2. Let's Remember

After several days moved by the university and also by the demon that haunted my life. Today I was alone in the florist -being a quiet day, especially considering that the store was always full of people-, at the request of some customers my mother had had to go out to ask for some special orders at the insistence of these people. Instead I would have simply sent them for a walk, especially considering the number of orders that come to us through the website since we created it, and also how stupid many customers were with my mother. But of course, Chiara Bellini was too good, and she took advantage of even the slightest opportunity to make people happy, even when they were inept.

And more than feeling sad about being alone in the floristry, I felt really relaxed, why? Because I didn't have a certain and annoying demon – which had already been with me for several weeks – haunting me like an animal in heat. That same morning, as soon as he woke up, he was in his demonic form, and with a smile he said to me: "I'm leaving for a few hours, I've got some business. But don't worry, I'll be back so you can enjoy my company.”

And after that, he simply left. And I'm not going to lie, I celebrated his departure.

The only problem was that her mocking smile -which I had been enduring for a long time- did not disappear from my head. The only thing I did every time I remembered her was to drive me crazy. And in all honesty, that it took a long time to return or that it simply stayed in his world would be a damn gift for me, that cat was too heavy to insist that I tell him my wish.

At such thoughts, a sigh escaped my lips, , I looked at the cup of tea that I was holding calmly in my hands, I watched as the vapor of the warm liquid rose, and little by little it was lost in the space of the room. I stared at the ring on my right hand, the one I couldn't take off even if I wanted to.

And my memory, betraying me once again, reminded me of how I had come to be where I was.

Alone, and on top of that with a demon that wouldn't leave me alone. Just remembering that moment, made my stomach contract along with my chest, but... I couldn't help it.

[…]

It was a cloudy day I was having a cup of tea with my partner in one of my favourite café and tea shops in all Manhattan, the Blank Slate Tea.

I remember many things about him, like how we usually talk about both trivial and serious topics, giving our opinions and sharing many of them. I remember that we would have fun laughing at our silliness and I could always see in those cold grey eyes, a gleam of affection and fondness that he only professed for me - or so I wanted to believe - would settle in them. Moreover, I could always see a tender, faint smile on that serious face that he only showed me.

But... that day he seemed different, very different indeed.

His face was more serious than ever, he didn't seem to want to show any emotion, his eyes weren't fixed on me as they used to be, this time they seemed to be lost in the landscape of the city, watching people pass by through the window of the establishment. His hand held his cup of coffee, which had already stopped steaming that indicated that the bitter liquid was cold. He had a slightly feverish appearance, with marked dark circles, as if he had had difficulty sleeping, and it was true that those weeks he had been more distant, but he always told me that: "I had nothing to worry about".

At that moment my mind told me not to ask him anything, as he seemed to have had a hard day. But my heart was a different story, because many times he would always tell me what had happened, no matter how hard it was, always looking for my support.

But not that day, so... what could have happened that he was in that state and didn't want to tell me anything?

And that's where I made my first mistake: Asking.

“Orfeo... Are you feeling well?” My face changed to one of concern instantly, and my hand unconsciously caressed the back of his, searching for his gaze.

Not knowing what could be happening to him at that moment made my chest shrink with helplessness and sadness.

Not knowing what could be happening to him at that moment, made my chest shrink from helplessness and sadness. We had been dating for a while and we both knew each other like the back of our hand, we knew when something wasn't right. And after my question, he turned his head in my direction, looked at me with those sad eyes, which did not reflect that spark of warmth that I had so often felt, empty, lifeless eyes, as if there were nothing there but a bottomless abyss.

A shiver ran down my spine, something wasn't right. And yes, clearly it wasn't. I didn't know why.

I didn't know the reason, but my body had started to tremble, my hands held with clear fragility the cup between them, the liquid inside was in constant movement, while my eyes had broken the connection between our gazes, out of fear... «Fear of what?», I asked myself at that instant, and when he started to speak I knew it.

“Caeli”, he called me, letting me notice how in his voice, a voice that had always been cheerful, reassuring and calm with me, had now become a cold, distant voice, a completely different feeling that had made me shrink in my place. “We need to talk...”

The world fell on me when I heard that phrase. It seemed like a soap opera, but everyone knew that those words could not bring anything good with them. I didn't want to look at him and find out what he wanted to tell me, at that moment I wanted to go deaf so as not to hear him. But, summoning my willpower, I raised my eyes to meet hers once more. And as soon as I did, I regretted it, for there seemed to be nothing in his eyes, not a scant hint of bright and vivid life.

“We must break up...” I felt the air in my lungs disappear, my pupils constricted and one of my legs had begun to tremble at the same time as I returned my gaze to the cup. My vision blurred for a few moments; Tears were gathering in my eyes quickly. It had all been too sudden, and only one question came to my mind.

