Envy ran a red lipstick over her full and expressive lips. Once again, she changed her haircut, deciding to go with short, dark hair this time. She loved experimenting with her looks and this one perfectly highlighted her dark and sexy makeup. She felt powerful because that's how she was. Living freely among humans made her realize how fragile their life was, and how dumb some of them was. But it was still fun, although she couldn't name herself a good girl. Fortunately, other demons didn't know what she was up to. Her definition of fun was not always safe.

"Envy." She pouted her lips, taking one last look in the mirror. "You wanted to see me, so I'm here."

"Cool, thanks for coming." She blinked a few times, getting sure that she was looking perfectly. Only then she turned around to take a glance at Lust. "Nice jacket," she commented, seeing that he stayed loyal to dressing all in black.

"That's your new apartment?" he asked, gazing around. It was spacious, but a bit messy. Besides, she surely wasn't living here alone since there were male clothes on the floor and on the sofa.

"Oh no, I'm not that rich yet," she laughed, because for them it was easy to make a fortune out of nowhere. "That's my new boyfriend's apartment."

Lust tried to remain serious, but he couldn't stop smirking.

"You have a boyfriend?" he asked, almost like it was a joke.

She frowned, staring at him with fire in her eyes.

"What? Is that such an impossible thing?" 

She must've said, it went quickly. They were going out only for two weeks, but he already asked her to move in. She was glad to do so, besides, she was here every night anyway. The guy was completely in love with her.

"But is it a boyfriend or a toy?"

She sent him another warning look, although she couldn't blame him for that question. She would ask the same if he had a girlfriend. But he didn't have one and it was nearly impossible for now. He still loved Hailie.

"I don't know." He was cute, but honestly, she was scared that it would come to an end one day and she'll be left with a broken heart. It was hard to be all in because the blow hurts much more if it ends. Envy came here to have some fun. She surely didn't expect to meet anyone.

"Care to tell me more about him?" Lust came to an armchair. He threw off the clothes to the ground and sat.

"Yes, I do. In fact, it's related to you. You see, he's a cop."

Lust groaned, "Please, not another one. One Officer I-Have-A-Gun is enough."

Envy licked her lips.

"I see you don't like cops. Well, I don't mind them. He's a sweetheart and he has an important position at his work. He would do anything for me, and I kind of asked him a favor."

Lust narrowed his eyes. Somehow, it didn't sound too good.

"What kind of favor?"

Envy smiled. She was a genius, and she had her ways, but she wouldn't do it if not for Wrath and Pride.

"I asked him to offer a job to my friend from the police. Who wouldn't like to come to New York? I just found out that he took the job. Maybe I'll meet him soon," she laughed smoothly, but thought that better they won't come across each other. Shane would've known right away that it wasn't a coincidence. Right now, he knew too little to suspect anyone. Just a lucky opportunity.

"A friend. A cop. Who?" he asked, but that wasn't hard to guess.

"Dear, aren't you happy for Shane's career development?" Envy smiled mischievously.

He closed his eyes like it was too much for him to take. He tried to keep his emotions at bay, but it was hard. Why couldn't Envy mind her own business?

"Why the fuck did you do that?"

There was no beginning with how wrong Envy's request turned out. If Shane was going to New York, who would stay with Hailie? She was all alone. Everybody left her, except for Pride. And now he felt bad because he was one of these who just walked away.

"Why do you care? You're not part of her life anymore."

He stood up and came to Envy, pointing his finger at her.

"You were not supposed to interfere with her life. Why couldn't you just leave it alone?"

She raised her eyebrow.

"To be honest, I believe Shane deserves this, especially after everything he went through because of you and Wrath. I didn't make him take that job. That was his choice."

Lust shook his head.

"I can't believe he-"

"Left Hailie? You did the same," Envy scoffed. "Stop pretending like you care. You never liked Shane. In every other scenario you'd be happy that he's finally out of the picture. Deep down I'm sure that you're glad he won't end up with Hailie. The only reason why you're angry with me right now is that you feel guilty. Leaving her feels better, when you think that she's in love with someone else, that she'll have the best life, that it's the best choice for her. Screw you, Lust. You have no right to dictate how her life should be and what's the best scenario for her. And if you're curious, Shane did want to stay. It was Hailie who told him to go."

"She did?" He frowned, trying to understand why she would push him away.

"Wake up, you idiot!" She walked up to the armchair and put the clothes from the ground back on their place. "Both of you love Hailie. The only difference is that Shane was ready to sacrifice everything, his own future, just for her. You chose to leave because it was an easier thing to do. You didn't even try. Well, you got your answer anyway. In the end, she has chosen you. What a shame you didn't do the same."

Lust clenched his fist.

"She wouldn't be safe with me," he said roughly, although he was mad at himself.

