Chapter 15: The Devil in Me Ch. 15
Chapter Fifteen:
Shay:
I woke up feeling like crap.
There was no reason why I should be feeling this way.
I slept fine, even Jody stayed over.
I checked my phone to see what time it was. 11:27 AM. Then my gaze went to the sleeping girl on the other side of my bed.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, half-asleep.
"I'm not staring," I stated, "I just barely looked at you."
Her eyes opened, and she grinned at me.
"Stop," I said before I groaned.
When she did that, it only meant that she had a plan.
"What?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
"You know what," I said.
She rolled over and sat up.
"We need to do something today," she said.
Why did she suddenly look so awake?
"Something like what?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said, "I just need to do something."
She barely woke up, and she wants to function like a normal human?
"Well, think about it first," I said, "I'm still sleeping."
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"We could figure something out if we brainstormed," she stated, "Help me."
I frowned. I honestly couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do.
Well. I suppose that isn't really true.
I wanted to see Noah. I wanted to talk to him some more.
I really just wanted to look at him.
It felt strange to think about it, but it was the truth.
Those eyes really were an unnatural color.
They were stunning to look at.
Even when he changed.
My mind went back to the way he looked at me before licking my knuckles.
I swear the thought brought a tingling sensation to my entire body.
"What is with that face?" Jody asked.
I frowned as I looked at her.
"You're having naughty thoughts, aren't you?" she grinned wickedly at me.
I glared forward, "No."
She poked my arm, "Don't bullshit me."
I didn't know what to say to that.
She caught me. It was honestly a little humiliating how well she knew me.
"You're thinking about him again already?" she asked.
I nodded slowly, "There is just something about him."
She nodded, "You've been single for a while, you need to get laid."
"I don't think that's it at all," I said sourly, "Maybe I just really like him."
"You just met him," she stated.
"Tell me you don't feel a weird pull to your Devil," I said.
She frowned, "Maybe I'm just less of a romantic."
"Now who is bullshitting who?" I asked, "You are romantic as fuck."
She just laughed as she shook her head.
"You know its true," I stated, "You want love just as badly as any romantic."
"I get it, alright," she said, "You're right."
"Is it wrong to feel so strongly about somebody that you don't even know?" I asked her.
It was weighing on my mind. I felt strange.
This connection was something else.
"It's not wrong," she said, "It is strange, but they know something that we don't."
She does have a point.
"They know before we do," she stated, "And they react all kinds of weird."
"Yeah," I said, "That's what I heard too."
"Delaney said it is just a part of their biology," she said, "He also said that it's incredibly painful."
"I think Noah said something about it hurting him too," I said, "But he didn't say how bad the pain was."
"Apparently, it's like one of those migraines that blinds you because of how badly it hurts," she stated, "At least that is what Delaney says."
I didn't know what to say to that.
"So, just being near us hurts that much?" I asked.
She nodded, "He could barely focus the pain was so bad."
I don't remember Noah not being able to focus. He did tell me about the punishment he received for just talking to me, though.
I was still upset about that.
I do actually remember him saying that just touching me took the pain away.
Touching him felt good. I wouldn't mind touching him to keep the pain at bay.
The idea alone was exciting.
"We could always go out again," Jody said, obviously to change the subject.
I knew what she meant by go out, and to be honest, I wasn't the slightest bit interested.
"I don't know," I said, "Last time kind of sucked."
She made a face, "That's right, I forgot that we ran into Toby."
He is still an asshole.
"We could always go to that other place," she said.
"You already know we can't get in," I stated, "Unless Kevin is out front."
"I can ask if he's working," she said. She sounded too hopeful.
I frowned, "Fine, but if he isn't working, we don't go."
"Fuck yes!" she shouted.
Right away, she covered her mouth.
"You're lucky the boys are already at school."
"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, "I sometimes forget where I am."
"I know."
It's true, though. She forgets a lot of things. Fortunately, the important things somehow manage to stick.
She leaned back to grab her phone, and I watched her type in her message to Kevin.
"And now we wait," she said.
I could see her excitement. I wish I felt that.
She was surprised when she got a message so quickly.
"Already?" I asked.
I was surprised that he replied so quickly too.
Kevin usually slept until four or five in the afternoon.
She read the message and frowned.
"What is it?" I asked her.
"He said he doesn't work there anymore," she said.
"Since when?"
