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The doors open to a scene I should have been expecting. Hermes and Minos are lounging on the couch recounting their night out. The sun is well over the horizon now, shining through the walls of glass.
Minos gives a gruff laugh. “Look who’s making the walk of shame.”
“How was it? Everything you dreamed? I need details. She was quite a magnificent specimen. I wish you would have shared,” Hermes muses
Their words are grating, but I ignore them. They think Josie would stoop to their level. I picture them running their hands over her while dancing. The way she touched their knees when she laughed. Their hungry eyes taking in every inch of her. Anger and jealousy ripple through me.
Minos sits up straight. “What is it?”
“It’s that girl. Duh.” Hermes smacks him in the back of his head. “Isn’t it?”
I sink into the armchair, sulking. “It is. She’s different.”
“She wouldn’t fuck you, would she?” Minos gives me a shit eating grin.
“I’ve almost killed you several times tonight, Minos. It would be best for you to watch your tongue,” I growl. He rubs his neck where I choked him earlier.
“When do you see her again?” Hermes asks gently. Sometimes I forget he is the most emotional one out of all of us.
“I don’t know.”
“You two seemed pretty cozy,” he comments.
“Remember the girl from that pub a few years ago?”
“The one you forced us to go looking for her in that dirty Rem place over and over again? Yeah, I remember,” Hermes snorts.
Minos frowns. “I don’t remember this.”
“The one who ran off,” Hermes reminds him.
“Ah, yes. That one. What about her?”
“That was her,” I admit.
Hermes’ mouth drops open, and Minos’ eyes widen. “No fucking way,” they say in tandem.
“Fucking way.”
Hermes eats a cherry from a bowl. “Is she as great as you remember?”
“No.”
She’s better. I tone it down and try to reason in my head. Josie is just another woman. I’m so desperate to like her because I’ve built her up in my head. Once I have her, this will wear off and I can go back to how things were.
They don’t ask any more questions. Instead, they discuss the twins Minos managed to lure into bed. Hermes bitches about David. Per usual, they had an argument. In the middle of their gossip, I get up and take leave to my room.
Fate is a dreadful mistress, Hades had said. He meant my obsession. The kind that he had for Persephone, no doubt. I would say I don’t want it, but something about it feels good. Josie won’t get away from me this time. She can pretend that she doesn’t want me, that’s fine, but it won’t stop me.
Magnificent creature that she is, she has wants and needs, too. If I must fulfill them and play the long game just to prove a point, I will. When our mouths meet there is energy, and she doesn’t deny me. In fact, she gives it back tenfold. It’s overwhelming and it feeds into me, making me feel powerful. It’s the only time, so far, that I’ve seen her give into something, and I am going to exploit it when I find her. Then I can prove I’m not obsessed, and I can move on. Then this infatuation can end.
Chapter eight
Josephine
Vivian is chattering about what happened after I left. I love listening to her talk. She’s got a beautiful voice full of kindness. It’s one of the reasons she makes such a great healer. Being in her presence makes the sun shine. Without her in my life every day I guess I’ve grown a little senile.
As we sit on the patio of the bistro near her work, the sun warms us. Bella wears sunglasses, but she’s face down in her arms on the table, very hungover. I pour her another mimosa and smack my hand on the surface to get her attention.