Envy came to the couch to collect and arrange the remaining garments. There was such a mess in this apartment. She wasn't in for cleaning, but she wanted to keep her hands busy.

"Dumbass," Envy murmured under her breath. "She won't be any safer without you. We have many enemies and enemies know our secrets. You think that the king of the Human's Kingdom isn't aware that you love Hailie? That Lucifer doesn't know that? You left, but you still care. That's enough. Hailie's life can never be safe."

"Because of the house?" he spit those words, like he wanted to raze this building to the ground.

"She spent too much time with us. We took her to the bloody Casino Hell and everybody there saw what a human means for the seven deadly sins demons. For now, there's no danger. But one day might be. Besides, trust me, there's never a safe place. Hailie can die in a car accident, in a shooting, in so many different, but human ways. She's not immortal, Lust. And that's the reason why you left her. You're afraid of losing her, so you chose to leave, before that happened. You're selfish, even if you want to believe otherwise."

Lust turned away his head, so he didn't have to look at Envy. He hated that she was right so many times. With Missy and now with Hailie. She knew things and somehow, she understood him. That was part of the reason why they hooked up once.

"She won't stay with me," he said, because that seemed like the only option. "In five, ten years, it'll be over anyway."

Looking at him, Envy suddenly felt compassion. She came closer, thinking that maybe she should give love a chance too.

"There's always an answer for those, who're looking."

Maybe. And maybe not.

"What if there's not any?" What if he hurts both Hailie and himself more in the future?

"Do you think it's not worth it anyway? Ten years is a lot of time. Maybe it'll end, but some people don't even have a year. That doesn't change anything. Because for those who love, even one year is worth it."

She was right, but at the same time he had no idea where she took all this wisdom from. He believed she wasn't even once in love.

"Do you think she'll even want me after I left?"

Taking a chance. Should he take it? Or should he let her live her life? He loved her and he would do anything for her to be happy. Maybe coming back wasn't a good idea since he left? She had Pride, who would be there for her no matter what. And he already hurt her so many times on so many occasions. It seemed like every choice he was making, resulted in more heartbreak than he intended.

"You still can't see it." Envy shook her head, thinking he might be a hopeless case. "She loves you."

"I'm a demon," he said, like it meant that he can't be loved by a human. Or by anybody, in that case. "With a dark past."

They all had a past. Envy was sure that if her new boyfriend found out the truth about her, he would leave. Or shoot at her. Or maybe she would be surprised. Who knows, she wasn't going to find out that anytime soon. And she wasn't going to give up on her past, no. She came here to have some fun. To find those, who are as evil as she is, and to drag them down to Hell. Maybe one day she'll find somebody who wouldn't mind the real her. Lust already found. Hailie knew everything, but she still loved him. She believed that he could change. And he really did.

"While you're trying to make your choice about Hailie, I might have an idea where you should go next and figure it out along the way." Envy pouted her lips, thinking how to tell him that in the best possible way. He will be furious.

"Where?" He narrowed his eyes, like he knew that there was something bad in the air. He saw it in Envy's eyes.

"Obviously I won't go there since I have other plans for today. It's New Year's Eve today and I'm going to a cop party with my boyfriend." She was wondering how many sinners there would be. Surely, she'll have some fun tonight.

"Where?" Lust repeated, staring at Envy, while she came to the table and took an invitation. It was written in blood by a fountain pen, on an original stationery made of hellish ingredients.

"It came to the Bloody Mansion's address along with Greed's letter, in which she hints that it'd mean a lot if one of us showed up."

Lust took the invitation from Envy's hands. Hell had its own party for New Year's Eve, except it was nothing like human's festivity since there was nothing like the end of the year in Hell.

"Lucifer invited us?"

Second time, since it was a second party that Greed wrote them about.

"Yes, he did. Seems like we're still welcomed in Hell." Not that any of them wanted to come back.

"Why the fuck do you think I would like to go?"

Envy laughed nervously, "Oh no, I don't think so. Pride is going. And since now Pride and Hailie are inseparable, you can add the end of the sentence."

Lust's eyes darkened. No, it was not happening. It must've been a bad dream or an awful joke. But Envy didn't look like making fun out of him.

"No." He couldn't believe it. Would Pride really take Hailie to Hell for a party? Are they both insane?

It couldn't be true.

"Well, the party started about an hour ago, but I'm sure you'll still make it in time." On Earth there was late afternoon, but time floated differently in Hell. And every hour was always fine for the party. "Fashionably late is always good to go with."

"Fuck," Lust commented, but he didn't waste any more time. With a snap of his fingers, he changed his regular clothes for an elegant suit. And one moment later, he already disappeared in flames.

"Have fun, because I surely will have one," she said into an empty space and checked the time. Elliot won't be back soon, so she could go and torment some people on the streets. She already faced so much jealousy around New York. That city was a perfect place for her.

And she was not going to have any regrets.