Kat got home and was setting her stuff down when Nex was suddenly just right in front of her. She screamed and jumped back, setting her hand on her chest.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "Stop doing that! You're going to put me in an early grave," she grumbled, dropping her stuff on the table and heading to the kitchen.

"How was class?" Nex asked, following after her.

"Fine," Kat answered, looking at him curiously as she got water, wondering where his sudden interest in her life came from.

"Just fine? Nothing note-worthy?" Nex pressed, crossing his arms.

"Well, I did go to the library and find some stuff," Kat said, sipping her water. "I mean, it all sounds insane but so does accidentally summoning a demon so," she shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to try and see what happens."

"That's it? There's nothing else you want to say to me?" Nex asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kat stared at him in confusion. "No... Oh! Actually, yes," she said, setting her water down before placing her hands on her hips. "I have to go out again because thanks to you I have no phone and no alarm clock. Besides not just popping up in my face out of nowhere can you maybe also not break my things? As you pointed out, I just work at a bookstore. It's not like I'm made of money."

"I replaced your alarm clock and bought you a new phone. It's better than the last," he said, pulling a phone from his pocket.

"Oh," Kat said in surprise, cautiously accepting the phone. "Thanks."

"No more then? Your day was just average and normal?" Nex tried again.

Having the phone reminded Kat of her date on Friday. It wasn't that she completely forgot, just that she then distracted herself with ways to undo summoning Nex. Part of her hesitated after the weird moments they shared but he did say that it was just to mess with her and it's not as if she would be able to avoid telling him when Jason showed up on Friday.

"Actually," Kat said, unable to stop the smile. "Jason asked me out."

"Did he?" Nex said, taking a step closer. "And what did you say?"

"Yes, obviously," Kat said, rolling her eyes. "I've been wanting to go out with him for over a year."

"Don't you think it'll put a damper on things when he finds out you sleep in bed with another man?" Nex asked, his eyes seeming to turn redder.

"Are you... mad?" Kat asked uncertainly.

"Why would I be mad?" Nex scoffed. "You're nothing to me. I just don't understand why you would date someone who very obviously just wants to fuck you and leave you. Not very virginal of you."

"Why are you being so mean? That's not why he asked me. He's not like you," she said, crossing her arms. "He's sweet."

"Bullshit," Nex laughed. "You're so fucking naïve it's painful to watch. He's a douchebag. He just wants to get in your pants and when he does, that'll be it. You do know everyone wants to fuck a ginger just to see what it's like, right?"

"Stop it," Kat said, shaking her head and backing away from him. "Stop being so mean. I don't see how it's your business anyway. I'm hopefully getting you out of here like you wanted."

"Your stupid research and stupid loopholes are a waste of time," Nex growled. "Maybe this is for the best though, then when he does fuck you and leave you, you can give me his name to kill and I can go home."

"I don't know why you're so mad at me," Kat sighed. "Are you jealous? You've been telling me everything you've done is to mess with me. You can't be jealous if you're just trying to mess with me."

"I'm not jealous, kitten," Nex snapped. "If I really wanted you, I could get you easily," he said, walking over and pulling her against him roughly, gripping her hips tightly. "Your buttons are so easy to push I could have you spreading your legs for me within the hour. It's a miracle you're still a virgin with how easily I had you aching for me."

His comment stung but Kat didn't want him to know that. All his comments stung and part of her wanted to cry but she wouldn't give him the benefit. She pushed him away and opened the fridge, deciding to ignore him.

"Oh, the silent treatment," Nex taunted. "Nothing has ever hurt so much."

Kat took a deep breath and said nothing, pulling her spinach out of the fridge. Nex started to speak again when there was a scratching at the back door. Kat actually managed a smile and grabbed the dog treats off the top of the fridge before going to the back door and opening it up, finding two German Shepherds.

"You have dogs?" Nex asked in surprise.

"No," Kat sighed, bending down and giving each of them a treat. "They're not mine. They just routinely get out of my neighbor's yard and come see me. He'll be here in a couple hours to get them, he knows the always come to me," she said, scratching one's ears. "I missed you, puppies," she cooed.

Nex started laughing and Kat looked back at him questioningly. He just continued laughing an exasperated sort of laugh, shaking his head.

"What's so funny?" Kat asked, standing up.

"Your life is funny," he said, gesturing to her. "I mean, you don't even have your own dogs. You have to borrow someone else's. It's incredibly pathetic. You do realize how pathetic it is, don't you?"

Kat inhaled sharply at his comment, her eyes starting to sting. He didn't notice.

"All your life is pathetic. You live in this house alone, you have no friends, you go to a church to fight off loneliness, you leap at the first chance of a date with a douchebag, you let the first person who tries to touch you leave you a hot mess and drunkenly ask for more, and you have treats for someone else's pets!" He chuckled. "Fucking pathetic, kitten, really, I would be horribly depressed if I lived like you."