"I guess it's been a few months," she said.
Well, it has been a while since we went to the club.
"What about Deidra's place?" I asked.
"Her boss knows I'm underage," she frowned, "He would kick me out in a heartbeat."
That sucks.
Wait, I didn't want to go out. Why was I helping come up with ideas?
"So then what do we do?" I asked.
"I guess we find something to do that isn't fun," she sighed.
"We can watch movies," I suggested.
She stared at me and made a face.
"Why don't you want to go out?" she asked, "Really?"
"I don't want to get Noah in trouble," I admitted.
"Why would he get in trouble?" she asked.
"Because they aren't supposed to meet with us unsupervised," I stated, "Noah got into a lot of trouble for seeing me at the daycare."
She frowned, "I remember you saying something before about the daycare, I just didn't know that he got in trouble for it."
I nodded, "He isn't allowed there anymore."
"Not even to see his sister?" she asked.
"He isn't allowed there at all," I stated, "Because we might run into each other."
"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard," she stated, "I thought the whole point was to get us together."
"Not outside of the facility," I said, "Baird even said so."
Her frown said it all. She didn't agree.
I felt the same way. I hated that I couldn't see him outside of the facility.
Though, I was pretty sure that something bad would happen if we were alone together.
My skin tingled at the thought.
"So they can't go places we go?" she asked.
I nodded, "That's what Noah said."
"That fucking sucks," she frowned, "How can we date them if we can't meet outside?"
I was curious about that too.
"I think we just meet them there until we know how they react to us," I said, "And if they can't control it, I assume we are never allowed out with them."
Her frown deepened.
"I don't know if I could handle not being able to be alone with the person I love," she said.
I felt the same way. I wanted to be alone with him. I wanted a real chance to get to know him without prying eyes.
"Is Baird always going to be there?" she asked.
"I would assume so," I said, "He seems to be in charge of the volunteer program."
"I'll have to ask him next time," she said, "About being able to go out, and about the meetings."
I nodded. What she forgets to ask, I will try my best to remember to ask.
"I guess we stay in and do boring shit today," she sighed.
It was wrong that I felt relieved about that. I didn't care, though, I wanted more time with Noah.
Jody was startled by her phone going off again.
She gasped.
"What?" I asked.
She screamed. It wasn't a bad one. Something was going on.
I almost covered my ears, but her scream stopped.
"Fucking tell me already," I said, feeling excited for her.
"Saturday!" she shouted, "I get another meeting with Delaney!"
I grinned wide.
Two days from now.
"Help me come up with some questions to ask him," she said, "I don't want to forget anything."
I nodded.
"We need to go shopping!" she gasped, "I want that pink dress we saw last time."
"Jody," I sighed.
"It will give us something to do," she stated, "Besides, we can find you something for your next meeting too."
Of course I wanted something cute for next time, I just wasn't sure when next time would be.
"Tell me you don't want to look sexy for Noah," she grinned wickedly at me.
See, I was torn about that.
Yes, I did want to look good for him. I wanted to impress him.
On the other hand, I couldn't look too good, because of how he might react.
This whole thing feels like a double-edged sword.
"That will give us something to do tomorrow," she said, "Today, we'll hang out and try to come up with some questions."
I nodded.
"Does he know about your nipple piercings yet?" she asked.
I frowned, "Not that I know of."
"I wish you could have seen Delaney's face when he saw them," she said seriously, "His eyes instantly changed."
I suppose that was something to think about.
Wear something that shows off the piercings, and risk him having a reaction, or not.
"Did you tell him?" I asked, "Or did he see them?"
"He saw them first," she stated, "And he didn't ask, I brought it up so that he had a reason to stare."
I wanted to say I can't believe she did that, but that would be a lie.
She liked it when boys noticed. I can tell by the look on her face she appreciated Delaney's reaction to them.
"Did he seem like an innocent puppy?" I asked.
She shook her head, "He gives off that quiet bad boy type."
I hope he wasn't really a bad boy type. Jody didn't need another one of those.
"Anyway," Jody said, "I need paper."
I pointed to my closet, "Bottom drawer."
She got up to pull open the sliding mirror. The clear stackable made it pretty obvious what was in each drawer.
"I'm already nervous," she said.
I watched her pull out a pad of paper.
She tossed the stack at me like a frisbee.
"Pens?" she asked.
"Top drawer," I said.