“Why?" That was the only question that came from my lips. I didn't understand, and who could understand? I hadn't done anything wrong, had I?

I got no answer, silence had filled the store, as if everyone in the cafeteria had fallen silent so they could listen carefully to our conversation. I felt bad about it, I felt the rage run through my veins before those damned meddlers who seemed to enjoy the pain of others so much. Listening to how they whispered to each other only made my body more nervous, a cold sweat ran down the back of my neck and I felt how the gazes were fixed on us, giving me indescribable discomfort.

“We just can't be together.... “ My reasoning stopped there, because I didn't want to believe what I was hearing, it wasn't possible, with that simple excuse he wanted to break up with me?

I squeezed the cup tightly in my hands, but I never managed to break it, because I felt how a pair of hands rested on mine to get me to calm down somehow. Once again I looked up and saw him, with a sad smile and eyes that no longer showed me the warmth that I had often experienced.

"Is that all?... Is that all you are going to say?" My voice cracked, tears pooled, making me blur the boy who still held my heart in his hands. “That's not a valid excuse for you to want to break up with me, haven't I loved you enough? Haven't I shown you things that I hadn't shown anyone before? Haven't I been satisfactory enough in bed for you” Hundreds or what seemed to me to be whispers could be heard in the place when they heard me speak. He had always been an anxious person, and in situations of great stress he talked too much.

“It's more complex than that, Caeli" he said, looking away and frowning slightly.

“Then explain it to me," I said, taking one of his hands, I didn't want to cry, but I could feel the salty liquid fighting to fall out of my eyes.

“I can't... I just know that I must get away from you," he closed his eyes and separated his hands from mine.”

My heart stopped, was this how it was going to end? After giving him everything I had? After supporting him so much? After telling him things that I hadn't even told Akane?... After I had given him my body, my soul and my heart? He, who had been the one who had supported me and my mother the most after my father died. He, who was for me in everything... All of that, it was going to end because, 'we just couldn't be together'?

My vision darkened, my hands let go of those of others and covered my face, not allowing Orfeo to see me at any time. After biting my lower lip and suppressing my urge to cry, I got up from my place and left enough money to pay for everything I had taken. I turned, and tried to leave, because I didn't want to have all those looks of the gossipy customers on me.

I turned and tried to leave, as I didn't want to have all those gossipy customers staring at me.

But against my plans, he grabbed my arm, forcing me to turn to look at him.

“Caeli... I... “ Why were you looking at me with that expression? Why were you looking at me with such sadness in your eyes?

I didn't understand. He was the one who was leaving me, he was the one who was breaking my heart. Why was he holding me back? Why wouldn't he let me go? Why did he want to make me suffer like that?

I felt the gaze of others on me, the weight of their voices resting on my chest. I felt my heart galloping frantically through the situation. I hadn't felt this way since my father's death.

“Let me go Orfeo. It's over, you said so yourself," I said bluntly. Releasing myself from his grip and turning to leave through the door while I heard his voice shouting my name. Asking me to stop, begging me not to go that way.

And no longer bearing it, the moment my feet stepped on the sidewalk of the street, the river of tears began to descend, people looked at me and whispered around me. My mood was getting worse and worse, I felt short of breath, everything around me was spinning.

I wanted to get home, I wanted to lie in bed and wake up from this bloody nightmare.

My heart was in my throat, my chest hurt too much, it was hard to breathe; I had started to run, arriving home in the blink of an eye. My mother, who was in the living room, the moment she saw me with swollen eyes and gasping for breath. She changed her serene expression to one of anguish.

Quickly she got up and went to me, hugging me, letting some of her warmth embrace the emptiness that in just a few moments had formed inside me. And when I felt sheltered in her arms, I didn't hold back any longer: I screamed, I sobbed, I shouted, I complained that I was so unlucky to have wasted my time with someone who hadn't deserved it - though it didn't seem that way at the time-.

.

.

.

[…]

And now, after several months here I was, sitting at the desk chair that separated me from the clients. Watching as the cup was empty, as was the store.

I picked up my phone, checking that I had no messages and then looked at the time.

“It's still early for mum to be back," I looked out of the window to see that the sky was quite cloudy. «Just like that day...» I thought, clenching my hands around my mug, but I shook my head and smiled.

I couldn't get depressed now, I had to keep working, I had to be strong for my mother, I had to be the cheerful girl she needed me to be, I didn't have to be weak. "Well..." I whispered putting the cup on the table and I hit my cheeks several times to wake up, I moved my neck from side to side so that it cracked me and after hearing the "crack", I smiled. And soon a customer came into the store and I smiled. “Welcome to Bellini's Floristry, what do you want?”

