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I nod again, pleased to hear she intends to keep this secret quiet. “Why?” I ask. “Afraid of what I might do? Afraid of what my family would do?”
She shakes her head. “No. It’s ours. Our secret. No one else’s business.” She smirks and crosses her arms. “Plus, you are the father of this baby. And you are still…my husband.”
I return the smirk. “We are married. Until death do us part.”
She breaks my stare and looks down at the ground. “Apollo and Daphne were married.” She looks back up at me. “And deathdiddo us part.”
“So technically you are free, but—”
“I know,” she interrupts as she places her hand on her belly. “I’ll never be free from the Godwin family now.”
I’m relieved that she understands exactly what having my child inside of her means.
“Yes. Breaking away from the Godwins is not possible. Ever.” I take a deep breath. “But my father knows the truth. If you really want to break away fromme, we both can make that happen. Because you’re right. You vowed to be with Apollo until death. Not me.”
Her eyes widen. “You’d let me go? Even though I have your baby in me?” She rolls her eyes. “Ha! Stop acting like the valiant, self-sacrificing hero in this story. I know you wouldn’t just let me go. Neither would your father.”
“No.” I laugh, appreciating the fact that this woman can not only see my shit but call me out on it. “You’re right. You aren’t going anywhere. You’re smart to see that, and to know that.”
Her eyes narrow. “What about after I have the baby?”
“You’re still mine,” I answer.
There is stillness between us as I can see she’s processing the information.
Finally, I slice through the awkward silence. “That baby inside of you is mine. Which means I will forever be in your life, and you in mine. That fact can’t change. But…to what degree I’m in your life is up to you. I won’t force a real marriage, if that’s not what you want. We can live together but separately, if you know what I mean.”
“Like the marriage I had with Apollo,” she says.
“If that’s what you want.”
She now takes a step toward me and extends her hands. “But if I don’t want it? What if I don’t want to repeat what I had with Apollo? What if I want a real marriage…with you?”
ChapterThirty-Eight
Daphne
To my surprise, he takes me in his arms and holds me close. Never once does he speak while I’m in his embrace. Never once does he stop showing me an unfamiliar love, kindness, and comfort.
Ares Godwin.
It’s Ares who blankets me in his warmth as a second chance lover would. Or is this a new love rather than a second chance? The definition is muddled, but I no longer care to make sense.
I’m not sure how long I rest against his chest, but eventually he pulls me back so he can look me in the eye. He says nothing. He doesn’t need to. I can see his thoughts. I can see that his entire soul crumbling to pieces inside. He doesn’t want to be here with me as Apollo, and at the same time, he has to.
Stroking his face with my palms, I whisper, “Do I call you Ares or Apollo in private?”
I see pain flicker in his eyes. “I feel like I’m betraying my brother by saying what I know I need to say.” Taking me by the hand, he says, “I can’t ask you to call me Apollo, and yet it’s what I need from the people in my life who know. I’m Apollo. I’m forever Apollo. But I also know it’s not fair to expect you to live this lie of mine.”
I shake my head. “It’s not just your lie now. It’s ours.” The thought of being alone without this man for another second sends a panic through me. I never want to be withoutmy husband. “I didn’t want this marriage before. You know this. I didn’t love him. But I do love you.” I look up at him with desperation pumping through my veins. “Don’t plan this life—living as Apollo—without me.”
“Even though I shouldn’t say this. It tears at my soul admitting this, but I love you. I do,” he says. “I didn’t go into this plan with that intention. I didn’t mean to bring in the emotions. But I don’t want to live my brother’s life without you, either. I want you by my side.”
He leads me over to the edge of the bed and sits us down. I curl up next to him and press my cheek to his chest as he hugs me tight.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, which isn’t really a fair question. If he were to ask me the same words, I wouldn’t be able to answer because my thoughts are racing at rapid speed.
He looks down at me and makes eye contact. His expression gives nothing away.
