I froze, completely still at what she’d just described. That night… the candle…
“I know it’s the most ridiculous thing ever, but I—Gavin?“
The world around me washed away, and I fell into memory.
CHAPTER NINETEEN - CHLOE
I HAD TO do a double-take at the way Gavin was staring at me right then, the way he didn’t even seem to be breathing. There was a bewildered look on his face, one that I couldn’t figure out. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost, like I’d just said something that prompted him to lose his mind.
“Gavin?”
“You…” he shifted, his hand raising as if he were going to place it on my cheek, but he hesitated. His tongue ran over his lips, throat bobbing as he swallowed. Agony and confusion filled his now glistening eyes. His hands stretched and curled, and I noticed his fingers trembling.
“Gavin?” I reached up for his face, hoping to bring him out of whatever stupor had taken him over. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Even his jaw was shaking. I huffed out loud and gave him a nervous smile.
“Gavin, you’re scaring me,” I managed. “What is it?”
“Itisyou,” he breathed, and even though I wasn’t sure what he meant, my chest tightened.
“It’s me,” I said, trying to pull him out of the daze. “It’s me, Chloe. Are you okay?”
A tear spilled over his cheek. My stomach dropped. I didn’t know what was happening. Had I broken him? How do you break a god?
Shit.
“Please, come back to me,” I said, holding his face. “Don’t die or go mad or whatever is happening. Do I need to slap you?”
A smile flinched on his lips. He blinked, cursed under his breath, and stepped away from me like he was waking himself up. “Shit,” I heard him mutter, his back to me. “Fucking Styx.”
“Gavin? Are you okay?”
He finally turned around, tears evacuated, leaving only his widened eyes staring back at me. “Yeah,” he said, approaching me again. “Yeah. Just talking about Greece… I haven’t been in a while.”
He was lying, and I didn’t know why.
“Liar,” I accused. “What just happened?”
“I thought I saw…” But he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He reached for my hand and kissed my knuckles, his gaze lingering on me a little longer.
But something changed then, and the look of admiration that had just been in his eyes darkened. His fingers tightened on my own, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
“You know, I think I’m feeling a little lightheaded,” he said, his shoulders pushing back. “I think I’m going to have to have a raincheck on the drinks.” He let go of my hand so abruptly that it practically fell against my leg, and he started walking in the opposite direction.
“What… Gavin—“ I lunged for his arm and pulled him back to me.
Pain stretched in his eyes. Pain and outright rage. I had never seen such emotion in his gaze. I had seen him frustrated, domineering even, but this…
“Are you… are you angry with me?” I asked, my heart beginning to race.
“No,” he said, though his tone was exasperated. “No, I’m not… Actually—you know what? Yes, I am, Chloe.”
“What? How—“
“Because you settled,” he said bluntly.
I stammered, staring at him in disbelief. “Isettled?What does that even mean?”
