I thought he was still before; he’s practically frozen in place now. “Say it again.”
“Eros, I love you.” The words spill so easily from my tongue. I dig my hands into his golden curls. “I love you.”
He looks almost agonized. “I meant what I said earlier. I don’t deserve it.”
“Love doesn’t much care whether you deserve it or not. It’s not exactly a conditional thing—or at least it shouldn’t be.”
He coasts his hands over my hips. “I, in particular, don’t deserve to be loved by you.” Eros shudders out a breath. “But I don’t give a fuck. You’ve said it. You can’t take it back.”
I find myself smiling even though it feels like my heart is breaking. “Please don’t go. Please give me time to find another way.” To put things in motion that will save him from this.
He covers my hands with his own and lifts them from his hair. Eros kisses one palm and then the other. “I promised to keep you safe. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He releases me and steps back. “Go to the panic room and stay there until I return. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”
I’m losing him. Maybe I lost him the moment Poseidon removed himself from the equation. I don’t know, but I can feel Eros slipping through my fingers even though he’s standing right in front of me. He might think himself a monster in truth, but if that were accurate, he wouldn’t be able to care for me the way he does.
If he harms his mother, he’ll lose what little there is left of his soul.
I can’t let him do that, not for me. “Eros, please.”
He kisses me gently. It feels like goodbye. “The safe room, Psyche. Promise me.”
“I promise,” I whisper. It’s the first time I’ve lied to him since we were married.
He nods and releases me. “I won’t be long.”
I stand there, my heart sinking, and watch him pull on his coat and shoes. The sound of the door opening is obscenely loud in the quiet of the penthouse. I find myself counting softly. “One…Two… Three…” At twenty, I force myself to move.
The first step is the hardest. I’m taking a gamble of my own with this. Not only with my life but Eros might never forgive me for what I’m about to do.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll bear that price and gladly if it means I spare him from carrying the weight of harming one of the few people he cares about in this world.
I scramble for my phone, nearly dropping it in my haste. There’s only one person I can call to pull this off, and it’s a gamble of the highest order. I take a deep breath and dial.
When she answers, Helen sounds like she’s been sleeping. “Hello?”
“Helen, I need Aphrodite’s number.”
“Hi, Psyche. So nice to talk to you. I’m doing great, thanks for asking.”
I swallow down my need to scream. “Helen.” I speak slowly. “Eros is in trouble, and I need Aphrodite’s number. I don’t have time to explain why.”
She’s silent for a beat. “I like you, Psyche, but Aphrodite will skin me alive if she finds out I gave her contact information to you. Ask Eros.”
“Helen!” My voice spikes despite my best efforts to stay calm. “Eros is going to kill Aphrodite.”
“What? He wouldn’t. They have a toxic as fuck relationship, but she’s his mother.”
“I know. That’s why I need her number and need it now.”
Another pause, shorter this time. Finally, she says, “If this is all some ploy that will hurt him in the end, I’ll grind you to dust. There will be nothing left of you when I’m done.”
“If I fail with what I’m about to do, you’re more than welcome to try. The number, Helen. Please.”
She curses and rattles off the number. I hang up without saying goodbye. Time is of the essence, but I still allow myself a few seconds to take some breaths and get my head on straight. I only get one shot at this; I can’t afford to screw it up.
My heartbeat isn’t anywhere near normal as I dial Aphrodite’s number. It’s just as well. She won’t believe me if I’m too calm. She’s smart enough to sense that there’s more to this than it seems, so it’s my job to ensure she’s too focused on the possibility of getting to me to worry about a trap. Or at least too arrogant to think that any trap of mine could hold her.
When she answers, she’s as cold as ice. “Aphrodite speaking.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” I don’t have to fake the quiver in my tone. “I didn’t sign on for all this, and I want out. You can get me out of Olympus, can’t you?”
She barely misses a beat. “Psyche? How lovely to hear from you. I’ll admit I’m surprised you’ve reached out.”