Page 65 of Heavensent & Hellbent

“I’ve not…” I couldn’t finish my sentence, couldn’t lie to him.

He must have sensed I wasn’t going to add anything more, because he said, “You should see the other guy.” The corner of his mouth tugged up in a half smile.

“Does it hurt?”

“It’s healing quickly, but that doesn’t matter.” He took a step closer. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting strange.”

“I…can’t tell you.”

He leaned against the window frame. “Is it because we kissed? If you’re having second thoughts about this…”

“It’s obviously not that,” I said.

There was a gleam in his eyes. “Obviously?”

“You really think I didn’t like kissing you? When I’m a mess whenever I’m near you?”

One side of his lip turned upward again. A hint of a smile. “Say more.”

I rolled my eyes. “No.”

“So, why exactly can’t you tell me this thing?”

I sighed, looking to the black night sky behind him. If I wasn’t careful, I would blurt out the deadly wordsI’m a jinn.

“Because it would ruin everything,” I said instead.

“So you think you’re protecting me? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

“No…can we not speak about it?”

Uncertainty crossed his features, and it threatened to break my heart. Why was this so difficult?

“Do you want me to go?”

“No,” I said quickly. “You saved me from my sleep paralysis just now.”

He crossed the room, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. Even his lightest touch sent electric currents racing through my body. Instinctively, I leaned closer to him, my body a traitor, moving of its own accord.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah…no…I don’t know. I’m tired.”

“Do you want to go to bed?”

I nodded. We got into my small bed. At over six feet tall and muscled, Zain was too big to fit with me comfortably, and I was sure he was lying on the edge, but it was nice having him next to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist as I pressed my back against his chest, careful of his scar, but he didn’t seem to care and pulled me tightly to him, his chin above my head.

Our bodies fit neatly together in this position, and with his arms around me, I felt content, despite everything. I had never been this close to a boy before, and I had always imagined if I ever found myself in this position, I’d feel uncomfortable, guilty, even—of all the things my dad warned me about. Of going against my religion, even though I barely practiced any of it. Somehow sex before marriage had become the point most demonized in my household, and it stuck in my head. Not just sex, but relations of any kind with the opposite sex. All of that felt ironic now. If I was a jinn, wasn’t I destined for hell anyway?

The thought was humorous for one second, and then immediately terrifying.

“Try to sleep,” Zain murmured into my hair. “They won’t bother you if I’m here.”

I didn’t know if he knew that for sure—considering I was one of the beasts he was referring to—but I decided to believe him.

I shut my eyes, the familiar lull of sleep tantalizingly close. As I was slipping away, I could feel Zain’s arms tighten around me, and knowing he was there, I fully let go.

I was in another place,another time.