12 - Withdrawal Symptoms

“Quit??”

I blinked at Alison’s news in the office the next morning. “That can’t be right.”

“It’s true,” she insisted, nodding a few times. “It happened yesterday. Paid off his notice and everything.”

*Noah...quit??*

I left my cubicle, marching over to Noah’s office. The door was slightly ajar. I knocked, pushing it open.

But there was no one inside except for the janitor, clearing the trash. A quick look around the office confirmed my fears. Noah’s personal possessions - business books, art posters and miniature plants - were long gone.

“Shit,” I whispered, and the janitor cocked a brow at me.

I returned to my cubicle, where Alison eyed me curiously. “You look upset.”

“I-I’m just in shock. It’s so sudden.”

“I know. Nobody saw it coming.”

“Does anyone know why he left? Or where he’s going?”

“Nope. Weird, isn’t it?”

I sank down in my chair, raking my hands through my hair. Why didn’t Noah say anything to me?

Was this my fault? Had someone found out about us?

“Well, what are you going to do, right?” Alison sighed, returning to work.

I couldn’t imagine focusing on crunching numbers right now, though. I pretty much stared uselessly at my screen until lunchtime rolled around.

I stepped out of the building, pulling out my phone to call Noah.

At the last moment however, I chickened out. *This is all my fault. Has to be.*

Throughout the rest of the day, I kept checking my phone, hoping to hear from Noah. An explanation, an apology - something. But no such luck.

“OK, I’m heading off,” Alison announced later that evening, getting to her feet and picking up her bag.

“Hey, Alison,” I piped up on impulse.

“Yeah?”

“You feel like getting some drinks?”

She stopped, staring at me like I was nuts. “Us?” she asked, her brow cocked. “As in...just you and me?”

“Yeah? Why? What’s with that tone?”

“Oh, nothing. I just always got the feeling that you didn’t like me.”

“I don’t.”

She stiffened, no doubt taken aback by my bluntness. I had to admit, I was surprised at myself, too.

Somehow, I didn’t really care to lie or pretend any more. I wondered if I should chalk it up to Levi’s bad influence.

Levi…

Knowing him, he must be tearing across the city by now, ravaging poor, helpless girls at random.

The thought made me feel weird. Not so much disturbed anymore. Just...weird.

*I’m not jealous, am I? That would be ridiculous! I hate the guy’s guts!*

*So...why do I feel like this?*

“But I don’t have to like you for us to have a good time,” I put forward, focusing on Alison. “What do you say?”

“Well, that’s real flattering,” she answered dryly. “But I’ll have to decline.”

“You got something better to do?”

She froze as she was leaving, her shoulders locking up. She looked back at me, her brow furrowing. “Not really…”

“Then let’s go have some fun. Come on, I’m buying.”

Alison grumbled under her breath but followed as I led the way.

A short while later, Alison and I were in a noisy club not far from the office, nursing drink after drink and dancing the night away with cute guys. The noise and alcohol were beginning to make me feel numb, but in a good way.

This was what I wanted - to shut out all the thoughts in my head. I didn’t want to think about what Levi was doing or what had happened to Noah. They didn’t need me and I didn’t need them.

The night seemed to leap ahead, whole hours gone in a blur. I found myself in the front seat of some stranger’s car, letting him stick his tongue in my mouth and feel me up under my dress.

*This is so not like me. But it feels good. And what’s wrong with feeling good, right? Life sucks, so we should take the opportunity to enjoy it wherever we can.*

“So...my place OK?” the stranger asked me, his voice gleeful. It made me feel like a piece of candy he couldn’t wait to eat or something.

Before I could answer, he pulled my hand over to stroke his erection through his pants.

“Or do you want to do things right here?” he suggested, his lip curling.

I blinked, staring at this man for a long moment. I didn’t know anything about him. I couldn’t even remember his name or what he did for a living. Actually, he seemed pretty young. Oh God, he *was* over 18, right?

I pulled back my hand, adjusting the wayward strap of my dress. “Look, I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I thought I could do this, but I can’t.”

“Huh?” he seemed confused.

“I have to go. Goodnight.”

I opened the car door, but he reached over, yanking it shut before I could climb out.

“Wait, what the fuck? We were just - ”

“Let me go.”

“Hey, come on. Don’t go. I like you, OK? Why don’t we just sit here and talk - ”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” a voice piped up loudly, making us both jump.

We turned around to see Levi sitting in the backseat, his elbows resting by the headrests as he looked at us.

“W-who are you??” the guy went. “How’d you get in my car?!”

“Shut up,” Levi answered.

The kid stared at him for a moment, but eventually, his shoulders went slack. He pursed his lips together, not speaking. He faced forward, seemingly ignoring Levi and me.

“Seriously, Olivia?” Levi said, cocking a thumb at the guy, who had apparently become a zombie. A zombie with an unmistakable erection at that. “This kid??”

“What?” I said defensively. “He’s cute.”

“I really didn’t take you for the cougar type.”

