The Soul Healer Read Online Free PDF

blinked. “Doing what?”
    “This!” I gestured toward him, all of him. “This morphing into a seriously scary person when you think I’m in danger, Rafe.”
    He flushed. “I don’t—”
    “Yes, you do.”
    “I’m trying to protect you!” Rafe said again.
    “Did you ever think that maybe I don’t need you to protect me?” I shot back, while a little voice inside my head wondered what I was doing. Why was I arguing with him?
    Because he attacked Evan.
    Rafe frowned at that. “Really? Then how come you keep landing yourself in situations where I need to save you?”
    I felt a hot stab of irritation. Save me? Excuse me, but I was not a damsel in distress, all right? “My life was pretty demon-free before I met you, Rafe. So don’t you dare blame me for landing myself in these so-called situations. If anything, they’re your fault, all right? I don’t know if you get off on this hero thing, but I don’t need it. I can take care of myself.”
    Yeah, I sorta hated myself the moment those words flew out of my mouth, but I was so angry I didn’t even realize what I was saying until it was too late. Rafe paled and took a step back. Away from me. Already, I felt the distance as an ache in my chest.
    “Fine,” he said. “I get it.”
    “Rafe—”
    “No, I get it.” He turned around to retrieve his sword, doing the spell to make it vanish with another bright flash of light. We stared at one another, the five feet between us more like five miles. The fierce, murderous rage on Rafe’s face had been replaced by a hurt, dejected look. He kicked at the snow with his boot. “You’re fine without me.”
    “That’s not what I meant—”
    “Let’s just go, Gabi.” He nodded toward his car. “You need to get home and I have to clean up this mess.”
    “Let me help you,” I pleaded, seriously scared now. What had I done? What had I said?
    Dammit, I knew I was going to screw this good thing up.
    “I don’t need your help,” Rafe said in a tone of voice that matched the frigid air. “I can take care of myself too, you know.” He walked away without another word.
    “Rafe,” I said quietly.
    “Oh boy, did you two just get into a fight?” Evan asked as he slowly got to his feet. “Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong?”
    “No,” I said, watching Rafe’s retreating form. “No, Evan, I did.”
     
    ***
     
    So the car ride home was pure torture. Rafe had really been set on driving the two of us home before coming back and picking up the demon’s body, but Evan somehow convinced him to deal with it now. I have no idea how he even managed to do that since Rafe was refusing to speak or even look at Evan. I sat in the car (since Rafe didn’t need my help), wondering why I was such an idiot.
    I wondered if I should give Rafe the necklace back.
    I wondered if we had broken up.
    I was surprised when Rafe dropped Evan off at their apartment first. The blonde gave me a half-hearted smile and a pat on the shoulder before stumbling out of the car, his injured hand clutched to his chest. I hoped they had some of that magic al stuff that helped heal cuts, because I could not see Rafe driving Evan to the hospital right now.
    Running him over with his car, yes…
    But I wasn’t mad at Evan. I really wasn’t. Crashing our date while drunk was bad, but asking me to heal him was not worth the death penalty, no matter what Rafe thought. And while I knew I had gone too far when we argued, I was still angry at Rafe for acting the way he had. He needed to control his temper, or else—
    Or else what, Gabi? You want to end things with the best thing that’s ever happened to you?
    When we pulled in front of my house, I quickly turned to him. “Look, Rafe—”
    “No, Gabi, not tonight.”
    “But—”
    He stared straight ahead, watching the wipers go back and forth as they brushed the snow aside in giant icy chunks. The storm had picked up sometime during our ba ttle with Buggy, and I wondered if it would