Emma blinked and slowly placed her arm over her eyes to shield them from the light. She yawned.
'Hey,' I mumbled. Pretending nothing had happened until I knew what she'd heard would probably be the best course of action. I dug my fingernails into my palms so she wouldn't see my hands shake from the anger I felt for Aphrodite.
She waited a few seconds, rubbing her eyes, before rolling on her side to face me. 'Morning.' She said it nicely, but there was no smile. She still looked a little disoriented from waking up, anyway, and her eyes were red and raw from the crying.
I looked out the window from where I sat – the sunlight was streaming in from up high. The sidewalks were bustling. 'It's not the morning anymore. You slept for ages. If I didn't know any better I'd have thought you weren't waking up.'
She sat up and yawned again, this time covering her mouth with her right hand. Briefly, she pressed her eyes shut, then looked at me. 'Was someone in here? I think I heard you talking…'
I considered lying, saying that must've been a dream. Or telling her that it was just her mom checking in. But what good would that do? I might as well just tell her the truth. 'That was Apollo. With some, uh, medical advice.' It wasn't untrue. It was just not all we'd talked about.
She reacted more strongly than I expected. 'You let that fucking asshole into my bedroom?!' she said – almost shouted – although it didn't sound very impressive due to her still-hoarse and tired voice. She glowered. Under my breath, I whispered a warning – in Greek – for Apollo not to come and punish her for this "grave provocation" as he would call it.
'It's not – he didn't come here for you. He came to talk to me,' I then said. 'He said your… situation isn't as bad as I thought.' I tried to keep my sentences short so none of my anger would seep into what I said.
'My situation? That's what you're calling this whole thing? Real sensitive.' She turned her head away from me, her chin raised. 'Can you leave? I'm feeling much better, don't need you here to look after me or whatever.'
I frowned but soon nodded. 'Sure. I'll be in the living room.'
She was still glaring, but not directly at me anymore – she clearly refused to look me in the eye. 'I mean actually leave. Physically. Out of this house.'
For a few seconds I didn't move. Emma moved her head slightly to see whether I was getting up. In the end I did. 'Fine. But don't expect me to come running back to your bedside next time you need a shoulder to cry on.' I didn't even mean that last part – I knew I would come back sooner rather than later. But apparently Apollo was right about Emma still hating my guts and I couldn't just roll over and let her talk to me like that.
In the living room, Olivia was just putting three plates of food on the table. She looked up and watched me almost slam Emma's bedroom door shut but contain myself in the last second. 'I wasn't sure if you were eating with us… and if you'd actually eat this kind of food.' She looked down on the plates. It was a stupid question – she'd seen me eat normal food back in Italy. I just wouldn't eat this, not some shit vegetarian dish, and certainly not in her presence – no. I should wait to let my anger out till I was back in Nassau. Or at least in my temple.
'I'm not. Have Emma stay here and away from any stressors for at least the coming week. My sons won't come here.' Olivia backed away at the tone of my voice, but I didn't hear her response – I had already slammed the front door behind me. The glass broke, but with a flick of my wrist the shards flew right back into the door.
As soon as Ares was gone I fell back onto the sheets. He'd apparently believed the groggy act. I needed to think about what I'd just heard. I wished I'd heard the entire conversation, but the bits I had heard (and that had actually registered in my still-sleepy and chaotic mind) seemed important enough.
If it was true what Ares had said, I'd never been safe with Aphrodite after all. So my instincts had been correct. A goddess hadn't been able to fool me. It was almost funny. I boxed the thought of what she had actually done to me away for now. For some reason, even though I did remember it now, it was so easy not to think about them – their sons – right now. Maybe it would always stay like that. Maybe I never had to relive that memory again if I just kept putting it away.
But that led me to the part of the conversation that I really needed to think about. Judging from the way he'd said it, forfeiting something was a huge deal for Ares. It made sense. With all his pride he probably rarely did give up. But did this mean… that it was over? For some reason the thought tugged at my heartstrings and only added to the chaos in my head. I wasn't sure whom to be angry at. Aphrodite, for what she did to me? Ares, for practically asking her to do it? Deimos and Phobos, obviously – wait. No. Don't think of them don't think of them don't think don't think. Whatever anger I felt for them was completely eclipsed by the fear even thinking of them gave me. I shuddered and pulled the blanket up over my knees.
'Emmy, honey?' Mom said from right behind the door. I didn't answer and thought she'd leave, but she knocked lightly. 'I made some lunch. It's on the table, but I can also bring it in here if you'd like.'
'Mm-hm.' Mom was probably the only person I could bear to talk to right now and I didn't even want to. I just hoped she'd take the hint and leave me alone.
She didn't. She slowly opened the door, holding a plate – looked like she had made my favorite lunch salad – but set it down on the dresser next to the bed when she saw me sitting with my knees pulled up to my chest. 'Are you okay?' She sat down on the sheets and put a hand on my knee.
I shrugged. 'I don't know. I'm not sure. Can we just… not talk about it?'
Mom looked at my face for a few seconds, then nodded and squeezed my knee. 'Okay. I can call Gabrielle, see if she wants to come watch a movie with you? Or Ashley, maybe?'
I shook my head. 'Don't wanna tell them why I'm here. I'll just text Gab I'm here… Did he bring my phone?' We both looked around but didn't see it. Of course not. Why would he remember my phone?
Mom put her hand back on my knee. 'Use my computer. You just eat your lunch and relax. I'm here when you want to talk or need a hug, okay, sweetie?' She got up to leave but I pulled her into a quiet hug. She held me until I let go and nodded.
I ate my lunch, stared at the wall for way too long, then opened up Facebook on Mom's laptop to send Gabrielle a quick message. I had one new message from some guy named Nicholas… huh.
I called you but I think your roommate picked up. Heard from dad what happened. You okay?
I squinted at the little picture next to the message. Oh! That was Eros' mortal disguise. The green bubble next to his name indicated he was still online. I quickly typed a reply.
I'm ok. He didn't send you to check on me, did he?
It would be such an Ares thing to have a family member, if not himself, on me at all times. I didn't need a bodyguard – not even if it was sweet funny Eros. He'd already shot a message back.
No, we didn't really talk. I caught him on the way to a punching bag. Barely got any details.
I wondered how much Eros knew. Was he aware that his mother was involved? Wait – what if he'd been in on the plan from the beginning? It hadn't seemed like it when I saw him in class, but then he could be an amazing for all I knew. Before I could reply, a new message had already popped up.
Glad he chose a punching bag and not my mom or my brothers. Although those two could use a beating right now :) Do you want me to come over? I could cheer you up with my stories. The funniest thing happened with one of my arrows this morning.
Just talking to him like this already cheered me up. I smiled. I just didn't want to see him or any gods for that matter – I wasn't in the mood for them. I just didn't have the energy.
Maybe later, ok? Thanks though :)
Once I'd hit enter on my last message, I closed the laptop and dropped my head on my pillow. If only I could sleep again. I'd had such weirdly good dreams last night. Hopefully this night would be just as peaceful.