“I didn’t realize he was that young, OK? It was dark in there; I didn’t get a good look at him.”

“That makes things worse, not better. Why waste your time with a kid like that when you could be with somebody who knows how you like to take it?”

“Oh God.” I opened the door and got out, blushing hotly. Levi clambered out too, right on my heels. “What are you doing here, Levi? I released you from that spell, just like you wanted.”

“Yeah, but I was curious.”

“About what?”

“About how you were doing post-Levi, as it were.” He paused, one eye sliding back towards the car, where the guy continued to stare straight ahead. “I have to say, I’m not impressed.”

I shook my head, refusing to get sucked into another verbal battle with him. “Whatever. I’m going home.”

“Want me to come with?”

“What the hell for?”

“Oh, you know…” his voice trailed off on a breeze.

I looked back but he had disappeared. When I faced forward again, he had re-materialized in front of me. “Jesus!”

“What happened to that other guy? Your boss?”

I looked away, refusing to answer. “You could be off having fun, Levi. Why are you here, asking about my love life?”

“Oh, that good, huh?” he asked, grinning.

“Hardly,” I said, continuing on my way.

Levi fell into step beside me, putting his hands inside his pockets. “What happened?”

“He quit.”

“Your boss?”

“Just up and left. He barely said a thing to anyone.” I sighed. “He definitely didn’t say anything to me.”

I was offended when Levi started laughing. “You scared him off, huh?”

“How did I scare him off?”

“Well, you came on to him pretty strong in your apartment.”

“I thought he liked me.”

“Whatever. You’re better off without him, anyway.”

“Don’t say that,” I snapped at him. “You don’t know the first thing about Noah, and you don’t know the first thing about me.”

“Oh, give me some credit. I know one or two things about you,” he reminded me, leaning over and nipping at my ear.

“Yeah, sex stuff,” I answered, shoving him away from me. “Not the stuff that matters.”

“You’re wrong. I know more about you than you care to admit.”

“Just leave me alone, Levi.” I stormed off, heading for home.

Back in my apartment, I stared at my phone - or rather, at Noah’s number saved on my phone. I wanted to hear his voice so badly. I wanted to be in his arms...and maybe more.

I wondered if he was OK. I didn’t like the way things had ended between us last. I wanted us to talk, but it didn’t feel right to just call him up. I got the sense that he wanted space and I didn’t want to make a wrong move.

Feeling frustrated, I tossed the phone aside on my bed. Maybe I should just take a shower and go to bed…

I got up, but stopped when I heard something shatter on the floor outside.

*Damn! Is that Levi again??*

I stepped outside, ready with a few choice words for him. Not only was he back in my life for no reason, he’d just broken one of my things. It was too bad there was no such thing as demon insurance.

“Levi, you - !” I cut myself off when I saw a man kneeling down on the living room floor; he was slender and beautiful, with pale, wavy hair. Definitely not Levi. “It’s you. You were in the alley that night. You’re...” I struggled to remember his name.

“Xan,” he finished for me. Xan was picking up pieces of a crystal butterfly that Mom had given me for my last birthday, setting them on the shelf. “Sorry about the mess.”

I sighed, feeling disappointed. Was it because he’d broken Mom’s gift or for some other reason, though? “What are you doing in my house?”

Xan didn’t answer me, stretching to his feet and taking a look around. He made me think of a prospective customer trying to decide if he wanted to buy the place. “So, this is where he’s been coming.”

“Who?”

“Our mutual friend Levi, of course!” He cupped his chin for a moment, looking pensive. “I haven’t seen him in a while, so I got a little worried.”

“He’s fine. I just saw him.”

“Oh, really?” His brows perked up in interest. “So, all this time, the two of you…? Wow, that’s really something.”

Despite myself, I was intrigued by his words. “Why do you say that?”

“It’s just not like Levi to stick around like that. Even for an incubus, he’s always had a pretty short attention span.”

“Well, you’re right. He was only hanging around because of a spell.”

“A spell?” He snapped his fingers, looking triumphant. “So, it was you that night! I knew I sensed magic. Pretty strong magic, too.”

“Yeah, OK, but I managed to break the spell so he’s free now. Free to do whatever he wants.”

“Good, because I’ve missed him.”

“I got the impression he didn’t really seem into you, though.”

Xan’s eyes flashed, appearing ice-cold for a moment. “Yeah...that’s Levi for you. He always wants what he can’t have.” He eyed me for a moment, his gaze so intent that I squirmed and looked away.

“Relax. I may be an incubus, but I’m not going to touch you. I don’t think Levi would like that.”

*What’s that supposed to mean?*

“Well, sorry again about the mess,” he said airily, heading over to the window. “I’ll be seeing you, Alexandra.”

“*Olivia*,” I corrected, annoyed. “Hey, what did you mean by - ?”

In the blink of an eye, Xan was gone. I marched over to the window, peering out after him. I couldn't spot him anywhere, though. He had disappeared, Levi-style.

*I don’t get it. There’s no more spell. So, why are these guys still hanging around all the time? *

*What do they want from me??*