Three Demons Ch. 04

Hello readers! Thank you for all the comments on the last chapter, I tried to make this one longer than the others as per request. Keep letting me know what you think, it's very helpful!

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After a few minutes I let go of Felix and he took a few steps back to give me some air. It wasn't surprising for him to act this way, scenes such as this were the norm in my house and Felix had adapted; finding a niche that was helpful to me in the current circumstances. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall, taking slow deep breaths in an effort to calm myself down. My eyebrows furrowed and my body tensed the more I thought about what must be done. I couldn't just sit there and feel sorry for myself, it got worse the more time passed. I exhaled sharply and opened my eyes. There she was, snoring on the couch. Her shoulder-length honey blonde hair dirty, the mascara and eyeliner she wore smudged, her lipstick washed out looking. Her mouth was open and she was drooling on the sofa cushion, wearing nothing but a cheap silk kimono and a pair of pink slippers. Even in her sleep, she gripped the near empty bottle of whiskey in her hand like it was life itself. It was staining the carpet.

I sat on the floor and stared at the opening of the glass bottle and watched each drop fall and shatter onto the carpet, the amber puddle on the rug growing at a gradual rate. As I watched, frozen in place as if the liquid had shackled me in place, I felt the anxiety within me build. I threw off my coat, stomped toward the broom closet and grabbed the towel hanging off the oven's door handle in the kitchen. I rushed toward the couch and, with great difficulty, wrenched the bottle from my mother's vice-like grip. I set it down on the ground and began to pat at the wet spot on the rug with the towel. I scrubbed at the spot with a small cleaning brush that I'd doused in carpet cleaner. Once the carpet was looking clean and simply needed to dry, I put the cleaning supplies away and threw the dirtied towel in a laundry basket. I walked back to that same spot to grab the bottle from the floor to throw it away, but when I did I couldn't help but stop and stare at her. My mind was whirling with a thousand thoughts, all seeking limelight within my brain, and what spilled out of my mouth before I had any control to stop myself was, "You're a God damn disgrace."

The words were dripping with the heartbreak and disappointment I had bottled up and it was all I would indulge myself. I looked away and stood statuesque for a moment as I processed what I'd just said, before walking to the back of the house to throw the bottle away in the garage. When I came back I decided to wake her enough to get her walking up the steps to her room where I deposited her on her bed, just the sight of her was upsetting me. I closed the door to her room and headed back downstairs to see that Felix had taken her spot on the couch, his pretty brown eyes looking at me with what I could only label as worry. So expressive, I thought, with a smile lurking on the corners of my mouth. He made the fox and cat from before seem less abnormal. I perked up suddenly. I forgot to ask them about their weird pets. But then I shook my head, realizing I'd probably never get to communicate with them again. Not after that display. I went to the broom closet again to pull out the vacuum and run it over the spot on the rug I'd cleaned earlier. When I'd finished I put it away and noticed my coat on the floor where I'd left it.

I walked over to it, took it in my hands and pulled out my gloves and phone from the pockets. I set them down on the dining table and hung my coat in the hall closet, then took my accessories and phone upstairs to be put away in my room. Felix got off the couch and followed me up with more eagerness that I could ever express. The silly dog ran into my room and jumped onto my bed before spinning around in circles over the covers and finally settling in his seat. I smiled absentmindedly and shut the door, slumping onto the bed next to him. I threw my scarf, beanie and gloves onto the end table before hooking up my phone it's charger. I heard that familiar beep as my phone confirmed the connecting to the charging cable before switching to the lock screen with a notification that shocked me. There was a text message from an Oliver that asked me a simple, haunting question. Are you okay?

I quickly unlocked my phone and opened the text, hoping that my phone had malfunctioned and that the text wasn't really there. But when I opened my messaging app there was a conversation under the title of Oliver, underneath which was written the latest written text of "Are you okay?" I exited out of the app and opened my contacts list. I scrolled through the short list and, to my horror, found not only a listing under Oliver Sterling but also under Erik Lockwood and Everett Michelson. I choked on the air suddenly, flabbergasted by this turn of events. I looked under each listing for anything that might explain how one of them could've gotten in my phone and I found what I was looking for in Oliver's entry under Notes. It read 4321 is not a good password for your phone. I exhaled sharply with disbelief.

