but my memory was being hijacked by the dejected feeling from the incident this morning.
Footsteps interrupted my thought process and I looked up to see Daemon standing at the entryway of the kitchen. His eyes were trained to a spot behind me and tension was visible in his shoulders and stance. “I need to leave for a while today to go deal with the investigators at the club. Some contractors will also be coming out to discuss repairs, so it may be a while before I’m able to return home. I’ve talked to Alex and he will be arriving shortly to hang out with you and David.”
I turned to see what Daemon could be looking at, but after finding nothing of interest, I determined that he was simply avoiding looking me in the eye. My stubborn side wanted to play along with his little game, because I would be damned to give in first, but, I had no idea what had just happened between us. So, I gave in and asked.
“What did I do to upset you, Daemon?”
His body shifted slightly on his feet and his hands reached up to swipe his keys roughly from the countertop beside him. A resigned sigh sounded from him. He finally met my stare and his face instantly fell. My heart was beating against my chest as trepidation and doubt flooded my system. “You didn’t do anything, Paige. I apologize for this morning.” Another sigh escaped him. “It was just…a bad dream…and I…I don’t know. It was just a bad dream and I…fuck! ” Three large steps and he was by my side taking me into a hug. Pressed against his chest, I could hear his heart thumping away.
This is the part where the old Paige would have planted both her fists into his chest and prevented him from holding her…but I was trying to be partner Paige, so I allowed him to hold me. The sarcasm that followed, however, could not be helped.
“Of course, that actually makes sense. I, too, appreciate treating people like a piece of meat after a bad dream. I’m surprised I didn’t think of that this morning. I should have known.” Contempt dripped from my words and Daemon flinched in reaction.
His voice was whisper quiet as he responded. “I’m sorry, Paige. I had a dream about my parents. It’s been a while since I’ve dreamed of them and…I didn’t intend for it to seem like I used you. I wanted to connect with you, I just couldn’t.”
“You’ll have to explain that a little bit better, Daemon.”
He pulled back from me and held me at arm’s length. His blue eyes bore down on me and I could see regret and guilt within them. “Sex has always been an escape for me. I never connected any emotion to it until I found you again. It was always just a way for me to blow off whatever was pissing me off at that moment so I didn’t put my fist through some asshole’s face.” He appeared embarrassed by his admission, but I could understand what he was saying. Up until finding Daemon, sex had been the same for me. His forehead came down to rest against mine and his eyes closed in obvious frustration. “That dream was more than I’ve had to handle in a long time, Paige, and I thought I could just chase it away with my feelings for you. The anger didn’t dissipate as I thought it would.”
My arms instantly went around Daemon, pulling him closer to me. With my cheek pressed against his chest, I asked, “Will you tell me about it? Maybe you and I can find new ways to work out whatever is bothering us. I won’t run anymore and you can start talking about things more. We’re partners, remember?”
His arms contracted around me and I felt his head nod above me in response. “I dreamed about the day…that day…your birthday. It was the events that led up to what my father did. I spilled some milk that day and also asked to go outside to play with the other kids. He was angry and was calling me names and throwing me around. He liked to call me ‘demon’ and
Footsteps interrupted my thought process and I looked up to see Daemon standing at the entryway of the kitchen. His eyes were trained to a spot behind me and tension was visible in his shoulders and stance. “I need to leave for a while today to go deal with the investigators at the club. Some contractors will also be coming out to discuss repairs, so it may be a while before I’m able to return home. I’ve talked to Alex and he will be arriving shortly to hang out with you and David.”
I turned to see what Daemon could be looking at, but after finding nothing of interest, I determined that he was simply avoiding looking me in the eye. My stubborn side wanted to play along with his little game, because I would be damned to give in first, but, I had no idea what had just happened between us. So, I gave in and asked.
“What did I do to upset you, Daemon?”
His body shifted slightly on his feet and his hands reached up to swipe his keys roughly from the countertop beside him. A resigned sigh sounded from him. He finally met my stare and his face instantly fell. My heart was beating against my chest as trepidation and doubt flooded my system. “You didn’t do anything, Paige. I apologize for this morning.” Another sigh escaped him. “It was just…a bad dream…and I…I don’t know. It was just a bad dream and I…fuck! ” Three large steps and he was by my side taking me into a hug. Pressed against his chest, I could hear his heart thumping away.
This is the part where the old Paige would have planted both her fists into his chest and prevented him from holding her…but I was trying to be partner Paige, so I allowed him to hold me. The sarcasm that followed, however, could not be helped.
“Of course, that actually makes sense. I, too, appreciate treating people like a piece of meat after a bad dream. I’m surprised I didn’t think of that this morning. I should have known.” Contempt dripped from my words and Daemon flinched in reaction.
His voice was whisper quiet as he responded. “I’m sorry, Paige. I had a dream about my parents. It’s been a while since I’ve dreamed of them and…I didn’t intend for it to seem like I used you. I wanted to connect with you, I just couldn’t.”
“You’ll have to explain that a little bit better, Daemon.”
He pulled back from me and held me at arm’s length. His blue eyes bore down on me and I could see regret and guilt within them. “Sex has always been an escape for me. I never connected any emotion to it until I found you again. It was always just a way for me to blow off whatever was pissing me off at that moment so I didn’t put my fist through some asshole’s face.” He appeared embarrassed by his admission, but I could understand what he was saying. Up until finding Daemon, sex had been the same for me. His forehead came down to rest against mine and his eyes closed in obvious frustration. “That dream was more than I’ve had to handle in a long time, Paige, and I thought I could just chase it away with my feelings for you. The anger didn’t dissipate as I thought it would.”
My arms instantly went around Daemon, pulling him closer to me. With my cheek pressed against his chest, I asked, “Will you tell me about it? Maybe you and I can find new ways to work out whatever is bothering us. I won’t run anymore and you can start talking about things more. We’re partners, remember?”
His arms contracted around me and I felt his head nod above me in response. “I dreamed about the day…that day…your birthday. It was the events that led up to what my father did. I spilled some milk that day and also asked to go outside to play with the other kids. He was angry and was calling me names and throwing me around. He liked to call me ‘demon’ and
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