“You have no idea what it’s like to see your child in such agony, Eros,” she said. “I won’t apologize for helping you the only way I knew how.”
“By making meforget my wife?” I was shaking. My voice threatened to grow, true form dancing at my fingertips as rage coursed through my veins.
Her chin raised. “It’s what was necessary.”
It took everything in me not to launch myself across the table, grab her by the throat, and squeeze her long neck until it crushed beneath my grasp. “And my friends? You made them forget her, too?”
“It was better for everyone,” she replied.
I couldn’t breathe. My own mother…
What she said about her disappearance didn’t make sense, not with what I did remember, with what Persephone remembered.
“She wouldn’t have just run away,” I argued, my voice softer. “We were happy.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, son. She left. You became a shell of yourself. I fixed it.” Aphrodite snapped up a piece of celery and chewed it loudly. “What is the point in bringing any of this up? She’s gone. It’s not like you’ll ever find her again.”
I didn’t reply, but I stared at her with such malice that I was surprised I wasn’t glowing. I gathered my phone and wallet, and gulped down the last few sips of my drink.
“Goodbye, Mother,” I said shortly, standing to my feet.
“Sweetheart—“
But I was gone before she could say more.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - CHLOE
I WAS STILL red-cheeked when I thought of that storage room.
My ass had had a bruise on it the entire weekend. It was a reminder of the control I’d lost, a reminder not to allow myself to be so alone with him again. Because if it did…
I wasn’t sure I’d have the willpower to stop it.
In his absence, I had tried to focus more on work the last few weeks. It had been difficult to look at his logo and not think of him, but I managed a few sketches and sent them over, only getting a few words in reply. I didn’t expect anything else, and honestly, I was grateful he hadn’t said anymore.
“Have you talked to him yet?” Lana asked on our morning video chat.
“Who?” I asked.
“Gavin.”
My eyes darted from her to the bedroom where Tyler was sleeping. He’d been home off and on. When he was home, I tried to focus on him, especially the moments when he was actually with me. He had a habit of planning out his days when he was home—golf, friends for drinks, boat excursions…
“Why would I need to talk to him?” I asked, hoping she got my drift not to talk about this on a video call that Tyler could most likely hear just down the hall.
“For… design things,” Lana recovered. “I didn’t know! He’s never home!” she mouthed.
“He’s asleep!” I mouthed back. I straightened up, pulling my toast out of the toaster and glancing to the bedroom to make sure I didn’t hear anything. “No, I haven’t talked to him. I’ll have to figure this out alone,” I told her. “It’s just font.”
“You look tired,” Lana said as her cat jumped into her lap. “Up all night working?”
“No,” I said. “Tyler’s mother started texting me at 3 A.M. about fucking roses. I don’t think she realizes there are time zones between us.”
“That’s why you put that thing on Do Not Disturb, babe.”
“Yeah. Well. Damage is already done.” I lifted my coffee mug to my lips and took a hesitant sip, unsure of how hot it was. Still too hot to drink. Dammit. I needed coffee.
“When will you be here again?” I asked Lana.
