it.

I hardly glanced his way - I wanted him to feel what I felt.

Which was confusing, in a way - I didn't know what I felt.

I was disappointed, yet angry, frustrated and furious.

Most of all, I felt hurt. Unwanted.

I didn't know where all of that fit in, but I wanted Ravi to feel the same.

"Sure."

I got up and went into the kitchen, sure that Ravi would follow me.

I was right.

I tried my best to ignore him, but it was like how a moth was inexplicably drawn to a flame.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I was boiling the water for tea.

"Making tea," I said softly.

Ravi looked like he wanted to spit at the idea - or possibly choke me.

"But why?"

"She's a guest. I need to treat her like one. Even if you don't like her."

I could see Ravi seething - I felt his anger.

Somehow, that gave me a grim sort of satisfaction.

"Ask her to leave. Right now."

The kettle whistled. I turned it off and poured the boiling water into a mug.

I placed a tea bag into the mug and waited for it to settle before adding in the sugar.

"I can't ask her to leave, she needs help," I said, stirring the clumps of sugar.

Ravi snarled - that was a first.

When I looked at him, his eyes were blood-scarlet.

"Ravi, look. Not everything can be done your way - that's not how the world works. Kaitlyn needs help, and I'm obliged to help her -"

"You are not," Ravi hissed, cutting me off.

I ignored him and went on.

"Ravi, I loved her once. I can't just leave her like this -"

Electric sparks jumped out of Ravi's fingertips, and his hair crackled with invisible fire.

When he spoke, he didn't sound human, or anything like the man I knew.

"You'll be sorry."

Suddenly the kettle, that had been sitting quietly in its place with its cable unplugged, started shrieking. I watched, with a numb sort of amazement, as the hot water boiled over and spilled all over my hand, which was lying conveniently next to it on the countertop.