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“Can we go home now? I’m not hungry anymore.” Verity’s voice is subdued.
We walk back to my car, my hand on the small of her back. Once I’ve got her seat-belted in, I go to the driver’s side. I glimpse my reflection in the tinted window and freeze.
There are blood spots on my face. What must she think of me now? I get into the car and put my hands on the steering wheel. Blood cakes my knuckles, likely a mixture of mine and those I hit. I wince, squeezing my eyes shut.
Verity can’t even look me in the eye for fear of being turned to stone. How can I expect her to forgive the violence? Today, I proved to her that I’m nothing more than a monster.
I’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if it requires me to walk away from her.
I don’t speak as I pull onto the road and head to the highway.
Verity lives a quiet life. She tutors monster children and spends the rest of her time with her best friend, Alice, and lately with me—in my library and in my bed. Even the monsters she chooses to work with are among the gentler species. She never puts herself in harm’s way, and thus far, it’s protected her from things like this. From the darker side of my life. From the struggle to contain my monstrous nature for the sake of living harmoniously, even when threatened by assholes like those men.
I sneak a glance at her. She has her skirt pulled up and is looking at her scraped-up knees. I hand her some napkins from the glove box.
She was injured because of me.
While she’s cleaning up, I pull out my phone and message one of the guys at my security company, giving him the location where we were attacked. He’ll get the injured guy patched up and send the others on their way with a boot up their asses once the petrifying spell wears off. They better not cross my path again because I’ll kill them next time.
The fact that I’m still feeling a murderous rage prickle under my skin is proof that I’m not good enough—not human enough—for this beautiful human.
“I’m sorry, Verity.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t send those miscreants after us.”
Her voice is strained and edged with fear.
“Let’s just go home,” she says again.
I turn left at the next intersection, heading toward Verity’s place. The drive is silent, save for the sounds of traffic around us.She makes a noise in her throat, and I see from my periphery that she’s looking at my face.
Likely, she expected me to take her back to my place. That was our original plan.
But I need her to be safe.
The only way I can ensure that is if I’m far away from her.
I glance at my bloody hands gripping the steering wheel.
This is for the best, I tell myself. Despite the crushing weight of knowing what I’m about to do, I know it’s the right thing for her.
I pull into the driveway and put my car in park. But I make no move to exit.
“Gideon?” she asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.
I don’t turn to face her. “I suppose it was only a matter of time before you saw me for what I am.”
“And what are you?”
“I’m a fucking monster.”
She releases a shaky breath. “What does that make me?”
“Too good for me. We’re not a good idea. I can’t keep you safe.”
Verity shakes her head, her eyes shining with tears. “Is this about those kids? It wasn’t your?—”
“It’s not about those kids. It’s about me,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’m not good for you. I’m sorry, but we’re done. It’s for the best, Verity. I’ll have my assistant let you know once I’ve vetted the team for the translation project.”
