Page 56 of My Demon Neighbor
Pythor
Codie grinned at me, clearly agreeing with my assessment. Then he started walking again, and I followed, watching his face more than the things around us.
He seemed to delight in every little thing, showing me the myriad colors of wax like they were precious jewels. He clearly loved all things art, and I wondered if he'd like it if I boughtthe store for him. Hmm... it might be a bit too much. Maybe just the painting art section.
Leaving that aisle, we stepped into the next one, which seemed to focus on jewelry making. The scent of leather, resin, and various metals filled the air, and Codie oohed and aahed over the boxes full of colorful beads, wires, and related tools. He seemed to have no interest in buying or using any of them, but he still seemed utterly fascinated. He looked adorable, with his hair falling into his face and his dark brown eyes bright with curiosity and joy as he took everything in.
Was it this easy to love someone? Why had I never tried it before?
I didn't feel like my love for Codie was romantic, but it didn't feel platonic either. No, it was more than both of those, or maybe different was the right word. It wasn't dependent on his feelings for me and us being in a relationship like romantic love, but it also didn't feel limited or as claim-free as platonic love. I couldn't imagine Codie being with someone else. I didn't think I'd be able to handle that. But at the same time, if Codie looked up right then and said he no longer wanted to be in a relationship, my love for him would be still as strong.
Had I always functioned like this, or was it just because it was Codie that I felt this way? And did it even matter, when I knew I'd never feel this way for anyone else?
Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to Codie as he led me to the next aisle, and the next, reveling in his delight and loose shoulders and pleased smiles. We must've stayed there for hours, but I'd have happily spent days in that place if it meant he'd be that happy the whole time.
After three hours, Codie had everything he'd actually come here to buy, and I carried his purchases up to the counter as he stuck to my side. He hadn't taken more than a few stepsaway from me the whole time we were there, and while my more primal side was pleased by that, I hated that part of it was because of his fear.
"Codie! I haven't seen you in months. I was worried!" an older man exclaimed as he peered at my mate from behind the counter, his round glasses sliding down his nose before he pushed them up with a practiced move. His light brown eyes flicked between me and Codie, and he raised a white eyebrow at him. "New boyfriend? Is this who you left me for?"
Codie snickered, giving the man the kind of smile he only ever gave Vanessa and Alia, which told me he considered this man a friend. And yet they hadn't been in contact for so long. Had Codie cut off everyone except Vanessa from his life after that night?
"Oh, come on, Rufus. You know I could never replace you!"
Rufus huffed, then started scanning Codie's purchases. "So, what have you been up to?"
Codie shrugged, his smile falling as he avoided the man's gaze. "Just the same. Painting, spending time with Nessa. Oh! I got a dog!" he said, and proceeded to show a million pictures of Hella—when had he even taken all of those?—to the old man. I wasn't a good judge of age when it came to humans, but he looked to be in his seventies, was stick thin, and had a head full of white hair. His dark skin was wrinkled, though the crinkles around his eyes told me he'd had a good life.
"She looks like a hellhound. Make sure she doesn't eat you," he commented, and I resisted the urge to correct him. She was ademonhound.
"Nah, she won't hurt me. She's a sweetheart."
"That's what Bill said before he tried to hand-feed that alligator, and you know what happened to him."
Codie blinked as he slowly pulled out his credit card and slid it over, then shook his head. "Um, I don't, actually."
"Well, let's just say it's very difficult to do pottery with only six fingers," he said mildly, making Codie's eyes go wide.
"No!" he exclaimed in horror, and I just... watched. The two talked like old friends, and I got another glimpse of the man Codie had once been. I'd gotten to see this side of him more often recently, and I wondered if that meant he was doing better.
I knew he'd never completely go back. The scars that night left on him were permanent, and while he could heal from them, even I couldn't make them disappear completely.
Still, I was going to do all I could to make sure Codie got everything he needed to heal, including making sure that man never bothered him again.
I'd been looking for him in my free time, but it was hard to find someone when all you had was a face. I was going to have to work harder if I wanted to locate the bastard, but when I wanted to spend every moment I had with Codie, that was a bit tough to do.
"You better come back soon, you hear me? I don't want to wait another eleven months like a goddamn mama llama, got it?"
We both stared at the old man, and his face scrunched up as he waved us off, as ifwewere the ones who'd said that.
Codie snickered as I grabbed the bags, and then tugged me toward the exit, a smile still on his face.
"That was fun," he said when we stepped outside, and I hummed in agreement as I glanced over at him.
"It was. Do you want to head home or go somewhere else?"
"Home," he declared almost instantly, and I figured he'd reached his quota of outside time for the day.
Leading him back to the alley we'd come from, I teleported us home, then placed his purchases on the coffee table for him to sort through.
