Captured

by Lauren Biel

We were heading for the deep end without a life preserver. No one was there to save us, and we were too caught up in each other to save ourselves.

“Maybe it’s not burning you, Alex, but I’m on fire.” He rested his chin on my chest. “I can’t give you heaven, but I can make hell feel good sometimes.”

“That sounds like a devil’s bargain.”

He was a demon fighting the hold of the devil, steering his flames in other directions. He couldn’t save me. No matter how hard he tried, the devil still found ways to set me alight.

“You’re shaking up everything I’ve ever known. Tearing apart decades of conditioning. It’s fucking terrifying. Feeling things is worse than feeling nothing at all.”

the devil’s disappointment doesn’t mean nearly as much as an angel’s pride.”