I had just poured a cup of milk when Damien appeared. My heart skipped a beat and I nearly spilled the liquid as I tried to catch my breath.

“Did you have to do that?” I asked, feeling annoyed he had scared me more than I had wanted to admit. I was a tense ball of nerves, the slightest thing setting me off.

“You’re not sleeping.”

“Yeah Einstein. I can’t sleep.” I sat down at the kitchen table. I was grumpy and it was impossible not to allow that to filter into my tone.

“Why?”

“Because I’m scared Damien.” It was the first time I think I had admitted it out loud. “I might be dying in a few days and I’m scared of what that will do to my grandmother. I’m scared of what that means for mean.”

He moved closer, drifting across the floor to stand beside me. He touched my cheek. “I will do everything I can to save you. You know that.”

I swallowed as I stared into his eyes. They were deep and hypnotizing. I wanted to drown in them and only feel what he stirred inside of me.

“I know but like you said there might not be a way to save me.” I shrugged, trying to shake the renewed fear free.

He stared at me for several seconds before his hand dropped from my face.

“Where were you?” I asked, feeling like I could have slept if he had stayed.

“I needed space.”

His words hit me far worse than I wanted to admit. I didn’t know if it was because I was feeling more emotional than usual.

I lowered my gaze to my mug. “And did it help?” I whispered.

The space he had given me, hadn’t. In fact it had made things worse.

He reached for my mug of milk and held it in his hands. I saw the glow from his hands and watched steam rise from the mug. He placed the mug back in front of me.

“It’s always better warm.”

I stared at the mug thoughtfully. It was still difficult to sometimes tie the person who do this with the person who had tormented me for years.

“Thank you.”

He sat down across from me and it was harder to avoid him.

“No. It didn’t help.”

“What?” I asked, having lost track of what we had been talking about.

“Being away from you.”

I held my breath as our eyes held over my steaming mug of milk.

“You know how I feel Damien. You need to make up your mind.” I made a point of taking a careful sip from the cup before I continued. “We might only ever have this time before the reaper returns. This might be only time we can be together.”

You could argue what would be the point if it wasn’t much time, but I believed that experiencing the type of connection we had was worth it even if it was only for a short time. I would have rather lived this life than a lifetime without feeling the way he made me feel.

“I will save you Tessa.” He was more confident than before. Had he figured out a way?

My heart lifted.

“Did you figure out a way?” Hope soared without any confirmation that he did indeed have a way to save me.

He nodded but it was the way he was looking at me made me hesitate.

“What is it?” I had to know.

“The mark on your arm will only disappear when you die. The only way to remove it so the reaper doesn’t return would be for you to die.”

“That doesn’t really sound like a solution Damien.” The hope I had experienced spluttered and died.

“If we don’t come up with a better plan it might be the only way to save you.”

“If I’m going to die, I might as well let the reaper do it.”

“You can die and come back Tessa. Like you did before.”

My mind ran miles with the thought and the implications.

“You mean die and then get brought back?”

He nodded.

“How?” The thought still filled me with trepidation.

“I can do it. I can kill you long enough for you to reach the other side before bringing you back.”

It sounded more difficult than he was saying.

“How are sure are you that it would work?”

“It might be the only way to stop the reaper.”

I swallowed, not feeling conformable with the idea. There were so many things that could go wrong. And to be able to do it I would have to trust him completely. I did, didn’t I?

“Can you really do it if you can’t let me die?” I asked softly.

He nodded. “I think so. I’m not really going to kill you, am I?”

It was a risk. There was a big risk that even if he planned it out, what if something went wrong and I died for real. What if he couldn’t bring me back?

“I don’t know Damien. It sounds pretty risky.”

“It is. But it’s only a last resort, if we can’t figure out another way.”

I wanted it to make me feel less fearful of the future but it didn’t. It sounded far too risky to work. I got the logic but I couldn’t truthfully admit that for a second that I had doubted that he would bring me back. If this had been the old Damien, it would be a perfect way for me to go along with it and in the end he didn’t bring me back. He would fulfilled his task and he would no longer be a demon. It would set him free and imprison me in hell for the rest of time.

“Are you going to disappear again tonight?” I asked, changing the subject.

“No.”

I felt relief that he wasn’t going to leave me again. I didn’t want to admit how much I was depending on him right now. If I was going to manage tomorrow I had to get some sleep.

I drank some of more of my milk in silence as Damien watched. Feeling more tired I stood and emptied the cup.

Damien followed me back to my room. I got into my bed and pulled the covers up. The sight of Damien warmed me a way I couldn’t explain. He made me feel safe, like I had guardian angel to watch over me.

But it wasn’t enough.

Without a word I shifted to the far end of my bed, lying on my side watching him.

His eyes went to the space beside me and he moved across the room to beside my bed. My heart skipped a beat when he lay down beside me.

“Sleep Tessa,” he whispered, laying on his back and I stared at the side profile of his face.

My heart filled with warmth and I wanted to touch him so badly but this was something I didn’t want to jeopardize. It was small step, it was at least something.

“You’re staring.”

“I’m scared you’re going to disappear the moment I close my eyes.” His presence made me feel protected even if there was way for him to stop the reaper if he suddenly appeared. He had saved me enough times for me to know that he would do whatever he could to save me. But could I let him take my life and then trust him to bring me back?

There was so much at stake. I wanted to believe with all of my heart that he would but there was a voice of doubt that refused to quieten.

What if the was a ploy on his part and I was walking unknowingly straight into a trap.

Could he really fool me into thinking he had feelings when he didn’t? A whole new doubt began to take place in my mind, making it harder to drop off into a peaceful sleep.

At this point there wasn’t a lot I was sure about.

He smiled and moved to head to meet my gaze. “Close your eyes. I won’t leave you tonight.”

If I didn’t trust him, why did I believe he meant it. I sighed as I closed my eyes.

He never touched me, but he didn’t have to. I felt the warmth of his presence beside me. The heat of his gaze remained on my face just before I drifted off to sleep.