She removed a pencil box from the top drawer before sitting back on the bed.
"Is it wrong to ask him more about sex?" she asked.
"I wouldn't say it's wrong," I stated, "It might just be a little too soon."
"But, I could ask about other things?"
I nodded.
"Sexual things?"
"Jody," I said, "If it's something you want to know, just ask him."
"It wouldn't be too weird?" she asked.
I shrugged, "I don't know what he considers weird."
She frowned.
"If the two of you were matched," I said, "I would like to think that you have a lot of stuff in common."
Her eyes lit up at the idea.
She opened the pad of paper to the first page before writing something down.
"You Shay are a genius," she said, "I will ask the questions I want answers to."
"Smart," I nodded.
She just grinned at me before writing down something else.
Noah:
I hated working on no sleep.
My entire body felt sluggish, and I just felt like shit.
A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Yeah?" I said.
"I hear you've been looking for me."
"You can come in," I said.
Delaney didn't hesitate to open the door and shut himself inside.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Devon said you were looking for me," he said, "About our mates."
I nodded.
"What is it?"
"I was just curious about what kind of a person you think she is," I said, "Your mate."
He narrowed his eyes at me.
By the look of him, I wasn't the only one sleeping like shit the last few days.
His long blue hair was up in a sloppy bun.
Tiredness showed in the way he tried to think about my words.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Our mates are best friends," I stated, "I want to know if you think your mate is a good person or not."
"This is why you were looking for me?" he asked.
"I figured if they are close," I said, "It wouldn't hurt for us to try and be friends."
He glanced at the door.
I take it he wasn't the slightest bit interested then.
"Can we talk and eat?" he asked.
I nodded.
"I'll be out here while you get ready," he said, "Do you mind if we get something from that diner up the street?"
I shook my head.
He walked out and shut the door behind him.
Why did I feel a little relieved? I was so sure that he was about to leave and tell me to fuck off.
Not that it really mattered now anyway.
I put on a pair of dark blue jeans, black sneakers, and a short-sleeved dark green shirt.
The last thing I cared about was dressing to impress anybody. I didn't care how I looked.
I opened my door, and sure enough, Delaney was right where he said he would be.
He looked up from his phone.
"I expected you to take longer," he stated.
I wasn't sure if I should take offense to that.
"Why?" I asked.
"You look like you spend more time on your appearance," he stated.
Ah, a compliment. I was alright with that.
"Thank you, I guess," I said, "I just put on whatever."
He nodded.
"What is the name of your mate?" he asked me before we started to walk.
"Her name is Shay," I said, "What is the name of yours?"
I knew that I knew the name of his mate, I just for the life of me couldn't think of it.
"Jody," he stated.
I nodded.
Neither of us spoke again until we were outside of the facility on our way to the small diner.
"Do you think Baird will let us actually take them out soon?" he asked.
"I never know for sure with Baird," I admitted.
Few things were predictable with him, others weren't. His behavior was one thing, his choices based on others was another.
"Was it painful for you?" I asked him.
He looked at me, and his dark blue eyes practically glowed in the sunlight.
"Yes," he admitted, "But seeing her, uh."
He stopped short as if he remembered something.
"Her what?" I asked.
He cleared his throat.
"Her shirt was a little see-through," he said.
"So, you got a little more than you bargained for?"
"Considerably more," he stated, "Not only could I see her breasts, but I could also see that they were pierced."
I actually stopped walking, "They were pierced?"
He stopped to look at me dead serious.
"She told me that her and her best friend got them pierced together," he stated, "As a weird celebration, I don't think she actually told me why."
"Wait," I had to take a second to process that, "She said they both got them pierced?"
He nodded.
"Didn't you noticed?" he asked.
To be perfectly honest, I tried my best not to stare at anything but her face.
"I tried not to look," I admitted.
"So did I," Delaney admitted, "But when a girl with perfect tits stops right in front of you, you at least do a quick look."
I couldn't argue with that, so I nodded.
"If that wasn't bad enough," he said, "She noticed that I saw them."
"Is that a good thing?"
He made a weird noise before the diner came into view.
"Let's just say she seemed very pleased that I saw them," he said, "She told me about them, and pretty much gave me permission to stare."
"Hmm," I said, "Really?"
Shay didn't seem like she was trying to show them off.
I wanted to see them.
Fuck. I wanted to do a lot more than just see them.
