Page 37 of Monster Diner

Her ex-boyfriend motioned to follow her, but Victor grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him.

“I think you should leave her alone,” Victor said.

“This is between me and my girlfriend.” Steven shrugged out of Victor’s grip.

The word sent a fizzle of anger through him. “She’s not your girlfriend,” Victor seethed.

Steven looked taken aback by his declaration.

And then his eyes widened. “I’m guessing you’re the new guy she’s fucking? She moved on quick and to a monster? God, she really downgraded. This is a new low even for her.”

Victor had been called a lot of things in his life—monster, freak, abomination. On a good day, he let it roll off his back. But coming from this pond scum, it only raised his anger. “Say what you want about me, but keep Lizzy’s name out of your mouth,” Victor said between clenched teeth. His control was unraveling. People were staring. He felt their gazes burning into him.

“I’ll say what I want. I fucking knew she couldn’t stay single for long. She jumps from man to man, you know. Is she shacking up with you, too? God, she’s pathetic.”

Victor’s control snapped, and he slugged Steven hard in the face. Steven went flying backwards, crashing into a coven of four witches who lived at the Cathedral down the street, who were seated at one of the round tables. They stood up and stepped away from Steven as if he were a fresh turd that’d fallen into their midst. But the rest of the café was staring at Victor wide-eyed. They’d seen the ugly side of him, the part he wanted to keep hidden. They weren’t supposed to see anything but the perfect facade he showed them all.

“Is anyone going to help me up?” Steven asked the room.

The coven merely shook their heads and shuffled over to the next table.

Lizzy came rushing back in and grabbed Victor by the arm before he could attack her dirtbag ex again.

“Steven, leave,” she said.

“Or I’ll throw you out of town myself,” Victor snarled.

“Victor, stop,” Lizzy said in a tired tone.

His anger faded as Steven climbed to his feet and slunk away.

“Sorry, Goldie!” Lizzy said before guiding Victor out of the café by the arm. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, she let go of him and walked towards the house without a word. He followed behind her, like a lost puppy. From the tense set of her shoulders, he knew she was angry with him, but he didn’t know what to say in his defense. He wasn’t sorry for punching the guy. He’d deserved it. Given the chance, he’d do it again. But he hated her seeing him that way. Seeing his sloppy side was one thing. Knowing he wasn’t perfect wasn’t the same thing as being confronted with the reality of it firsthand. He needed to walk it back, to show her he could be everything she wanted if she just gave him the chance.

They reached the front step of the house, and finally she turned to face him and said, “Victor, we need to talk.”

16

LIZZY

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you. But I won’t apologize for punching that guy. He was awful.” Victor threw his arms up.

She flinched on reflex. She was still buzzing from the heightened emotions in the café, and being unable to read Victor’s feelings in this moment was disorienting.

Victor recoiled away from her, shoulders slumping, trying to make himself appear smaller. She’d hurt him again. This had all gone horribly wrong, as she predicted. Nothing good lasted.

“I’m not mad at you for punching Steven.” She sighed. “He deserved it.”

Victor cracked a smile and took a half step towards her. But she held up her hand to stop him from getting closer.

She’d been working up the courage to talk to him the whole walk back home. When Victor had shown up, at first, she’d been mortified at having been caught in a lie. And then a second thought had followed that first—Victor had come looking for her. It was charming on the surface, panty-dropping in a way. Maybe if she weren’t fresh off her breakup with Steven, she’d be ecstatic. But this stay was temporary. It had to be temporary, or she’d stay out of a feeling of obligation, and that led to resentment. They were meant to be no-strings-attached, but more and more, she got the sense Victor’s feelings were deeper. That he wanted more than she was ready to give. Without her powers, she couldn’t read Victor’s mood, but she didn’t need to in this instance. She could see the concern rolling off him in waves.

Her heart was hammering as he stared at her, his expression torn. She looked at the cracked driveway, at the peeling house, and then back to Victor.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with you lately. Way more fun than I thought I would have,” she said.

“I’ve had a lot of fun too.” He gave her a half smile.

She barreled forward because if she didn’t, she’d lose her nerve. “You’ve been so generous with me, too generous at times. And I am starting to feel like you want more from me than I’m willing to give you.”