I unceremoniously threw my phone aside and rolled over onto my back to angrily stare at the ceiling like it was my nemesis. Felix walked over to me after a moment and rested his head on my shoulder. I looked at him with crazed eyes, but at the sight of his non-committal expression toward my fury I looked back at the ceiling. "What cheeky fucks," I muttered.

- - -

Fast-forward seven days and I hadn't received another text from any of them. It had taken a lot of willpower not to respond or start a new conversation with anyone of them when they were so temptingly within my reach. I had wanted to keep in touch with them since the moment of introduction. I wanted them, and I say them because I want him and the other one and that one as well but couldn't decide whether him was better than other one and if that one was superior to him yet subordinate to other one. My indecisiveness regarding who I was most attracted to served me in my avoiding them altogether. When I couldn't decide who to text first it was easier not to text any at all. But when they hadn't reached out to me again I came to the conclusion that they had probably offered their phone numbers because they were worried I might get into trouble again after finding me unconscious in the forest, and after having met my charming mother felt it was the right thing to do to check in on me, but afterward felt I was too complicated to deal with. Simple really.

It bruised my ego, of course, that I was neither pretty or enticing enough to spark their interest to send me a second text. Yet I reminded myself how plain I am in comparison to the handful of Adonises I'd stumbled upon, which assisted my ability to shrug the hurt off. I was repeating this reasoning to myself like a mantra for the past week so I could just move on from the encounter with grace, a task proving to be near impossible to finish within a short period of time. I continued to walk in the darkness, Felix tugging maniacally at the leash as he sprinted from tree to tree, stopping only to momentarily sniff at the bark. He's probably caught the scent of a rabbit, I thought, jogging to keep up with him when burdened with my short legs. Soft, new snowflakes were filtering onto the ground to fit the definition of a white Christmas. And though the brisk wind that blew past was slightly discomforting, I enjoyed the gray, white and black beauty of the naked trees in the forest, the clouded night sky and the sugared ground.

The Felix spotted the rabbit he was tracking; a little gray thing covered in a dusting of snow, looking innocent as can be. And he, having absolutely no control over himself, took off after the poor thing. When his harsh pull of the leash in my hands was paired with the soft, unstable snow under my feet, there was no way I would be able to hold him back. I hung on to the leash, hoping my weight would slow him down so that the rabbit could quickly escape and he would give up the chase, but my efforts were in vain. He galloped like a horse through the icy snow, all of it collecting in my clothes as he dragged me behind him. I didn't want to do it but I couldn't help it; I let go. He ran off and was out of sight within seconds. "Felix!" I called out. "Come back!"

I waited and there was nothing. The only evidence that he had ever existed was the tracks he'd left in the snow, a long line left from the leash dragging behind him in between his paw prints. Even that was disappearing under the influence of the falling snow. "Felix!" I called out again more desperately.

"Freya?" I heard a deep, surprised voice ask from behind. I turned quickly, startled. Oliver and Everett were standing behind me, staring. Everett had an eager smile on his gruff, masculine face while Oliver looked quizzical as he took a few steps forward and looked toward the trees where Felix had fled. I almost didn't notice how his nose twitched slightly when the wind blew our way. I gulped and bit my lip nervously. I didn't want to see them again, we weren't supposed to coincidentally bump into each other, I didn't want anything to do with them. Yet there they were, standing before me, tall and handsome. I suddenly noticed the handful of chopped wood that Oliver was carrying and the ax in Everett's right hand.

"I-I..." I stuttered weakly. I shut up when Everett looked me over, lying helpless on the ground, licking his lips in a way more character of Erik. Then his eyes met mine again and a golden glow burned like a slow flame in his eyes - hungry. I started panting quietly under affect of his gaze, a warmth building within me, causing me to fidget and squirm to my feet below them. "I'm sorry, he ran off! And I, I couldn't-" I began pathetically.

