The Sinner

?s cute and it suits him. He’s fun, easy-going…has a great laugh.”

“Thank the gods for that.” Cas rolled his eyes. “Very well, what do I do? Show up at your place of work and shower you with affection? Drop to my knees and beg you to stop toying with my heart and choose me to be your one true love?”

That didn’t sound bad, honestly. I imagined the looks on everyone’s faces, especially Abby Taylor, who always seemed as if she’d just finished talking about me behind my back.

“Nothing so dramatic but in that ballpark.” I glanced down at my drink. “I haven’t told anyone about my crush on Guy except for Cole and he’s too far away to make me do something about it.”

“But now we are doing something about it.” Cas’s voice turned low. “Will it make you happy, Lucy Dennings? To have the love of this man?”

I plucked my napkin. “Well…yes. Being in love and being loved by another in return is what we’re here for, isn’t it?”

“I’m here for you. This plan will benefit us both,” he added quickly.

“But demons can’t make anyone do anything,” I said. “You told me that and I wouldn’t want anything that wasn’t real, anyway.”

“I can’t make Guy fall in love with you,” Cas agreed, gritting out each word. Then his voice softened, turned gruff. “But if we guide him to you, I don’t see how he could help it.”

The words hit me hard and then sank in softly. The most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me. I basked in the feeling. A moment that could’ve been pulled from one of my romance novels.

Get real. This is real life, not a story with a guaranteed happy ending.

Still, it felt nice. For a little while.

I turned to the demon with a soft smile. “Thank you, Cas.”

“For what?”

“It’s been fun fantasizing about this, even if it’s all make-believe.”

He frowned. “Make-believe?”

“Well, yeah.” I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Nothing is going to come of Guy and me, but what you said felt good. Like having someone on my side. To have someone pretend that I’m…”

“Worthy of this man’s love?” Casziel’s expression was serious and grim—like what I imagine he must’ve looked like before going into battle. “I am on your side. And there is no pretending.”

I shook my head, wishing I hadn’t drunk so much. “No, no. This is not a Big Idea. It’s not enough to save you.”

“Probably not, given the depth of my sins. But it’s the best hope we have.”

I stared. “No, Cas. It won’t work. It’s…”

“Silly?” Casziel shook his head, his eyes like molten gold in the dimness of the pub. “Drawing a man to your light is a worthy cause, Lucy Dennings. Your happiness is a worthy cause. I can think of nothing worthier.”

At those words, my heart beat hard, as if for the first time.

As if it’d been still and gathering dust in my chest until that night. With Cas.

Nine

I was drunk.

Like, whoa.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been smashed.

“No, I rem’mber,” I slurred, leaning heavily on Casziel as he maneuvered me and our packages from our shopping excursion out of the pub and into the night. “High school graduation. My frenn Sarah n’ I got into her mom’s stash of Southern Comfort. Bad idea. Do not recommend. Zero stars.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”