The Lonely Hearts Club

Chapter 43: Lies (Bree)

Living with Hades is nice.

I've been in his apartment for two weeks, and hearing background noises from another person is so therapeutic.

I try not to think about how I'll cope with the silence again when I eventually move back to my old apartment.

I adore Acorn and his cat endeavors, but having a human being around is a different kind of happiness.

Hearing Hades laugh and seeing him smile is something I look forward to, especially since he's the only person I really see.

I've managed to avoid girls' night on Wednesdays, and until Savvy cools off a bit, I'm stepping away from Lana and Coco's friendship.

As the days move forwards, Hades and I fall into habits with each other.

Every night, we'll watch a movie and fall asleep together. Even the nights he works security at his bar.

He'll get home really late, but my sleep schedule is fucked anyway so it doesn't bother me.

Somehow, my nightmares are fairly stable when this happens.

I still dream of frightening distorted memories, but they're nowhere near as severe as they normally are when I'm alone.

I think it's partly because when Hades is around, I know I'm safe.

"Joey needs me to help him with some work stuff." He says as I sketch in the kitchen on a random notebook I've found.

Hades is refusing to let me pay to live with him, but he says if I really want to do something for him, I can paint murals and artwork on the walls like I did in my own apartment.

So far, I haven't dipped a brush in paint yet, but I'm planning and trying desperately to come up with ideas I think he would like.

"I'll be home late again," He sighs. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry." I say.

"I know, but I feel bad."

"You shouldn't."

Ever since I started seeing snippets of his daily routine, I'm seeing just how busy he actually is.

He always is getting called away for random things.

"Even though I hate him sometimes, Joey's helped me a lot over the years, so I feel like I owe him." He says.

"Yeah?"

"He's done a lot for me, you how I killed my dad? Yeah, well he got the body I buried excavated and disposed of properly so there would be no way I'd ever get caught."

I feel like my head has been dumped in ice.

Not because of what Hades has said, but because of the realization I get.

He told me I was the only one who knew he murdered his dad.

He told me no one else knew.

For Joey to go through that process, then Hades has to have told him about it.

"I thought you said no one else knew about it except me?" I say.

Hades's face drops.

"I meant like, well, he knows everything about me, so it doesn't really count." He shrugs.

That is not how that works.

"Does Nicks know?" I ask and he nods guiltily.

"Angelo?" Yes.

"Lana and Coco?" Yes.

"Savvy?" I wince.

"They don't really count." He says.