“Hey, I like that,” Selene said, lips curving up.
“Actually, Selene was trying to convince me to give Finn a chance to prove himself.”
“Wait, you left off the part about men being dense. Like a thick fog of their own emotional cluelessness.”
Arden shot the witch a patient, bemused smile. “There’s a saying out there about pots and kettles,” he said. “You should look it up. Now,” he said, turning back to Iris. “We both know I’m so invested in your relationship that I’m seconds away from starting a fan club in the underworld. That said, while love can be work, it shouldn’t be hard.”
“Whoa, wait. You’re going to be the skeptic?” Selene asked.
“Not a skeptic. A good friend. I want you to be madly in love, darling. But I don’t want you to feel like your love demands a sacrifice from you. It shouldn’t. Because if you give up too much, all that it will breed down the line is resentment for everything you’ve lost.
“Love should add to your life, not detract. If you’re this conflicted, I’m worried you have either already made the decision in your head or you need to explore things more before making any kind of choice for your future.”
“Look at you. Being all rational,” Selene said, watching the demon’s profile as if she didn’t recognize him.
“It seems like you’ve both given me the same advice. I need more time.”
“To be fair, most of the time you’ve had with Finn has been spent trying to get him to break your engagement, not actually getting to know him,” Selene said.
“Gee, I wonder who helped her with that?” Arden said.
“I was being a good friend too,” Selene said. “At thetime, that was what she wanted from me. Now, she wants something different. And I’m happy to give that too.”
“Oh, admit it. You’re just dying to slip into a bridesmaid dress and cry as these two declare their love for each other.”
“Oh, goddess. You’re not going to make me wear something hideous, are you?”
She’d directed the question at Iris, but Arden was the one to answer. “Don’t insult me. Nothing hideous has ever made its way into my weddings. Well, there was that intestine necklace once, but we try not to judge other cultures’ customs. Even if they drip and smell mildly like rot.” Arden suppressed a shudder at the memory.
“And on that note,” Selene said with a wrinkled nose, “here comes the food.”
They spent the rest of the meal discussing the food and Gerty the ghost, and giving Iris a pep talk about both her relationship and the gala she was dreading.
By the time she made it back to the penthouse, she was feeling calmer, more reasonable, and less emotional about the whole situation.
Even if it did make her heart ache to have to walk through the apartment alone, eat dinner alone, and get ready for bed alone.
She knew it was just her nature, that emotions and connection were something she craved even more strongly than most when she cared for someone. So she wasn’t exactly surprised when her eyes flooded with tears or how fiercely she felt the empty space beside her as she started to drift off to sleep.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find time today,” Finn’s voice murmured in her ear.
His body was curled up behind her, his arm draped across her waist, his legs cocked up behind hers.
“I know you’re busy,” she said, still trying to untangle herself from the dream world, where she’d been sunning on a beach with Finn, miles away from everyone else, from all his responsibilities. It was just them, the sun, and the sea.
“Still,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her bare shoulder. “If you want one-on-one time, I will find it.”
“I do,” she admitted. “I want to see if there’s something here.”
“There’s something here,” he said, pulling her closer.
She felt the hard line of him pressed against her ass. “I meant something more than sex.”
Finn scooted back and pulled her onto her back. Leaning over her, he watched as his hand slid up to her jaw.
“I meant more than sex too. Though I’m not going to pretend I’m not really enjoying that.”
She wouldn’t deny it either.
