Chapter 58

58

Dawn was breaking by the time Hermes dropped Persephone off at Athena’s apartment. She wasn’t tired anymore, but wired and on edge. On one hand, her head was spinning with thoughts of the party’s success, her new business, and finally moving into her own apartment. On the other, the future held some hard conversations with her husband. Anxiety and elation flooded her with adrenaline.

Pushing into Athena’s apartment, Persephone walked into a gale of laughter. Athena, black hair hanging wet around her face, sat on the kitchen counter. Aphrodite was squeezed beside her in the tiny space, holding up the long black tamper for her serious commercial-grade blender. Despite being at the party only a few hours ago, the two women looked energetic and well-rested, both wearing comfy, casual clothes. Persephone tried not to resent them.

“Hey guys.” Persephone let her purse and bag fall to the oak floor, and started to pull off her boots. “What are you doing?”

“Making breakfast,” Aphrodite said in her light yet sultry voice. Persephone and Athena sat around once discussing their sexy roommate, wondering if her voice was really that high or if she was putting it on. After six weeks, they figured it really was her voice.

“She says it’s chocolate pudding,” Athena said, “but don’t believe her. She’s a lying liar who lies.”

Aphrodite stuck the black tamper back into the blender’s top and turned on the noisy thing.

“Geez, Aphrodite, you might want to wait until people are awake,” Athena shouted over the noise.

Aphrodite stopped the blender. “What time is it?”

“It’s like six a.m. Did you guys just wake up?” Persephone dropped her bag. For two months, she and Aphrodite had been staying with Athena in the programmer’s miniscule loft. After all the trouble with her former boss, Ajax, Aphrodite was laying low, working her escort business, and going to movie auditions. The apartment was a tight fit for three people, but they made it work.

“I just woke up. Somebody forgot their keys again.” Athena rolled her eyes at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite shrugged and smiled a million dollar smile. “I put them somewhere safe; I just don’t remember where.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute and can get away with this crap. Did you check one of your client’s bedrooms?” Athena snarked. “Or Max Mars’s place? I saw how he singled you out tonight.”

Aphrodite shook her head, winking at Persephone. Last week Aphrodite had cut her hair and now she had big silky brown curls around her face. With her flawless caramel skin and hourglass figure, she looked as glamorous in jeans and a t-shirt as she did in a ball gown.

In the aftermath of their ordeal, the three of them had bonded. Aphrodite and Persephone needed somewhere safe to lay low, and Athena had offered the apartment for as long as they needed it. Aphrodite took over the cooking, Persephone cleaned, and Athena bitched constantly even though it was apparent she enjoyed having her friends around.

Because of the long hours they all worked, they could go days without seeing each other for more than a few minutes, which probably made the arrangement work so well.

Persephone had never made close friends so easily, but she needed them. And she got the feeling they felt the same way. It had been the first time in her life Persephone had been truly on her own and free, and the two of them had kept it from being terrifying or lonely.

“What are you making?” Persephone moved past the large couch and leather chair into the kitchen, which took all of ten steps. A tiny bathroom and bedroom the size of a closet were to the left of the living room and entrance. Athena had moved her computer lab to her office, otherwise there would have been no room to move.

“Chocolate pudding.”

“It isn’t chocolate pudding, it’s sacrilege,” Athena muttered.

“It’s raw vegan chocolate pudding,” Aphrodite explained. “Raw coconut butter, stevia, raw cocoa powder and an avocado. Sugar free, dairy free, gluten free?—”

“Flavor free,” Athena put in.

Aphrodite stuck her tongue out at her black-haired housemate.

“Interesting,” Persephone offered neutrally.

Aphrodite offered the spatula. “Taste. It’s good.”

Persephone did as ordered, and to her surprise it wasn’t bad. “Chocolatey,” she said.

“Ha!” Aphrodite looked triumphantly in Athena’s direction.

