I stared at the phone for a while before I answered. I acted like a completely different person with him because my behavior didn’t reflect my true self at all. “You want to take Andrew for a couple of days?” I was proactive and made the subject the one thing we had in common. It showed I wasn’t interested in talking about our night in the alleyway—even though it was all I thought about.
He was quiet for a while, as if he were taken aback by my comment. “Yeah, I think I should.”
I hid my disappointment. “You want to pick him up? Or would you rather me drop him off? I’m on my way out anyway.” I didn’t have plans. I never had plans. I spent all my time with Andrew because the idea of dating was disheartening. I already knew the man I wanted to spend my life with. No other guy could compare.
“If you’re leaving, may as well drop him off.” His deep voice lacked any emotion. He was the strong and silent type, but ever since we’d gone our separate ways permanently, he was even more of an enigma.
“Alright. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
I had to quickly throw on my makeup and fix my hair because I’d been in my pajamas before he called. I threw on a deep navy blue dress and pumps before I got Andrew in the car and drove to Hades’s place. My attire would suggest I had specific plans for the evening. Maybe that would make him jealous again. Maybe that would make him drop his pants again.
I arrived at his place then carried Andrew and the bag to the third floor. I did all of it barefoot because it would be way too hard in heels. When I made it to the top landing, I slipped on my heels again and knocked on his bedroom door.
He opened the door and showed off his hard chest and chiseled abs. His skin was always slightly tanned even though he wasn’t outside shirtless often. He was just gifted with beautiful Italian skin. He was as powerful as a statue and as beautiful as a piece of art.
I thought about our night in the alley and felt my skin flush.
His eyes quickly glanced over me, taking in my tight dress with the same thought.
I helped myself inside and carried Andrew to the bed. “I just fed him, so he doesn’t need dinner. He had a cold a couple days ago, but it cleared up. If you hear him sneeze, don’t worry about it.” I opened his bag and pulled out a few extra toys. “The dinosaur is his favorite toy right now. It’s the best way to get him to stop crying.” I glanced at Hades to see if he was listening.
He stood beside me with his hands in his pockets, so strong that it was distracting. His eyes were focused on my face, and he gave me the usual look of intensity that he was known for. His face was impossible to read. His mood was even more mysterious.
“I’ll be back in a couple days.” I leaned down and kissed Andrew on the head and the tummy. I rose to my full height and squeezed his little feet. “I love you, baby.” Leaving my baby was always hard, but since I was giving him to Hades, it didn’t hurt as much as it would if I gave him to a sitter or my mother.
I looked at Hades again and swallowed my feelings. I wanted to move into his chest and wrap my arms around his neck so I could hold him. I just wanted to feel my husband love me. I wanted to feel like we were a family.
But I continued my ruse. “Call me if you need anything.” I stepped around him and headed to the door.
His voice made me stop. “Sofia.”
My heart started to race when I heard him say my name. It immediately made me weak, made my ovaries come to life. I wanted to love this man. I wanted to make so many babies with him. I wanted this place to be my home again. But when I turned around, I didn’t let any of those thoughts creep into my expression. “Yes?” I was cold, indifferent, even a little bitchy.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked so sexy when he was focused. His already hard features hardened even more, making his jawline razor-sharp. He must’ve shaved that morning because there was no shadow on his face. “Where are you off to?”
I was thrilled he cared, but I acted pissed instead. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“I can’t ask you about your life?” He stepped toward me, his bare feet tapping against the hard wood.
“If I asked you, would you answer?” One hand moved to my hip, and I flexed my full attitude.
He stopped in front of me, his hands in his pockets.
“That’s what I thought.” I grabbed the handle and opened the door. “Our alleyway fuck was a mistake, and I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just forget it happened.”
His eyes shifted back and forth slightly as he regarded me.
“I’m seeing someone, and that’s not the kind of person I want to be.” I turned away and shut the door behind me. Once he couldn’t see me, my heart started to race, and I felt sick because of the lie I’d just told. Playing games like this wasn’t my forte. I wasn’t even sure if I was convincing. I walked down the hallway and headed to the stairs, the blood slowly draining from my face.
The bedroom door opened, and his footsteps sounded behind me. “Sofia.”
I stopped walking and took a deep breath. I wanted this nightmare to end. I wanted Hades to come back to me so I could just be myself, tell him I loved him whenever I felt like it, never worrying about what he was doing when I wasn’t around.
When I didn’t face him, his footsteps grew louder behind me. I felt like prey that could sense a predator’s attack. Before I turned around, I turned into the stone-cold bitch I’d been a few seconds ago.
He stopped in front of me, anger in his eyes that wasn’t there a minute ago. “What do you mean, you’re seeing someone?”
“What do you think it means?” I snapped. “It means I met a guy I like. I wouldn’t say we’re serious, but eventually it might go there, so I can’t fool around like that again. It was stupid for a lot of reasons, but I don’t want it to sabotage this relationship’s potential.”
His eyes narrowed farther like he didn’t like that response. “You don’t think that’s too soon?”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
His voice was ice-cold when he spoke. “Do I ever joke?”
“You made love to me, then told me you didn’t love me anymore a few weeks later. You don’t think that’s too soon?” I hissed. “You made it clear this isn’t going to happen again, so I’m not going to wait around for the slim chance you might change your mind. I’m still in my twenties, so I have time to find someone else. I’m too young to waste my time crying over a man who doesn’t want me.” I headed to the stairs.
He grabbed me by the arm. “I’m not done talking to you.”
I shoved him in the chest. “Grab me again and see what happens.”
His nostrils flared with rage, and he pressed his lips tightly together to contain his frustration. “Whatever guy you bring around will be around my son. That makes it my business.”
“My mother watches him when I stay over. So they’ve never met. If I want to marry the guy, then I’ll introduce them. So, calm down.” If that was really his only concern, he would let me go. I headed to the stairs again.
This time, he didn’t grab me, but he quickly maneuvered his body in my way. His hard chest blocked my entrance to the stairs. “Who is he?”