“Ask your mother. She’ll tell you—“
“My mother likes being admired,” I cut him off. “She’ll tell anyone what they want to hear just to keep them swaddled around her pretty little finger.” I glanced at Hermes, the blonde hair sticking out from under his baseball cap over his ears, and I scoffed. “Is this hat to hide your receding hairline? Or do you think it helps you blend in?”
“What does it—“
“What are you even doing with a skateboard?”
“What’s with the drill? Are you—Wait—“ He rounded in front of me, holding his hands up. “What are you hassling me for? Aren’t you some busy hot-shot technician that can’t even make time for your family?”
I smirked and pushed past him, hitting his shoulder when I did. “Well, you have been hanging out with her lately,” I said. “And it’s app developer, not technician.”
“Oh, excuse me, Mr. Fancy-Pan—“
“Why are you following me?” I asked, stepping in front of him again.
Hermes stuffed his hands in his pockets, his mouth twisting as he considered me. “Who says I’m following you?”
“Oh, right. I meant following Chloe,” I corrected myself, my nostrils flaring at the look of false innocence in his eyes.
“Chloe… Chloe, Chloe, Chloe… Hm… Nope, doesn’t ring a bell—“
If we hadn’t been in a public place, I would have grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him in the air, let him spurt and sputter on his own spit as he stammered out the truth.
I jerked forward, causing Hermes to flinch, and the reaction lifted my lips.
“Think harder,” I said.
“Oh, thegirl,” he finally said, and I wanted to pummel him for the sarcasm in his tone. “I think you mispronounced her name. It’sPsyche, isn’t it? Or is she not your long-lost wife?”
I gritted my teeth, trying to quell my rage. It was another minute before I moved, letting a huff of amusement leave me as I clapped him on his shoulder and gave him a wry smile. “Tell me, Hermes. What are you doing now? Can’t be spending all your free time stalking other gods and pretending to be young.”
Hermes judged my facade. My jaw clenched as my fingers dug into his clavicle. “Private jet service,” he answered, strain in his tone. “You have the money, and I have the plane.”
“No questions asked?”
“Wouldn’t want anything to incriminate me, would I?” Hermes said.
“Because you’re so wholesome, right?”
He twisted out of my grasp, and I let him free. A grimace stretched over his face as he rolled his shoulder. “Fucking Styx, kid. Glad to know that grip hasn’t changed. What’s with the aggression?”
“You’re following us,” I said.
He rubbed his collarbone. “It’s not what you think,” he said. “Your mother told me about your outburst the other week and wanted to know if I could find out how you suddenly knew Psyche. I volunteered to help.”
“Did you know who she was talking about?” I asked.
“No, actually. Another reason I wanted to help. I was curious about who and what could cause her such distress. It was maddening to see her like that.”
I chuckled under my breath. “All of you. Wrapped around her finger,” I muttered.
“And you have her wrapped around yours,” he said, glancing up at me. “Let’s face it, kid. You’re the one person she would move mountains for—and has. Multiple times over.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “This is one mountain she should never have touched.”
“I don’t disagree,” he said. “The first time I followed you was in the park, and the moment I saw the girl, I knew who she was. I remembered everything about her, everything that happened, and it killed me that I had forgotten her.”
“I thought Mother said she only tampered with the memory of my closest friends?”