We walked into the diner, and a girl with short red hair greeted us.
"Good afternoon," she said, "Just the two of you?"
Delaney nodded.
She made a face as she looked back and forth between us.
She most definitely thought that we were together.
Delaney looked black at me and smirked.
This dick.
"This way," she said.
She led us to the side, then she indicated for us to sit at a table that was a little more private.
"Thank you," Delaney said.
He sat down, clearly not giving a damn about what this girl thought.
I shrugged before I sat across from him.
"M-My name is Carol," she said, "And I will be your server."
"Do you serve alcohol this early?" Delaney asked, "Carol."
She made a face before she nodded.
It's pretty fucking early in the day. What did he need a buzz for?
"I'll need to see your ID," she said.
He had it out before she even finished her sentence.
"Two beers please," he said with a charming smile.
You know, I don't understand why we haven't hung out before this.
Then my thoughts went to his sister Devon, and I remembered.
She was friends with Raisa, and I couldn't stand Raisa.
Carol looked at me, "I need to see your ID too."
I just took it out and handed it to her.
"I feel like I need to ask," she said, still looking at both of our ID's, "Who is the bottom?"
I sighed.
Delaney grinned at her, "We're both power tops, so there is a lot of fighting."
Her face went red. She set our ID's down and turned and walked away.
Delaney laughed once she was far enough away.
"Do I seem gay to you?" he asked me.
"Some girls might just think so because of your hair," I stated.
"It's still bullshit," he said.
He took his ID and returned it to his wallet, and I decided to do the same.
"Do I seem gay to you?" I asked.
I wasn't sure I wanted to hear his answer.
"You're a bit of a pretty boy," he said, "But that's it, I wouldn't think you were gay if I looked at you."
I was alright with that.
Though I didn't agree that I was a pretty boy.
"What were we talking about before this?" Delaney asked.
"Pierced nipples," I stated.
"Right," he said, "You said you didn't see Shay's piercings?"
I nodded.
"I'm going to tell you this, because of how fucked up it felt," he stated.
I nodded again.
"Have you had your first real erection because of your mate yet?"
That caught me a little off guard.
"Sort of," I admitted.
"So then she wasn't there when it happened?" he asked.
Slowly I nodded.
"Let me tell you," he leaned in a little, "It is one of the most painful things I have ever experienced."
"Even more painful than when you first found her?" I asked.
He nodded, "At least twice that."
It was painful enough without her there.
"So, what did you do?" I asked.
"I did what any man could," he said, "I tried my best to concentrate on the interview."
I couldn't imagine sitting there like that.
Well, I guess I could. I very nearly was.
"I can't lie," I said, "That sounds horrible."
He laughed, "It was."
I still remember how hard I fought against it when my body tried to react, and when it did, I didn't really have a choice. I had to take care of it.
"It didn't go away, did it?" he asked, "Not on its own."
I shook my head, "Baird told me to take a sedative."
"Did you?" he asked.
I could hear the genuine curiosity in his voice.
"I did."
"Did that work?"
I shook my head.
"Shit," he frowned, "That was my next go to."
I guess I finally understood why everyone kept saying that finding your mate was a good thing and a bad thing.
Delaney opened his mouth to say something but shut it.
Carol walked up with two beers and set one down in front of each of us.
"Are you ready to order something to eat?" she asked.
"You first, honey," I said to Delaney.
He smirked.
"Do you guys serve the whole sausage?" he asked.
She made a face.
"It's fine," he said, "I could really go for your monster bacon burger."
This fucking guy.
She wrote his order down.
"What can I say?" he asked, looking at me, "When I eat meat, I prefer it big."
It took everything in me not to crack a smile.
She looked at me quickly. If I wasn't paying attention, I wouldn't have seen her glance down toward my lap.
Great, now she was thinking about my dick. Thanks, Delaney.
"H-how about you?" she asked me quickly.
"I'll have to agree with my partner here," I said, "It's better when it's bigger."
She didn't seem like she knew how to respond to that.
"Oh," I said, "I'll have the same thing he is."
She nodded quickly while writing it down. She didn't stay longer than that.
We both laughed when she walked away.
"Girls like that bother me," he said after a minute.
"Why?"
I didn't really care if girls acted like that.
"She is a homophobe," he stated, "Couldn't you tell?"
I shook my head. I guess I didn't.
