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“You thought about my mom when you were with me,” I said. “I can’t forgive that. I won’t.”

“It’s you and me, Aphrodite. I love you. I’m head over heels for you. I’m sorry that I fucked up. But don’t run away from me,” he said. “We can work this out. Let’s run away together like we’d planned. Fuck everyone else.”

I was done being the one to break. And I couldn’t believe I’d thrown away college for the guy standing in front of me. A guy I didn’t even really know. Because I fell too hard too fast like I always did. But that ended now. “Adonis, those people back there are the most important people in the world to me. And if you even liked me a little bit, they’d mean more to you too. So no. Not fuck everyone else. Fuck you.”

The elevator doors started to close. I waited until the last second to pull my hand back. The doors closed.

And I heard Adonis’ fist slam against the metal from the other side.

I thought my knees would buckle. But I somehow stayed upright. I stayed upright as I got into the parking garage and climbed into my car. I started driving, ignoring my phone buzzing in my purse.

I just needed to get as far away from Adonis as possible. Far away from my mistakes. Far away from those looks of pity from my family and friends.

I drove and drove until I saw the Welcome to Delaware sign. A place I knew for sure Adonis wouldn’t follow me. I needed to get my life back on track.

Chapter 43 – Gored By A Wild Boar

Sunday – One Week Later

I stared at the picture Scarlett had sent me. Of all my friends in their graduation gowns, smiling for the camera.

I’d missed prom.

And now graduation.

I’d missed all the big moments I’d been looking forward to. Because of him.

My phone buzzed with a text from Scar: “Wishing you were here. But we’ll be down tonight.”

It would be good to have them here. I didn’t think being alone any longer would be helpful. Wallowing wasn’t healthy. I’d been preoccupying my time by calling the admissions office at the University of New Castle several times a day. And begging the woman that answered the phone to help me.

So far...nothing.

They’d given my spot away to someone else. Because of course they had.

But I was no quitter.

I hugged my knees into my chest as I stared out at the ocean. I’d originally driven to the university’s campus, but showing up in a prom dress with mascara running down my cheeks in the middle of a Saturday night had felt like a bad idea. So I’d gone to our family’s beach house and hadn’t moved since.

The sound of waves crashing soothed my soul. They always had.

And for just a little while longer, I would be hidden here from the rest of the world. So it was okay to stop fighting the tears. I let them cascade down my cheeks, praying it would be the last of them.

I’d loved two men.

And I’d been heartbroken by both.

The pain was different this time though. With Mr. Halifax, I hadn’t known why he’d left. I’d been full of questions. With Adonis I knew what had happened. He’d liked my mom. He’d used me to get to her. There were no what-ifs. There wasn’t really much to ponder at all. I just had to accept it for what it was.

I’d been in a bad place. A beautiful boy had taken advantage of me. And that was that. It had all been too perfect to be real. And I was kicking myself for not seeing the signs.

I dug my toes deeper into the sand.

I hadn’t only been calling the admissions office in my spare time. I’d been reading lots. Researching more information about Aphrodite and Adonis. Looking for answers in Greek tragedies.

And I think I found a few.

Adonis’ love for Aphrodite was twisted. She was almost a surrogate mother to him. Reading that had made me feel sick to my stomach. Adonis must have known that. Had he called me Aphrodite as a joke? Because I looked like my mom?