Kat was never one for violence unless in self-defense or cursing but it just kind of happened without her realizing. She smacked him across the face, hard. The smack snapped Nex out of it and he finally noticed the tears forming in her eyes.

"You asshole," she hissed. "That is it," she said, stalking past him and going out the front door.

Nex sighed, muttering curses under his breath. He turned, following after her. He caught up to her on the street but she didn't look at him.

"I'm sorry, kitten," he tried. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I had a shitty day and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

Kat ignored him, the only evidence that she even noticed he was there was the way she started walking even faster.

"Come on, kitten, let me make it up to you. I'll make a really great dinner," he said, matching her pace. "A really great healthy dinner."

She stayed silent, rounding a corner and staring ahead determinedly.

"Katherine, come on," Nex whimpered. "I'm sorry. I really am. I mean that. Let me fix it."

She kept ignoring him and he couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed her arm to stop her and she immediately pulled out of his hold. She turned to him after angrily wiping away the tears, fixing him with a glare that actually managed to make him take a step back.

"I've tried to be nice about this because you're right, by some freakish accident it is my fault that you're here. But I'm trying to help and I've been trying to help the nice way," she said, shaking her head. "But it is abundantly clear to me the nice way isn't going to work with you because you're a demon and you're just cruel. So I'm done. I'm not playing nice anymore. You crossed the line."

"I don't know what that means but whatever makes you stop crying," Nex said, reaching for her cheek where more tears had streamed down.

She smacked his hand away and took a step back, crossing her arms. He stepped forward but it was as if he was stepping into a wall. He frowned and tried again. It wasn't until then he realized where they were.

"Fuck," he spat, glaring at the church. "Don't hide in there. You can't stay in there forever. Just work this out with me, kitten. I promise I'll be better."

"No," Kat said, shaking her head. "I'm getting you out of my life once and for all."

She turned and headed to the church, leaving Nex standing there in confusion. He spat some curses and paced back and forth, watching her get closer to the door.

"I don't know what you're planning but I doubt it will work," he called after her. "Just come home with me, Katherine. I'll be nice."

She ignored him and went inside, the heavy wooden doors closing behind her with a loud thud. Nex glared at the door and tried again to get through the invisible shield but it didn't work.

"Fucking holy ground," he spat, storming away.

Nex returned to the house and spent a great deal of time pacing back and forth before trying to make himself useful in the hopes she wouldn't be as angry when she got back. He went to clean but she was so neat there wasn't really anything to clean. He decided to make dinner anyway, for whenever she came back. He was turning on the stove when someone else showed up.

"You're still here," Lucian said, appearing out of thin air, crossing his arms. "The human still won't budge?"

Lucian was a demon that frequently moved back and forth between the realms like Nex used to. If it weren't for Kat summoning him and catching him in a blood bond, he would be able to leave easily but now he couldn't leave until his purpose was served.

"No," Nex answered bitterly. "She's trying to find ways around it still."

"Have you thought any more about my suggestion?" Lucian asked.

Nex stilled, remembering the advice given to him the first day he arrived. The easy way out of this is to let me kill her. Then you have no purpose to serve and you'll be sent back. Nex did consider it at first. Then he looked into her past and couldn't find a single thing wrong with her. He hoped spending time with her would ease his conscience but the more time he was around her, the more he discovered she was just genuinely, annoyingly good.

"No. I won't do that. There has to be another way," he said, turning to Lucian. "Have you talked to anyone else?"

"Everyone says the same thing," Lucian shrugged. "The only way out is through death. Hers, her choice's, or yours. But you know killing you would only mean you'll have to start from the ground up again. Lillith likes you but not enough to just give you your rankings back after something like this. She'd consider your unwillingness to kill the girl a weakness."

"Keep asking around," Nex sighed. "Someone has had to succeed another way. There's always another way. In the meantime, I'll just... I'll just keep trying to get her to agree."

"Very well," Lucian shrugged. "You know where to find me."

Lucian disappeared as quickly as he came and Nex went back to work. It wasn't until he was putting the finishing touches on the dinner he smelled Kat again. Except she wasn't alone. He turned to the door just as she walked in.

Gone was the sweet girl he'd grown used to. In place was a pissed off woman who wasn't taking any shit from him anymore. She stood in the doorway with crossed arms.

"If I were you, I'd do that disappearing thing you do," she said, walking inside much more calmly than he expected.

"What are you talkin-"

He stopped as he felt it. He groaned, clenching his fists as the man stepped in the house.

"You brought in an exorcist?" He hissed.

She shrugged, maintaining eye contact unapologetically. "I tried to play nice," she said, raising an eyebrow and maintaining eye contact for only a moment before she addressed the man. "Shall we get started?"