“Don’t let the devil woman fool you,” Athena said, then slid off the counter. “Alright, kids, I got to get to the office and see if Pig is still working.” Pig was another tech genius who co-founded Aurum with Athena and no, Persephone had no idea how he’d gotten the name. “We’ve been pulling these crazy all-nighters lately. Last time I left him alone he fell asleep on his laptop keyboard and his drool short-circuited the network.”

“Want to get coffee first?” Aphrodite was licking chocolate off her fingers.

“Didn’t you just get home?” Athena asked.

“I went to bed right after I left the party.”

“But did you sleep?” Athena narrowed her eyes.

“A little,” Aphrodite mouth curved into a private smile.

“Ooh, was it good? Was his dick really big?”

“Like the Empire state building,” Aphrodite mock whispered. “Unfortunately he has an ego to match.”

“Wait, is this Max Mars you’re talking about?” Athena leaned in.

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Oh, yes, a lady does. Coffee and gossip, now.” Athena jumped off the counter top and ran to put on her boots.

“Let me change.” Aphrodite finished putting the last of her concoction away and headed for the bedroom.

“You coming?” Athena asked Persephone.

Persephone shrugged. Watching her roommates banter had given her a little burst of energy. “Might as well. I’m not tired right now.”

Athena frowned. “Still not sleeping?”

“I’m going to the spa in a few hours,” Aphrodite said as she stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a little black dress that fit her curves like a dream. “I’ll sleep there. You could come with me, if you want. Get a massage. That might relax you enough to get some shut-eye.”

Anything sounded better than lying in bed for endless hours replaying every second of her encounter with Hades. Persephone nodded.

At the coffee shop, Athena pestered Aphrodite for details of her love life while they all waited in line. Letting her friends bicker, Persephone looked over the stacks of mugs and bags of coffee beans for sale, and unwittingly, her mind wandered back to last night.

Hades had looked so good. In their time apart, she’d tried to tell herself that she’d exaggerated his effect on her. She told herself they weren’t meant for each other. That her body didn’t light up with recognition of its perfect mate every time he was near.

You’re a lying liar who lies.

“Hello, Earth to Persephone.” Athena waved a hand in her face and Persephone jerked her head up. It was her turn to give her order. Once she gave it, Athena pushed her gently toward Aphrodite.

“Go grab the couch,” Athena ordered. “Persephone looks dead on her feet.”

“Come on, honey.” Aphrodite took her hand and led her to the back of the coffee shop. Every man’s head in the shop turned to watch them go.

They all settled onto the couch and Aphrodite looked Persephone directly in the eye. “Talk to me. Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Insomnia, I guess.” Persephone sagged back onto the couch cushions. “I don’t know, I lay awake for hours. And when I do sleep…” She trailed off, shivering at the thought of her last few nightmares—the impression of darkness and blood, always so much blood, and the horrible feeling of responsibility and guilt that lingered long after she woke up.

“Nightmares?”

Persephone swallowed. “The worst.”

“I’ve been having them, too.” Aphrodite reached out and took her hand.

Persephone stared. “You have?”

“Oh yes. The one where there’s something awful chasing you and you’re scared but can’t get away. I’ve had it a few times since Ajax took me.” She leaned forward and squeezed Persephone’s hand, her lovely face serious. “Because the scary thing really did happen, and my mind needs to process it. So I get the dreams.”

“What do you do about them?”

“Let them come. Allow yourself to feel scared and to process what happened. The dreams help us sweat it out. If that’s what my mind and body need, I’m okay with that.” She shrugged. “Anyway, the most important thing is it’s over now. He can’t get to us anymore. No one’s seen him since.”

Persephone tried not to flinch. No one had seen him because he was dead. She remembered the nightmare scene on the dark lawn of the Estate all too well. Her husband raising his arm and bashing Ajax’s head in, over and over and over again.

Her memory wasn’t a dream. That was real.

I’m not the monster, Hades had said.

Your husband is a good man, Hermes told her.

“You’re going to be ok, chica.” Aphrodite’s smile was warm.