"Then she gets all weird when we say gay stuff to each other," he smiled at that, "That's why I said weird shit, sorry if it bothered you."
"It didn't bother me," I said, "I didn't even notice, to be honest. I was mainly wondering how come we haven't hung out before?"
"You already know that answer to that question," he said, "My sister's cunty best friend."
I nearly choked on the beer I just took a drink of.
"I thought you didn't mind Raisa," I said.
He made a face.
"She fucks everything," he said, "No one is off-limits to her."
I knew she slept around, I guess I wasn't thinking broad enough.
"She actually tried to fuck Devon," he laughed.
I mean, Devon is an attractive girl. I knew why he was laughing, though.
"I heard she tried to get Baird to sleep with her, too," I said.
"You're joking," he said, "Does she enjoy the rejection?"
It makes sense, I guess. She tried to go for the two people that have a less than zero sex drive.
"What about you?" I asked.
"Did I ever sleep with her?" he asked.
I nodded.
"No," he said, "But there was one close call."
"I wish I could say the same," I admitted.
He nodded, "Yeah, I heard actually."
"She would brag about her conquests."
"She really does," he stated, "She's pretty proud that you're on that list."
I felt the exact opposite.
"Enough about her," he said, "I would much rather talk about the new girls in our lives."
I nodded, "I couldn't agree more."
"Have you been able to sleep since your interview?" he asked.
I almost said yes, but then I remembered that I haven't slept at all.
"I haven't," I said.
"I'm still having trouble sleeping," he confessed, "I get this weird feeling under my skin when I finally manage to relax."
I knew exactly how he felt.
"Does it ever stop?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," I admitted.
"Could you ask your sister?" he asked.
I nodded, "I'll ask."
"Thank you."
He looked out the window.
"Baird messaged me earlier," he said, "My next meeting is scheduled."
I was jealous. I was also happy for him.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," he said, "She is very curious."
"She asked a lot of questions?" I asked.
He nodded, "She most definitely is not a virgin, she asked all the right questions at the wrong time."
"That definitely wouldn't help," I said.
"Did she tell you she wasn't a virgin?" I asked.
He nodded, "I asked her."
I didn't even think about those kinds of questions.
"What about your mate?" he asked, "Is she?"
"I don't know," I said, "I didn't think to ask."
"Just prepare for next time," he said, "Write down what you want to know."
I nodded. It was good advice, but I didn't see me walking in with a piece of paper and reading off every single thing I wanted to know.
Wait, could she be doing that?
I looked up at Delaney.
"Is that what you did?" I asked.
He pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it to me.
I unfolded it before glancing down at the questions.
Some of these were personal. Like something you wouldn't ask someone you just met.
"Aren't some of these a little, much?" I asked.
"This is how we get to know each other," he said.
I folded the list back up before returning it to him.
"Part of figuring them out isn't just with the questions," he stated, "It's how they respond to the questions."
That made sense.
"This might make me sound like a pussy, but I don't really care," he said.
I was a little worried about what he was about to say.
"Do you miss her?" he asked, "I felt like part of me was gone after she left the first time."
I nodded, "I felt that too."
"Do you think it will get easier?" he asked, "Having to say goodbye, and then waiting just to see them again."
I wasn't looking forward to that.
"I don't know," I said, "I don't want to get used to saying goodbye."
He nodded. I could see the frown slowly forming on his face.
"I miss her right now," I admitted.
"I miss her too."
I grabbed my beer, and I downed it.
"I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me," I said, "I was pretty sure you wouldn't give me the time of day."
"I almost didn't," he said, "But when I learned that our mates were close, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."
"Do you regret it yet?" I asked.
"No," he said, "I've heard a lot of stories about you, and I'm glad they aren't true."
I made a face.
"Stories from Raisa?" I asked.
He nodded, "And a few others."
That bothered me a little, actually.
"How bad are we talking?" I asked.
"Most just make you out to be a pretentious asshole," he said, "Others make you out to be a goody-two-shoes."
"Well, I am an asshole," I said, "The rest I'm not so sure about."
He laughed a little, "Yeah, but an asshole in a good way so far."
"I'm glad you think so," I said.
"Thank you too," he said, "For reaching out and giving this a chance."
"Of course," I said, "This is important, I know it was for me. Now I know it is for you too."
He nodded, "Friends then."
"Friends," I said back.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone