Chapter Thirteen; Part Two
“Ned, what am I going to do?” I asked softly. I didn’t mind being vulnerable with Ned because I knew he’d never take advantage of what I perceived as my weakness. “I have to keep Morningstar away from me. I can’t resist him forever.” There. It was out. My dastardly attraction to the Prince of Darkness—what the fuck did that say about my soul? I knew I’d always been drawn towards the dark side, but this was beyond the pale. How the hell could I justify wanting to fuck the devil? There was no rhyme nor reason to it, but I couldn’t stop the attraction. That was the problem more than the open portal—I desired the devil.
“What about a crucifix?” Ned asked. I began to laugh, but he was serious. “Maybe it only works for Catholics, though.”
“That’s for vampires,” I said in exasperation. “Morningstar is not a vampire.” I didn’t mention that he had vampiric qualities because I wanted to avoid that particular discussion. “I doubt something as fragile as a cross would do much to ward him off.”
“What about this charm around your neck?” Ned asked, fingering the thread. “Isn’t that supposed to call up a protector?”
“Yes, but I never remember to use it,” I admitted, shameful of another flaw. “When I see Morningstar, the lust is overpowering. It’s almost as if some dark force is pulling us together.”
“There’s no way for you to block him out,” Ned mumbled. “Shit, Margaret. I don’t know what to tell you. They don’t cover this sort of thing on Doctor Phil.” Ned’s idea of a lame joke as he didn’t watch that asshole any more than did I. Doctor Phil, my ass! The only thing his doctorate was good for was fooling the audience into believing he actually knew something.
“Damn,” I said, closing my eyes. “I need to take a bath.” Even though I’d taken a shower earlier, I felt the need to cleanse once again. “Do me a favor?” I knew it was going to sound odd, but I didn’t care. “Sit on the toilet while I bathe? I’m afraid God or the Morningstar will show up otherwise.” Ned being there didn’t guarantee they wouldn’t drop by, but at least I would have a witness to whatever they said or did.
“Hey, if you want me to see you naked, all you have to do is ask,” Ned said playfully, patting me on the thigh. I swatted his hand away as I got up.