“Exactly. Finish getting ready, I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby.”
“What, why?”
“I’ve got a day to plan!” Then he’s gone.
Not through the door and down the hallway. He just…poof. Disappeared, once again leaving a single white feather in his wake.
I shake my head slowly as I bend to pick up the feather. I don’t know how I’m going to explain all of this to Janae when I get home.
20
Cupid
I had to get out of that hotel room and collect my thoughts. My mind is going a million miles a minute as I make my way to the lobby, putting some distance between myself and Felicity, however brief and inadequate.
Here’s what I know: Felicity just told me the arrow is finally working on her. The arrow that was supposed to make her feel love and attraction and desire—all the things I told her about before she agreed to the bet. The arrow that I never actually struck her with.
This means two things. Against all odds, she has developed feelings for me—which makesmefeel like I’m walking on air. Except now, I have no idea how I’m going to admit the truth to her. That I lied about the arrow. That the feelings she’s experiencing arehers, not the product of outside influence.
I reflect, dumbly, that I didn’t give this plan even the most minuscule amount of thought. I might be in deep trouble.
When Felicity realizes the truth…
I don’t know what will happen, and that’s what frightens me most.
I know what Iwantto happen. I want to keep seeing her, to spend more time with her. I wantherto want that, too. Forget about the bet and my deception and keep doing…this. Getting to know each other. Having fun. Falling.
Because that’s exactly what it is for me: falling.
I’ve seen it happen millions of times with millions of people, falling in love. I have even experienced it once before. After all those times, I still seem to have forgotten that sometimes falling in love is the equivalent of falling into a pit of quicksand.
As I’m walking past the casino floor, I hear a soft voice say my name. My head whips around, looking for the source, but I can’t find it. I take another few steps and hear it again—this time it’sthreevoices calling out to me.
Oh no…
My eyes scan the machines to my left, and—there. The slot machine. I’m seated in front of it after three long strides, leaning forward until my face is just a breath away from the flashing screen.
“What in Hades are youdoinghere?” I hiss.
“We told you we would be checking in on you,” says Attie, her pale face glowing between a pair of cherries and a number seven. The other two are scattered among the symbols: Clo boxed in by a horseshoe and a gem; Lala between two shamrocks.
“Now’s not really a good time, ladies.” I shove my hands through my hair and try very hard to keep my cool. “Could we, I don’t know, maybe do this later, and not through a fucking screen in the middle of a busy casino?”
All three sisters just look at me in silence, big-eyed and blinking.
With a frustrated groan, I slap my hand on one of themachine’s big plastic buttons. I’m given the satisfaction of watching a stunned look flash across each of their faces before they begin spinning, spinning, spinning. Eventually they land, three in a row, on the screen’s pay line. The machine dings and flashes as they slot into place. I flinch, worried about drawing even more attention to us.
I slump back into the seat. This is torture, I think. It must be.
“That was not very nice, Cupid,” Clo chides as Attie covers her mouth, looking for all the world like she’s about to barf. “Attie gets terrible motion sickness.” A quiet but obscene gagging noise makes its way through the speakers.
Lala shakes her head, obviously disgusted with me, and Clotsks.
Okay, I do feel kind of guilty about that—but I’m kind of going through my own thing here. The Fates have a particular talent for showing up at the worst possible times.
“I’m just—” I begin, heated, but clamp my mouth shut at the looks on their faces.
I hang my head, start again. “I’m in a bit of a bad situation,” I say, this time keeping my tone cordial, if not friendly. “And I don’t know what to do about it.”
