She inhaled a deep breath and sighed with sadness, like those words pierced her right in the heart. “I’m so sorry, Damien. I wish Hades would let go of the past. I think it’s just hard for him because I’m involved.”
“Yeah. I get it.”
“I can tell it bothers him too. We’re happy together, but there’s a piece of him that’s missing. I think you’re that piece.”
“You must be mistaken…because he loathes me.”
“They say hate is another form of love. If you really don’t care about someone, you don’t think about them. You’re indifferent to them. You feel no emotion whatsoever, like anger or bitterness. But hatred is fueled by emotion, a stimulus that continues to linger under the skin. Hades is so aggressive with you because he cares—he still cares.”
That shouldn’t make me feel better, but it did…just a bit.
My hand was resting on the table, so she leaned forward and placed her hand on mine. “No matter what, you still have me. You’ll always have me.”
“Why?” My fingers wrapped around hers. “After what I did to you…”
“You didn’t do anything to me, Damien. You’re a good man. I’m not just saying that to make you feel better.”
“Hades doesn’t agree.”
“Because he can’t think straight when it comes to me, and instead of facing the truth, he chooses to blame you because it’s easier. Easier than blaming the dead person who can’t be punished because he’s gone.”
Even if Hades knew that, I doubt it would change anything.
“I really believe he’ll come around…someday. He’s just not there.”
I could be dead by then. “How’s the baby?” I pulled my hand away.
“Which one?”
“The one in there.” I nodded to her stomach.
“He’s a lot like Andrew—kicking all the time and being very disruptive.”
“You mean just like Hades.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, that must be where they get it from.”
I knew Hades when he was a womanizer, hitting up whorehouses every day after work. Now, he was a devoted husband and father. It was hard to believe he was different in the past because he fit this new role so well.
“He told me the truth…about everything.”
I stared at her in confusion.
“About the prophecy…about the woman in Marrakech…that he’s cursed to love me forever…and that we’re soul mates.”
I stared at her in silence because I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure if Hades would ever tell her the truth because it was impossible to believe. “You believe him.”
She nodded. “Of course I do.”
I could hear the sincerity in her voice. “I thought he was crazy at first…until the predictions turned into reality. I wasn’t sure if he would ever tell you.”
“He said he wanted me to know before he asked me to marry him again.”
I was invited to the first wedding—but not the second.
“He took me to Marrakech to visit the woman.”
My eyebrow raised. “What?”
She chuckled as she nodded. “I wanted to see it for myself…and ask her to read my fortune.”
“Seriously? What did she say?” Anything that came out of her mouth was a curse.
“That we would live happily ever after. And when we’re old and gray, Hades will die before me. I’ll pass away two days later, dying of a broken heart.” She continued to smile. “If that’s true, I’m very happy.”
“I’m sure it is true.”
Her phone started to ring beside her, and she eyed it. “Oh no…it’s him.” She silenced the call.
“Don’t ignore it because of me. That will just piss him off more.”
“You’re right.” She picked up before it went to voice mail. “Hey.”
His tone was so different from how it was at work that I hardly recognized him. “How’s my baby?”
“Which one?”
“You,” he said with a chuckle. “But let me know how he’s doing, too.”
“I’m great,” she said as she looked at me. “And he’s kicking a lot since I’m eating.”
“I was going to ask you to have lunch. Are you in your office?”
“I’m around the corner at the Italian place I like.”
“With whom?” he asked, his voice immediately turning suspicious.
I wanted her to lie because he would be ticked if he knew I was there.
“With Damien,” she said, refusing to lie to her husband.
After a long pause, he responded. “Why?”
“He apologized and offered to take me to lunch.”
Hades was quiet, clearly pissed. It didn’t help that he wanted to see his wife and I was hogging her.
“Join us,” she said. “We haven’t gotten our food yet.”
“I’ll pass,” he said coldly. “I’ll see you at home.”
She sighed in disappointment. “Alright.”
“Love you,” he said quickly, wanting to get off the phone.
“Love you too.” She barely finished the sentence before he hung up.
She set the phone down and sighed. “Grouch.”
“Still have hope?” I asked sarcastically.
“I’ll always have hope, Damien.” She moved her bread plate to the side when the food arrived.
The entrees were placed in front of us, a lasagna for Sofia and a Caesar salad for me.