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This never-ending hostility was getting the best of me, feeding the flames of my temper with oxygen and gasoline. How could Hades hate me so much after all this time that he sneered at me every chance he got? “I thought you would be different now that you’re a father—with another on the way.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“What kind of example are you setting?”
He was still as he processed my insult. It took him several seconds to absorb every single syllable. “My son will know that years of friendship aren’t the equivalent of loyalty. He will recognize a toxic relationship and how to abandon it. He will know how to be a real man, to think about others besides himself. That’s what I’ll teach him, Damien.” The room was frozen like a freezer running on full blast. “What will you teach your son? Arrogance? Selfishness? Or maybe you’ll never have a relationship with your son because you’ll destroy that too.”
14
Annabella
After I finished my shift, I showered and got ready to see Damien.
I’d been thinking about that kiss all day.
I was so angry with him, but he quickly changed my feelings with his charm, his smile, and those soft lips. That man could talk me out of anything because he was so suave.
My hair was curled, and my makeup was perfect.
But then I got a disappointing text from Damien. I have to cancel tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.
The clipped tone of his message told me he was in a bad mood, so something must have happened after he’d left my apartment. The more I got to know him, the more I recognized his brooding tantrums. Are you home?
Why?
Just answer the question.
Yes.
I grabbed my purse and walked out the door.
Patricia let me inside, and I took the long trek to the top floor where his bedroom was located. A bottle of scotch was in my hand because I noticed he drank it when he was home. I reached his bedroom door and tapped my knuckles against the wood.
After a long pause, he answered. “Enter.” His tone was dark, like he’d been in a sour mood consistently since he’d texted me.
I stepped inside and saw him sitting on the couch, shirtless and in black sweatpants. A bottle of scotch was already open, and his glass was empty, with the exception of a few drops at the bottom. The TV was on, and a football match played on the screen. The enormous fire in the hearth burned with powerful flames. He looked like Dracula sitting at the top of his castle. “I thought you could use a drink, but it looks like you’re covered…”
He turned his head at the sound of my voice, his eyes narrowed in annoyance rather than pleasant surprise. He was still as he stared at me, as if it took him some time to understand the situation that had just developed.
Maybe stopping by was a mistake.
I shut the door behind me then approached his living room. The fans on the TV yelled when a shot was missed, and that sound filled the room around us.
His eyes continued to follow me. “What part of ‘see you tomorrow’ didn’t you understand?”
I did come over uninvited, but I wouldn’t feel guilty about it. “You’ve never done the same?” If I didn’t take his phone calls because I didn’t want to talk, he just came over anyway. And when I didn’t answer the door, he threatened to break it down.
He sighed, acknowledging the hypocrisy.
“I thought you could use a friend. Someone to talk to.” I set down the bottle. “It’s better than sitting here alone in the dark, right?” I poured myself a glass then sat in the armchair across from him.
He leaned back into the couch, his stomach still tight and hard even though he wasn’t trying to flex his abdominals. He ran his fingers through his slightly unkempt hair then looked at the TV, a defeated sag to his frame.
“Or we can just sit here and not talk…”
He propped his chin on his closed fist and stared at me.
“I can leave if you really want me to.” If he was closed off like this, then maybe it was pointless.
He closed his eyes for a second and dragged his fingers down his face. “Have you had dinner?”
I shook my head.
He grabbed his phone and texted Patricia. Then he left his phone on the table beside him. “You didn’t need to bring this.” He grabbed the bottle and filled his glass. “I buy you things, alright?”
“Who said it was for you?” I took a drink.
He smiled slightly, but it only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared again. He took a drink then set it on the table.
“So…you want to talk about it?”
He shrugged.
“It seems like you have more bad days than good.”
His words came out sarcastic. “You’re very observant.”
