“This is about Roman? I knew there was something weird between the two of you. Spill the tea.”
I scrunched my face and squinted my eyes. “It’s so mortifying, and it can’t be true. I have proof.”
Cassie leaned in as if she were about to hear the juiciest prophecy of the century.
“Proof?” she whispered. “Like scrolls and sacred texts? Or Instagram DMs and receipts?”
“Ha ha.”
“I thought it was funny. But seriously, what are you talking about here? And what does this have to do with Roman?”
With eyes squeezed shut, I whispered, “When I was sixteen, my goddess whispered that Roman was my soulmate.”
Cassie gasped the gaspiest of gasps.
“Oh. My. Mount Olympus.”
I peeked my eyes open.
Cassie was staring at me, mouth wide, like I’d just told her I was secretly the Oracle of Delphi.
I think I might’ve permanently stunned her.
“I know,” I said quickly. “It’s ridiculous. And obviously untrue. But I figured that out too late. You know, after I fell in love with him. Or as much as you can be in love at that age.”
I pulled my knees tighter to my chest.
“It devastated me when I realized that he would not be returning my feelings. And after everything—losing my mom, finding out I was a demigoddess—I couldn’t take one more heartbreak. So I locked my heart.”
“But . . .” Cassie hesitated. “How do you know it’s not true? How do you know he’s not your soulmate?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I said, too fast. “For one, we practically hate each other. And most importantly—my heart is still locked. If he were really my soulmate, he would’ve unlocked it by now. Right?”
Please tell me I’m right.
Cassie tapped her lips with her finger. “Hmm. Possibly. It’s just . . . I’ve never heard of a goddess lying to herself. Why would she?”
I let my knees drop and grabbed Cassie’s hands, gripping them like they were my only hope.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “But she had to have lied. Because if she didn’t . . .” My voice hitched. “If she didn’t, I’m doomed. My heart will stay locked. I’ll never fall in love. And that means I’ll have to live in the mortal world—not knowing who I am. Not really.”
“Or”—Cassie cleared her throat—“maybe Roman will figure out how not to be a douchebag and unlock your heart and you’ll live happily ever after.”
“I don’t know that he’s a total douchebag,” I said, reluctantly.
I mean, the man had sported a breadstick mustache for his daughter. Everyone on his crew seemed to revere him. And I couldn’t imagine Melissa—his mom—raising a jerk.
“But regardless,” I added, “he can’t be my soulmate. Why send me on this quest if it was Roman all along? Why make me a cast member on his show? And from the way my dad described it, when he met my mom, his heart unlocked instantly.”
Cassie nodded. “Those are fair points. But I still don’t get why your goddess would lie to you.”
“Maybe something went wrong when I was born,” I whispered. “Or maybe she hates me for holding back my gifts.”
Cassie frowned, thoughtful. “I don’t know. I mean, our divinity is a part of us. But I’ll see if I can do some research. There hasto be a reason.”
“Okay, thank you.” I threw my arms around her, trying to feel a shred of hope that I wasn’t destined to be alone and emotionally stunted for the rest of my life because I’d made a horrible mistake at seventeen.
“But . . . Demi . . .” Cassie’s voice softened. “There’s a chance you might have to come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t a lie.”
