The Demon King (The Demon King, #1) - Completed

Chapter 31 - Romantic Feelings?

I slowly pulled away from him, both of us staying quiet for a while. "Maybe there's a way to drive the Shadow out of you." I suggested but Dimitri simply shook his head.

"There isn't Isabella. There's no hope for me. All I can do is delay the Shadow but he'll take over me eventually." He said looking down at the ground with a frown.

"I'm sure there's another way Dimitri." I insisted causing him to look at me. "We just have to find out what it is."

"What's there to find when there's nothing that can help me." Dimitri said looking away, causing me to sigh.

"Do you even care to live? Because it honestly seems like you don't give a care about your life at all. If I was you, I'd be doing absolutely everything I could to get rid of the Shadow." I said causing him to look up at me in annoyance.

"And you think I haven't tried?" He demanded in anger. "I've been trying for the past two centuries! I've tried to do everything imaginable to get rid of this Shadow but nothing seems to work. So yes I do care about my life! There's only so much I can do."

I stayed quiet not knowing what to say or do anymore. I felt horrible for him. I couldn't believe how long he's been trying to push the Shadow away. How long he's been trying to get rid of it.

I hesitantly reached out and took his hand into mine. I wrapped both my hands around his, feeling his hand start to shake in mine. I immediately looked up at him in concern thinking he was about to go through one of his pain episodes but when I looked up at him, it wasn't physical pain I saw on his face. It was more internal.

I gave his hand a small squeeze, helping him relax a bit. I unconsciously stroked the back of his hand while a thought came to me. If he didn't want to kill me anymore, then why didn't he let me go back home? Wouldn't it make it easier for him to fight the Shadow inside him if I'm gone? If I'm not there around him all the time the Shadow won't constantly bother him about killing me.

After a few more moments of silence, I voiced those same questions to Dimitri causing him to look up at me for a few minutes before he looked away again. I waited a few more minutes for him to answer, but he wouldn't. He stayed absolutely quiet, the only thing telling me heard me was when he turned to look at me. But other than that, there was no indication.

Either he didn't know why he was still keeping me here or he had a reason but didn't want to tell me. I didn't bother pushing him to answer as I had already made him tell me a lot.

*****

I came out of the bathroom after taking a shower and found a rose with a note on the ground. I sighed as I picked it up. It was Kenneth again, wasn't it?

It was the same gold card attached to the red rose, like I had received twice before. I sighed again, opening it up.

It's torturous seeing you everyday, knowing you'll never be mine.
It's torturous knowing you don't see me the way I see you.
It's torturous seeing you wanting someone else.
It's torturous to think about letting you go.
Sometimes I wish I was blind, so I wouldn't have to see how beautiful you are. But I know that wouldn't work. I'd be able to hear the beauty in your voice, feel the beauty in your touch and be completely captured by the beauty in your heart. Either way, I'd fall for you just as hard as I've already fallen.

I stared at the note for a long while, trying not to get too emotional about it. I closed my eyes, trying to push Kenneth away from my thoughts. I needed time. I needed it to think. I knew I wanted him, but the right thing to do would be to wait. I needed to put a lock on romance.