“One tea, one latte, and my five-shot espresso.” Athena set the drinks down and plopped down between her two friends. “Scoot over, you guys. So, Persephone how’d the rest of the party go?”

Persephone sat back and tried to smile. Her memories were her burden alone. “Fine. I mean, I got no complaints.” Persephone uncovered her tea to let it cool.

Athena eyed her over the latte. “Did you tell that husband of yours to fuck off?”

“Athena!” Persephone gasped.

Aphrodite leaned in. “Wait, Hades was there?”

“Hermes invited him and didn’t tell Persephone. Get this: Ubeli walks in all gangster and he practically threw her over his shoulder and carried her upstairs. Totally hot.”

“Oh my gods,” Aphrodite said.

“It didn’t go that way,” Persephone broke in.

“You telling me after two months he didn’t get you alone and give you the business? He made his thugs wait at the bottom of the stairs and everything. And when he came back he looked smug…”

“Athena.” Persephone had her hand over her face.

“Looked to me like Mr. Big Mob Boss Man got some. Just sayin’.’”

“Okay, first of all,” Persephone started, so loud half the café would be able to hear her. She lowered her voice. “You can’t talk about Hades like that.”

“What’s he going to do? Waste me?” Athena gave a sassy little head shake. Obviously she saw the whole thing as a big joke. “If he wanted to do that, he could’ve done it the first week when he nearly gave me a heart attack standing right outside the apartment when I opened the door.”

“What?” Persephone all but shrieked. The entire coffee shop turned to look their way but Persephone didn’t care. Athena glared at them until they looked away again.

“Yeah, bitch. Like, the second day you were there laying low.”

“He came to the apartment?” Persephone asked.

“Yeah, he’s the one who dropped off your clothes. I told him you were out and didn’t want to see him anyway. He actually smiled and said that you were lucky to have such loyal friends. He gave me his information in case something happened and I needed to contact him.”

Persephone’s mouth hung open but she couldn’t speak. She could feel anger creeping up her neck, flushing her skin red. She’d say he couldn’t help himself but that was no excuse.

“Why didn’t you tell her?” Aphrodite asked for her.

“Shit, girl, you said you needed to deal, I let you deal. You didn’t want to talk about him so I never brought it up.” Athena shrugged and looked at Aphrodite, who’d raised a brow. “What?”

“Nothing. I can’t believe you kept a secret for that long, that’s all. I didn’t know that was possible for you.”

“Just because I want to know everything doesn’t mean I can’t shut up.” Athena went back to sipping her espresso.

“Breathe, Persephone.” Aphrodite reached behind Athena to touch Persephone’s shoulder. “It’s going to be alright.”

“No, it’s not. I’m going to kill him. He said he gave me space. He lied to me.”

“About time you wanted to do something about Ubeli,” said Athena. “Hermes and I are ready to lock you in a room with him, and see who comes out alive. Or pregnant.”

Persephone smacked Athena’s arm hard enough for her drink to slosh a bit. “That’s it, I’m not speaking to either of you anymore.”

“Oooh, silent treatment. So mean,” Athena said as she got up and moved to the other side of Aphrodite, away from Persephone. “That’s going to be difficult, seeing as we’re helping you move in a few days.”

“You got the apartment?” Aphrodite chirped, obviously trying to change the subject.

“She did. She’s leaving us,” Athena answered for Persephone. “And her business is taking off. My little bird is leaving the nest!”

“Oh hush, Athena,” Persephone said.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me.”

“I tried. I can’t be mean for long.”

Athena looked knowingly at Aphrodite. “Fifty bucks says next time she and Hades meet, she winds up pregnant.”

Aphrodite pursed her red lips and ignored their blunt friend. She turned to Persephone. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too.” Persephone hugged her.

“All right, bitches, enough of this mushy stuff or you’re gonna ruin my makeup.” Aphrodite swiped at her eyes and smiled a dazzling smile. “Who’s ready for the spa?”