"How about you come home with us? It's cold out here. And we've got enough firewood to keep you warm for, the next few days, really," Oliver said. I focused on him, biting my lip as I watched snowflakes collect on his blonde eye lashes, his brown eyes glowing similarly to Everett's. I turned around suddenly and saw the moon overhead, eying it suspiciously. It must have been its fault their eyes glowed like that.

"Okay," I muttered and at the moon with a nod, as if coming to an understanding with it. Then I realized what I'd said. I looked back at them, startled. They were smiling like fools who'd just found gold. "Wait-" I began.

"Let's go," Everett interrupted, rushing toward me. I took a step back in fear but he was too swift for me. He wrapped his left arm around my waist and ushered me forward.

"Hold on a second!" I quietly begged, trying to pry Everett's iron hand off my waist. But it was as if they were oblivious to my protests.

"You think Erik made some coffee or something for us?" Oliver asked eagerly.

Everett snorted. "I doubt it, he rarely considers our comfort," he answered with a laugh.

"Guys..." I continued, but again there was no recognition on their part that I'd even spoken.

"And with Erik's sweet tooth he probably made hot chocolate," Oliver muttered quietly, as if contemplating something awfully important.

"Fucking unbelievable," I muttered. My body went limp in surrender and I simply followed their lead, deeming escape unattainable. There was that nagging voice in my head though that taunted me. You talk big game, but you know deep down you've wanted this.

"Say something, love?" Everett asked, looking down at me from his giant height.

"No, nothing at all," I squealed, holding my breath.

He smiled down at me. "We'll be there shortly," he said, as if trying to sooth me. I gulped and looked at the ground, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other -quickly, mind you, to keep up with their long strides. With each step Everett took, I felt his leg brush against mine. The taut muscles of his leg move lithely against my skin and after a few moments of my brain muting their conversation and registering nothing but a part of him touching a part of me, I shivered at the warmth that was filling my body. "You cold?" I heard Everett ask. I started to shake my head no, but he squeezed me close so fast I lost balance and had to hold onto him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He made a small grunt, as if he approved of this, and locked his hand on my shoulder to keep me there. Now my face was on his chest, my arms wrapped around his steely waist, my hips pressed against his. Needless to say, this didn't really help my shivering.

They stopped suddenly and I looked up from the ground at their lovely house ten feet before us. I'd never really noticed it before when I was walking away from it, but it was quaint. Like a stone cottage with a separate garage. Compared to my house it looked like a palace. Then again, a lot of things looked like a palace in comparison to my house. I quickly broke away from Everett, a feat I'm sure I only accomplished because he let me, and I rushed inside to find Erik curled up on the couch with a steaming mug of what looked like hot chocolate with a multitude of little marshmallows bobbing for attention at the top. In fact, there were so many of them, it looked as though they would spill over the rim of the cup if he didn't consume them quickly. He was still for a moment, then his head snapped in my direction as if he'd sensed my presence a moment later than my entrance. His blank expression turned jovial as he stood and practically ran to me. "Freya!" he greeted me. He didn't stop until we were inches from being pressed against each other. He looked me over with his twinkling green eyes, his plump lips stretched into a smile that put little effort into hiding his enthusiasm. He pushed the mug into my chest until I held it. "This is for you," he quipped, biting his lip despite the smile. It was a funny expression.

"Thank you," I said, chuckling at his mannerisms. He turned away and I grimaced. Escaped the wolf only to be captured by a lion, I thought. He'd headed into the kitchen, presumably to make another cup of hot cocoa to replace the one he'd handed me. I looked down at it and frowned. It did look enticing, but I didn't like sweets. Oliver and Everett bustled in and I handed Oliver the mug. "Here."

Oliver's smile was big and the happiness on his face was almost comical. Everett smiled, clapping a hand to his shoulder and turning his attention to me. Erik returned in a timely fashion looking happy as can be before his expression turned questioning and his eyes shifted from my empty hands to Oliver sipping away blissfully. Erik frowned so deeply I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing and cover my mouth with a hand to conceal my smile. The boys behind me weren't as polite. Everett chuckled and I heard Oliver choke on his drink and snort, which made Everett laugh harder. I closed my eyes in an effort to compose myself. "You all seem to be having a fantastic time," Erik droned, unamused.