º º º º º º

Hours had passed, between cuts, adjustments and finishing touches that the young girl made to the orders. In the end, she was able to finish her work sooner than she thought. After that, she smiled softly and by the time her mother arrived with the remaining orders, she only had to make a few phone calls to the remaining customers. As there was so little work left, the older woman asked her to go home, as she would also have to continue with the work she had been assigned at her university, because she didn't want to be a bother to her daughter. At this, the youngest smiled, and after a hug and a loud kiss on her mother's cheek, she left for the train station that would take her back to her district.

When she got home, she snorted softly, and when she got to her room, she ran to put on her pyjamas. But she did not stop and lie down on the bed but sat down at her desk and managed to finish one of the pending tasks that she had left, because in the face of fatigue, her body did not let her do much more.

And, as she lay on her back on the bed, without realising it, after a few seconds her eyes began to slowly grow heavy and close. Her breathing began to slow down, and a soft smile formed on her lips as she was able to rest in complete peace without anyone being able to disturb her.

“Goodnight angel," though perhaps she had spoken too soon.

The brunette opened one of her eyelids at the sound of that mocking voice and felt a small weight on her stomach.

There, wagging his tail in a rhythmic way -while lying on the girl's flat stomach-, was that beautiful dark furred feline, who, at the same time, was staring at that beautiful sky-blue orb.

“Couldn't you have stayed in your world," she spoke in exasperation.

“It was not me who summoned a demon to make a wish, which I remind you again you have to pass on to me," he rested his head on his fluffy paws and did not take his eyes off the younger girl.

“I told you I'm not going to tell you any wishes, and it's not as if I have any.”

º º º º º º

“Are you trying to fool a demon, little human," an intense green light flooded the room, forcing me to close my eyes, but as soon as it faded, I could see those green stars. “We are the kings of lies, you can't fool me so easily little one”

“I'm not trying to deceive- AH!" I screamed when an intense burning formed on my left side, I tried to push him away by placing my hands on his chest. On the other hand, he did not move an inch.

The demon smiled in a way that chilled my blood, subtly pulled up my jumper and showed that mark that looked more like a tattoo burned into my skin in the shape of a cat print torn by scratches.

"This shows when you're lying, at least as far as our treatment is concerned. Which means, there's something you want, but you don't want to tell me or you don't want to admit that you do. We don't ask for that much either, you will simply give me your body and soul when you get what you want.”

“That's exactly why I won't ask for anything! Because you want to force it and when I ask for my fucking wish you will finish my life and everything!" I said with a noticeable blush on my cheeks at the first part I had to offer to him once my wish was granted.

“ Then I'll stay in your house until you decide what you want!" The boy shouted equally annoyed as he crossed his arms. "You have a lot of thoughts, your ex, your father, your mother, even for yourself... Humans are much greedier than demons...”

The girl there growled and threw a pillow at the demon, who returned it to her by throwing her off the bed and she got up with an annoyed growl.

"Get out of here, you damn demon! I never wished I had a headache like you in my life!”

"I wasn't the depressive anorexic who looked for a way to ease the pain in her soul with an evocation and a pact," the demon snapped, sharpening his gaze at the girl. “If you didn't want me here not to have called me, carry the consequences!”

I was silent at once, he was right, I had got myself into this mess by... Wait a minute...

That was a lie!

If it hadn't been for Akane, this demon wouldn't be here, sexually harassing me every now and then. I wouldn't even believe they existed. Damn you, Akane! You and your addiction to demons!

“Try it, you'll see how it works!”

Back then, I hadn’t believed her, I just took that note where she had told me how to summon a demon to leave me alone for a while, because I was still upset about what had happened with Orfeo.

I know she didn't mean it, as I doubt she knew it would work. And now here I am, with a demon that won't leave me alone to sleep.

º º º º º º

The girl sighed and, revealing that cross she always - or at least since that demon came into her life - wore around her neck. The jet-haired boy turned away from her and dug his claws into the ceiling as thin tail stood on end.

The girl smacked her head and shook her head, «I'll never listen to Akane again.»

That was the last thing the youngest thought when she was there, she glanced sideways at the demon who was still cautious on the ceiling, because she didn't know what that girl had in mind. And, with a triumphant smile, which made the boy frown, Caeli got out of bed and left the room, going to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. After having spent so much time working and studying, she had forgotten to eat dinner. Although she paused for a few minutes observing what she had prepared for herself, and remembering the demon's comment, her fists clenched tightly.

"Damn asshole... Messing with people's mental and physical problems… He is undoubtedly a damn demon," she whispered calmly and began to eat slowly, since she still had certain problems with food.