It was like somebody had just dumped a bucket of cold water on me at that moment. I pushed her away, scrambling to get my brain to work.
"You don't love me. I was doing what anybody would do. You don't even know me." I quickly backed up, scooting away and looking for the nearest exit.
I'd done what I'd needed to. I could post the bounty and help BSH talk to her without anybody having to die to do it. At least, that's how I tried to justify it to myself. Her professing her love for me was too much and I should create some space.
I looked back at her, making sure that she wouldn't instantly start draining anybody. From what I could tell, the leak was still there, but it was draining slowly. It would likely be a few days before her wisps ventured back out.
"Wait, don't go. I'm sorry. That was stupid. Just don't go. I don't want to go back to that." She reached for me, but then paused and wrapped her arms around herself. "See, I told you I don't know how to talk to people anymore."
I stopped my backward steps, realizing that there was a chance she really didn't know how to interact with others.
And I knew I was likely the only person who could help her.
It went entirely against my isolated lifestyle I had built up around myself like castle walls. Yet the human part of me couldn't walk away from a woman in this sort of situation.
"Do you have clothes?" I asked. Her naked body was distracting.
"I'm sure I can find something here."
That surprised me. "This isn't your place?"
"No, some asshole's. He tried to kill me. I followed him back and just walked in, killing everyone." She shrugged.
I added that to what I knew about her. She wasn't against taking a little slice of revenge.
"Get some clothes on," I snorted, turning away from her, trying to create more emotional distance between us.
"There's some in the next room." She bounced away, pausing and looking back at me.
I sat down on the bed to make her feel comfortable that I wasn't leaving. It seemed to do the trick as she bounced out of sight.
I felt sorry for her. As far as I could tell, she'd been branded a villain when she wasn't one at heart. But right now, her only solution was me, and I wasn't sure I was ready to sign up for that.
The crackle of a wooden door splintering sounded in the next room, and I heard Demon curse.
"Don't worry about the door. Clothes," I reminded her.
She came back a minute later in a fancy cocktail dress that was too small in the chest for her; it barely hung off her nipples.
"No, get something casual on."
Demon bit her lip and blushed as she hurried off again to the other room, only this time coming back in a pair of skin-tight jeans and a designer shirt, complete with holes that somehow made it cost more. Over it all, she wore a light tan leather jacket.
"How's this?"
"Good." I nodded, getting up off the bed.
As I stood up, my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out. Ben had texted me.
'Hope you'll be here. I told your girls you would be, and they are so fucking excited. Would be a real shame if you let them down.'
I cursed at him. He knew just how to twist my arm. I'd given my word; it was important to me that I kept it.
"I have to go." Stuffing my phone in my pocket, I got up off the bed.
Demon was there in an instant, crossing the room in a blink, and grabbing my hand.
The little tingles persisted where she kept contact.
"Please. I'm pretty adaptable. I can fit into your life, I swear. Don't leave me." Demon peered up at me.
I sighed. "What's your name?"
"Stella." She smiled, clearly believing she'd won me over.
"Stella, I have no idea what your power is going to do in public. You can't even stop from using it every time you touch me."
Her smile drooped. "I can stop." Her brow furrowed with concentration, and the tingles stopped on my hand. "See? Stopped. Now I'm not a danger."
"You can't come with me."
"Then I guess I'll go wander the city, and if my power acts up again… well, it will be a shame that you aren't there to help me." She mournfully shook her head.
I raised my brow, making it clear with one look that I did not appreciate being manipulated. "You will not go out in the city on your own."
"This is the first time I've been better in… in… a long time. I want to go out."
I noted that it had been so long that she'd lost count. She had to feel so isolated.
"Look, I just want to live a little. Please?" Stella looked on the verge of tears again.
As much as I tried to keep walls up, I didn't think I could walk away from her and let her go back to what she had been on that bathroom floor.
I wasn't a hero—Ugh! Even the word was irritating—but this was different. Any decent human being would help the poor woman.
"Fine. But you do as I tell you. And no using your superpowers while we are out. I don't need that kind of trouble, and I'm meeting up with coworkers."
"Other heroes?" she asked.
Momentary panic shot through me. I was not a hero. And her saying something like that could break everything I'd worked for. "Never mind. Nope, you stay here."
"No." She jumped on my back and squeezed tight.
If I hadn't gotten a barrier up in time, she might have actually hurt me.
"I'm sorry. I won't say 'hero' again." At least she had the presence to understand what had set me off. She was actually pretty perceptive.
The look she gave me pierced right into what was left of my heart.
There was a weak spot in my heart for women so unfortunately affected by their powers; not everyone understood the burden that powers could be.
I was coming around to helping her still, though. She'd be a pain, but maybe we could make some rules.
"Calm down. None of that. You need to act like a grown woman." I pried her off of me with liberal use of my ability.
"Wow, you can see my ability, heal my ability, and was that telekinesis?" She popped off of me, landing on her feet with cat-like grace. "You are a guy, so you only have one power. What can do all that?" She mused.
I glared at her. "Rule number two: no trying to figure out my superpower."
Turning and walking out of her place, I knew she'd follow me.
"What was rule number one?"
"Act like an adult, which includes no random use of your power and no harming anyone." I decided it was time to help her understand boundaries.
A sinking feeling in my gut told me I wasn't going to be rid of her tonight, or in the near future, as she bounced along next to me.