Page 14 of My Demon Neighbor
I'd never slipped out of an attack as easily as I had yesterday. Usually, it took me a lot longer to return to the present, and when I did, I was shaky and had to hide under the blankets for a few hours before I felt brave enough to face the world.
Yet he'd been so calm and collected, and somehow his calmness had rubbed off on me, giving me the strength to stay standing as he told me to breathe.
With his work at the community center, I supposed it made sense he knew how to deal with a panic attack, but it was more than that.
For a few moments, I'd felt like he actually cared about me. It was silly to think like that about someone I'd just met. I knew that. And yet...
Sighing, I sat upright, then chewed on my lower lip, unsure what to do. I could paint, but my hands were aching from all the painting I'd done over the last two weeks. I needed to take a break before I did permanent damage to my hand.
Ever since that night, I was terrified of losing my art. The few months I'd spent without being able to paint while I healed had been torture, and I didn't think I'd survive again. My art was the only outlet I had for this darkness inside me, and I couldn't lose it.
The sound of a bark made me perk up, and I walked over to the window, peering outside.
Pythor sat on his porch, a grin on his face as a large, black dog danced in front of him. The dog was massive, and I imagined he'd be good at fighting off anyone who tried to harm his human. Was he Pythor's?
Carefully, I did something I hadn't done in months. I opened my window.
Pythor's head shot up instantly, like he'd heard the soft snick despite my attempts to be soundless.
He gave me a wave, and I hesitantly waved back, my eyes flicking back to his dog. He followed my gaze, then hopped to his feet and jogged over, the dog close at his heels.
"Hey," he said when he stood at my window, his brown eyes practically sparkling.
"Hi. Your dog looks... strong," I said, and he grinned.
"She is. Her name's Hella. Say hello to Codie, Hella."
Hella barked, her tail going a mile a minute, and I grinned.
"Would you like to pet her?" he asked, and I blinked, then nodded. It wouldn't be possible for me to reach her from here, so I waved toward the front door.
"I'll open the door," I murmured, and he nodded, then stepped back as I closed the window.
I didn't hesitate at all as I unlocked the front door, even as a part of me questioned if I shouldn't be more careful.
Pulling the chain off, I drew the door open, then fell back with a laugh as Hella leaped at me. She towered over me with me on my ass, and took my momentary distraction to lick my face all over.
"Hella!" Pythor admonished, but I waved him off as I sat upright and scratched behind her ears.
"She's a sweetheart. Aren't you?" I asked, and she licked me some more.
"Would you like to keep her?" Pythor asked, making my eyes shoot to his.
"What? Isn't she yours?"
Pythor pursed his lips, then shook his head. "She's from a shelter. I take her out for fun days sometimes."
I frowned, then glanced down at the sweet dog. Hadn't I just been thinking about how nice it would be to have a dog?
"No, thank you. I can't take her on walks, and that's not fair to her," I said, though I desperately wished I could keep her.
She peered at me with dark brown eyes, though they seemed to glow almost red when the sun hit them.
"That's not an issue. I can walk her," he said with a wave of his hand, and I sighed.
"I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You're not. I'm offering. Hella and I are friends, so it would give me a chance to hang out with her too."