"Speaking of which," I began, taking a step back and turning so that I was speaking to all of them. "As fun as it has been catching up, I think it'd be best if you guys dropped me off so I can look for Felix. He probably made his way back to my house by now."

They all went silent and I chewed on my lip nervously. I felt bad suddenly, I didn't mean to ruin their fun, but the fact of the matter was that I was uncomfortable being around them after the incident with my mother. And uncomfortable with how they affected me. "No," Oliver stated, in a manner that was too harsh for him.

"No?" I repeated, quietly. My voice high.

"Have you ever been in this sort of situation with Felix running off before?" Oliver asked.

I was confused at the subject change, I wanted to go back to his refusal to let me leave. "Yes-"

"How many times?" He interrupted.

"A handful of times, but-"

He cut me off. "And has he made it back home each time?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then it's settled," he stated with finality. "You're not going anywhere."

I made eye contact with them each but they all seemed poised, as if they were ready to strike any moment I chose to make a run for it. Erik had even set his hot cocoa down on the kitchen countertop. I addressed Oliver when I spoke. "What do you mean?" My voice shaky and breaking with my fear.

Erik stepped in suddenly, as if to smooth things over. "He means we want you to stay," he blurted. "We like you a lot, Freya. We don't want you to leave yet. Last time you did that, we didn't hear from you for a week."

I stared at him incredulously. "You could've contacted me!" I cried.

"You didn't get my text?" Oliver asked.

"Well, I did but..." I said quietly.

"See? You ignored us, and we don't have to talk about it. We figured you wouldn't after, well, after that thing," Erik offered awkwardly, touching a gentle hand to my shoulder.

"Beside that, we'd like to discuss something with you," Everett added, his voice low and quiet. I looked up at him. "A proposition," He continued, as if that was a sufficient explanation. Erik ushered me to the couch and I sat down. He sat on the couch adjacent, Oliver sat in the arm chair, and Everett stood in front of me from across the coffee table. Everett opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and shook his head as if deciding that was not the correct way to open speech. He looked to Oliver for help. Oliver looked at me.

"The three of us find you amicable and would like to ask you to move in with us," Oliver stated. I looked at them incredulously.

"I don't know if I can do that, I barely know any of you."

"Nonsense, I think we've proven that we're good guys," Erik said with a smirk.

"I'm not disputing that, I just don't know if that's enough to join households," I said.

"Not households. You mother and dog can't live with us," Everett stated, as if laying down the law.

"See, I don't know if I could do that," I said.

"You need out of there, Freya," Oliver said sympathetically. We went to your mom's work and we saw what kind of woman she is. You don't deserve that."

"She wasn't always like that-" I started.

"But she's like that now," Everett interrupted. Truth be told, they were right. She'd been abusive and horrible for years. Since my dad had run off, she'd gone from one end of the scale to the other. She was bitter and uninterested in getting better. I wanted to bolt as soon as I turned eighteen, but I stayed. I gave up on college and stayed to help her. To pick her up outside a motel room because she was out of her mind drunk and didn't remember what had happened. To hold her hair when she puked out her insides. To patch myself up when she broke a bottle over my skin. I didn't want any part of that anymore. I didn't like dealing with it and I didn't like trying, to no avail, to hide it from others. But Felix didn't deserve to stay with that nutcase.

"I'm responsible for Felix. I can't just leave him with her," I said.

"I know you care about him, Freya," Erik started cautiously. I looked to him. "But you can't give up you future for a pet. Its not worth it."

"Why do you guys even care? Why do you even want me here?" I asked deliriously. If they pitied me I wanted nothing to do with them. I wouldn't stand for someone else's charity, it made me feel sick.

"We like you," Oliver stated, his mouth slowly turning up for a smile. Everett and Erik nodded and mimicked the smile, and the gesture ceased my questions. I felt the consanguinity, the sincerity of that expression. And truth be told, I felt safe with them. Safer than I'd felt since my father walked out on me and my mom all those years ago. I really liked the feeling.