Page 131 of Devil Inside

“Jenn, what’s going on—”

The grin isn’t Jenn’s, even if it is her lips. “We wanted to surprise you.”

That’s when it hits. A ton of bricks. Right in the chest.

“We talked about this.”

“You don’t like?” Jenn—Lilith, it’s Lilith—stands and slowly walks across the room. She’s near enough to share the same air now. “We thought this might make you happy.”

“You possessed my ex because you thought I’d behappyabout it?”

“You don’t want this?” She halts, hesitates before leaning in. “Want me?”

I could kiss her. A part of me wants to.

A lot of me wants to. I hear her breath catch in her throat, that ecstatic gasp. I want to force her against the wall. Kiss her neck. Wrap my hands around her throat and...

And...

It’s not her.It’s not Jenn.It’s Lilith. She’s hiding inside her, wearing her body, donning this costume from my former life, the Ghost of Girlfriends Past haunting me.

But—wait. I never told Lilith about Jenn. “How do you know about her?”

Lilith hesitates. “What do you mean?”

“How would you know...”

Jordan’s eyes tighten, sharpening themselves. “You went inside me, didn’t you?”

There’s no use hiding it. “Yes.”

“So you lied to me.”

“It wasn’t long.”

“What? Just a peek? Jesus, this isn’t checking my search history! You went inside me and then you lied about it! You promised!”

“No—youmadeus promise.”

“That’s a fucking invasion of privacy.” His expression sours. There is something so awful about his face. The rage within it, rising up. Contorting. “I don’t want this.Anyof this.”

“What do you want, Jordan? Do you even know? We’ve been trying to figure it out.”

“You.”

“We need a host,” we say. “Why not her? Why not someone you’ve had feelings for?”

“Itcomplicatesthings.”

“Everything is so complicated with you! Why can’t you justlet go? For once, just let your guard down. Do what you want instead of hiding behind this flimsy wall of morality.”

“That’s not who I am.”

“You don’t even know what you are! What you can be! We’ve tried showing you, telling you, butyou. Won’t. Listen.”

“You’re trying to make me something I’m not.”

“We’re trying to help you.”