I glance up. “And what day is that?”
“The day that Hayden would ever let himself be happy.” Zane’s voice is softened, edged with disbelief.
The candles have burned down to puddles. Somehow, that feels right. A tightness grips my chest, sharp and sudden. Hayden has shifted my life, changing the way I see the world, but hearing someone else confirm I might’ve done the same for him, eased even a fraction of his loneliness, sends a rush of emotion through me I wasn’t prepared for mid–dish duty.
“I mean it,” he continues, voice quieter now. “He’s been alone a long time. Not just without us, but…without anyone. He let himself exist. He let himself function. But this?” He gestures vaguely toward the living room, where Hayden and Porter are still deep in conversation, shadows pooling lazily at Hayden’s feet. “This is different. He’s different.”
I swallow against the lump in my throat.
“It’s probably exhausting,” Zane adds, grinning. “Knowing Hayden, he’s probably brooding through most of it.”
I cover my laugh with my hand. “I wouldn’t gothatfar.”
“But whatever this is, whatever you are to him?” Zane shakes his head. “It’s good.”
I clear my throat, shoving the tray of triple chocolate fudge brownies Elijah thought to bake last minute into Zane’s largehands before all of thesefeelingsget the best of me. “Go deliver the brownies before you ruin your charming narcissist brand.”
Zane grins. “Wouldn’t want that,” he says, balancing the tray of baked goods with entirely too much grace. By the time he makes it to the living room, me trailing behind him, Porter is shuffling a deck of cards, eyebrows raised in amusement.
“Oh, we’re doing this?” Zane sets the tray down and drops into a chair. “Do you remember what happened last time?”
Hayden groans, rubbing his temples. “We are absolutely not playing cards.”
Zane smirks. “What, afraid of losing?”
Porter snorts. “Healwaysloses.”
I blink between them. “Wait…” I clutch my chest in exaggerated shock. “Are you saying the almighty ruler of the underworld is actually bad at something?”
Hayden rolls his eyes. “It’s not that. It’s thattheycheat.”
Porter leans back in his chair. “I hate to say it, but that’s a very loser thing to say.”
I am enjoying thisfartoo much. “So, what game are we playing?”
The cards are dealt expertly by Porter. “Something simple.”
“Simple for us mere mortals? Or…”
Zane slaps me on the shoulder, nozapthis time. “Let’s start with a round of rummy.”
My grin grows even wider. “Oh, I am definitely winning this.”
Hayden huffs, crossing his arms, but his eyes flicker with something almost fond. The first round begins…Zane blatantly cheats, grinning shamelessly while Porter and Hayden call him out without even glancing up.
The earlier tension is still there, but lighter now. Right now, Hayden isn’t burdened by the past. He’s here. He’s laughing. And we’re all winning.
The night winds down with full stomachs, empty wine bottles,and a lingering warmth I never thought possible between three former gods who have spent decades apart. But as Porter checks the time and sighs, stretching his long limbs, reality sinks back in.
“Well,” he says, dragging a hand through his hair. “I suppose we should be getting back to the motel.”
Zane melts dramatically into his chair, groaning as if leaving this comfortable moment is the greatest injustice he’s ever faced.
“Fine. But as compensation for leaving early, I demand the last brownie,” he declares, sweeping the dessert tray into his grasp.
I roll my eyes but hand him the tray. “Take it. You earned it, almighty one.”
He winks, balancing it in one hand before turning to Hayden. “Try not to brood too hard when we leave, yeah?”
