a chance. He tilts his head to the side, his eyes squinted on me like he's deciding. I glare because I know that he's just messing around.
"Come on." He waves his hand and pushes the front door open, letting me in before closing it and locking it behind us. I follow him into his dark living room, where I take a seat on his leather couch. He flicks on the overhead light and turns on a standing light, casting the room in creepy, dark shadows.
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" he asks while he stands before me, his hands shoved into his pockets. I shake my head, so he sits across from me, waiting for me to make the first move.
"Why did you give my mother to Hades?" I jump right to the point.
"To get you back."
"But why'd you have to give her to him?"
"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but Hades wants the Originals. I used Athena as a bargaining chip to get you back. And while it's unfortunate that your mother is down there, she's an Original. She can hold her own, and I have no doubt she's doing fine. But I couldn't imagine leaving you down there. You were just coming into your powers."
"I judged you so fast," I admit, dropping my head into my hands. My body slumps over itself in humiliation. I'm such an idiot.
"I know," he answers. I hear movement but don't have the guts to raise my head. And then I feel him. The couch indents beside me, and his arm snakes its way around my shoulders. "But it's okay. I forgive you."
"Why? You should hate me by now. I know that you're hurt, and I've broken your heart." I scoot across the couch, putting distance between us. My sadness is replaced with fury—anger with myself.
"I don't know how to make this clearer." He looks away from me, almost like he can't stand the sight of me.
"What?"
"I love you." He stands and comes closer to me, never letting up on his pursuit. He stops in front of me and drops to his knees on the carpet. His hands find my thighs, and his warmth instantly fills me. "Whether you hate me or not, I still love you. Because you're you and I know you're going through a lot, so I understand. But I still love you. It won't change, I promise."
"What if you're not my soul mate?" His green eyes widen at my question, but he doesn't miss a beat. I can't look away.
"Then I'm not. It doesn't change the way I feel deep in here," he says, clutching his chest with one of his hands.
"I'm just so scared."
"It's okay to be scared. But you can't let your fears run your life. Be scared; be worried. But when it comes down to it, persevere. You're strong, Eury; act like the woman I know you are."
I lean forward and grab onto the fabric of his black shirt. I bunch it in my hands and tug him forward. I lean onto his chest, my face nestled against his shoulder, as his arms wrap around me like a warm blanket. Ari is comfort. Ari is peace.
"I'm sorry," I murmur into him, my voice captured by his body. I hold onto his waist as he crouches in front of me, never letting go.
"I love you," he whispers.
I clutch him like my life depends on it. When sleep comes for me, I almost let it take me away. But a loud bang resonates through the house. I jump back from Ari, like a teen caught making out by her parents. I look for the source of the bang.
"Thank the gods," Cristos says as he comes down the stairs.
"Hey," Ari says over his shoulder. Ari fixes his shirt that I've crumpled up and stands to greet him, pushing away from me.
"I'm so glad you came by, Ryder. It was getting real annoying having this sad sap around lately. At least now he won't be such a terror."
"You're kidding, right?" I ask Cristos, a smile in my voice.
"Of course, he's kidding." Ari helps me up from the chair, and pointedly glares at Cristos. Cristos chuckles to himself and walks past us to the kitchen. We follow, and when we enter, Cristos is rummaging through the refrigerator, mumbling something about a hearty sandwich in his stomach.
"So, are we going to create an army?" Cristos
"Come on." He waves his hand and pushes the front door open, letting me in before closing it and locking it behind us. I follow him into his dark living room, where I take a seat on his leather couch. He flicks on the overhead light and turns on a standing light, casting the room in creepy, dark shadows.
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" he asks while he stands before me, his hands shoved into his pockets. I shake my head, so he sits across from me, waiting for me to make the first move.
"Why did you give my mother to Hades?" I jump right to the point.
"To get you back."
"But why'd you have to give her to him?"
"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but Hades wants the Originals. I used Athena as a bargaining chip to get you back. And while it's unfortunate that your mother is down there, she's an Original. She can hold her own, and I have no doubt she's doing fine. But I couldn't imagine leaving you down there. You were just coming into your powers."
"I judged you so fast," I admit, dropping my head into my hands. My body slumps over itself in humiliation. I'm such an idiot.
"I know," he answers. I hear movement but don't have the guts to raise my head. And then I feel him. The couch indents beside me, and his arm snakes its way around my shoulders. "But it's okay. I forgive you."
"Why? You should hate me by now. I know that you're hurt, and I've broken your heart." I scoot across the couch, putting distance between us. My sadness is replaced with fury—anger with myself.
"I don't know how to make this clearer." He looks away from me, almost like he can't stand the sight of me.
"What?"
"I love you." He stands and comes closer to me, never letting up on his pursuit. He stops in front of me and drops to his knees on the carpet. His hands find my thighs, and his warmth instantly fills me. "Whether you hate me or not, I still love you. Because you're you and I know you're going through a lot, so I understand. But I still love you. It won't change, I promise."
"What if you're not my soul mate?" His green eyes widen at my question, but he doesn't miss a beat. I can't look away.
"Then I'm not. It doesn't change the way I feel deep in here," he says, clutching his chest with one of his hands.
"I'm just so scared."
"It's okay to be scared. But you can't let your fears run your life. Be scared; be worried. But when it comes down to it, persevere. You're strong, Eury; act like the woman I know you are."
I lean forward and grab onto the fabric of his black shirt. I bunch it in my hands and tug him forward. I lean onto his chest, my face nestled against his shoulder, as his arms wrap around me like a warm blanket. Ari is comfort. Ari is peace.
"I'm sorry," I murmur into him, my voice captured by his body. I hold onto his waist as he crouches in front of me, never letting go.
"I love you," he whispers.
I clutch him like my life depends on it. When sleep comes for me, I almost let it take me away. But a loud bang resonates through the house. I jump back from Ari, like a teen caught making out by her parents. I look for the source of the bang.
"Thank the gods," Cristos says as he comes down the stairs.
"Hey," Ari says over his shoulder. Ari fixes his shirt that I've crumpled up and stands to greet him, pushing away from me.
"I'm so glad you came by, Ryder. It was getting real annoying having this sad sap around lately. At least now he won't be such a terror."
"You're kidding, right?" I ask Cristos, a smile in my voice.
"Of course, he's kidding." Ari helps me up from the chair, and pointedly glares at Cristos. Cristos chuckles to himself and walks past us to the kitchen. We follow, and when we enter, Cristos is rummaging through the refrigerator, mumbling something about a hearty sandwich in his stomach.
"So, are we going to create an army?" Cristos
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