I ran my fingers along the rim of my wine glass.
“I would like to get to know you better if you’d allow me to do so,” Archer said, watching me.
To anyone else, it’d seem like a harmless request, but Archer was a God. He’d invaded my dreams and my space, and the attention was suffocating. Anyone could see that he was after something, but so was I.
“I want something in return,” I said, fixing him with a look. “I want answers to questions.”
“Of course. What would you like to know?”
“What’s the deal between you and Gray? It’s like you can’t stand to be in the same room with each other.”
His features darkened, and I watched as his body language changed. Archer was usually confident and open, but he’d closed himself off.
“He took something from me,” he said darkly. “I think Grayson should tell you, lest I be called biased and accused of manipulating facts.”
I furrowed my brow and Archer raised a hand to brush his fingers across my forehead, trying to smooth the creases. Just like in the lab, there was a rush of feeling, but nothing came of it. Unlike with every other God, it felt like Archer couldn’t quite pull anything to the surface.
“Still nothing,” he whispered. “I need to get going,” he said, dropping his hand. “Perhaps we can meet again soon.”
“Maybe.”
“All you need to do is think of me and I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”
Archer left, and the night wore on. Gray didn’t visit my side of the bar, keeping as far away as possible.
I watched him as he worked and paid attention to a petite woman with an ample amount of cleavage on display. He eventually rang the bell for last order and the pub emptied, but the woman pulled him over the bar, and I witnessed them kiss.
Something deep inside me twisted uncomfortably and made me nauseous. There was a sharp pain in my chest that made me gasp for air. Whatever had unfolded in front of me, I no longer wanted a front row seat.
I needed to get away.
I sensed her all night, and I chose to stay as far away as possible. Whatever the pain in my chest was, it radiated more when Quentin was nearby. This woman was destined to kill me in one way or another.
Staying away from her proved more difficult when Archer appeared. But it wasn’t my problem. Archer couldn’t read her. There was no need to worry. And even if Archer could and he found out the truth, what did it matter? I owed her nothing.
A woman displaying her ample assets frequented the bar area, catching my eye so I laid on all the charm to distract myself. By the end of the night, she’d pulled me over the bar for a kiss. It was a confident move, but it was calculated. Contrived. A move she’d used on men before. It wasn’t like Quentin who did as she felt based on instinct.
The kiss was wet and tasted of stale smoke, and then I heard it. A small gasp. When I pulled away, I saw Quentin pushing her way out of the pub with traces of anger running through her.
“Not tonight,” I said. “I think it’s best you go home.”
She wasn’t happy with my refusal, but I wasn’t focused on her anymore. I was focused on Quentin and her reaction.
The pub emptied out, and I locked up before taking myself home. Quen still hadn’t arrived and so I stood outside the door, waiting for her.
“Where have you been?” I asked when she finally walked up the street.
“Walking home. Took the scenic route.”
Controlled aggression was what Scott was best at. If something pissed her off, she dealt with it privately before facing it. I was amazed by the restraint, though I’d watched the way it slipped around me at times.
She came up to the door, stopping to fish her keys from her bag.
“Why’d you rush off?” I asked.
She sighed, and the keys fell from her hand, clattering on the ground. Quen reached down to grab them, but my aura snatched them before she had a chance.
“Gray,” she said, straightening up. “I’m not in the mood to play games tonight.”
