Just For You

Chapter 26: Zeus

One month later

Hera scooted closer to me, placing my hand in her lap and closing our fingers together. She was looking at Panacea, but I couldn't tear my eyes from her. She was glowing. Her smile is bright and gorgeous. Her skin is clear and beautiful. Everything about her was perfect, but that's nothing new. She's always been perfect.

          Which is why giving her an out was the best thing to do. It was dumb, but I figured leaving her, letting her live a life free of me, would make her happier, clearly, I was very wrong.

          A slap in the face is all that got me. And her crying in my face. I have never felt true heartbreak like did when she walked into my kitchen, eyes swollen and nose red.

          I hurt her, and that was never my intention.

          Panacea cleared her throat, pulling my attention away from Hera. Panacea's notepad was nowhere in sight. This is the second time we've seen her since the day Hera showed up at the restaurant. We thought continuing our session was the best thing.

          "I'm proud of you two. For most couples I work with, it takes years for them to... I'm not going to say resolve their issues, but come to an understanding." She smiled. Hera squeezed my hand. "You two... are a rare kind of couple. You like being around each other, and from what you told me at the last session, you clearly thrive together."

          That would be correct. My restaurant had its grand opening three weeks ago and is now booming. I have a waiting list that's booked up for about a year. I feel bad I have to tell people that they can't get a table yet, but I love it too much to let it bother me for too long.

          Hera has made Tolliver's Publishing her own. She kept the name, and that surprised me. She said she has always been a Tolliver, and she wouldn't change a thing about it.

          Achilles was pissed when Hera left Brysin. She threatened Hera, and when I wanted to get involved, Hera told me not to bother. Apparently, she's in the process of buying Brysin from Achilles.

          I smile every time I see the paperwork in her office in our new home.

          We got rid of the penthouse, wanting a fresh start. So we got a house. It's really close to Mother. I thought Hera would be upset about that, but she didn't care. As long as she's with me, she said.

          "If I would have been upfront with what I wanted from her in the first place, none of the drama would have happened," Hera admitted.

          Ah, yes. She wanted me to be more like I used to be. I used to let her see that tiny sliver of me when we were younger. That's all she wanted from me, and I was too much of a fool to see it.

          "There is some fault on me, too. My past did some damage to our marriage. More damage than I even thought possible." I looked back at her, caressing my thumb over her hand. She started back at me, her eyes shining so bright. "I won't let my idiot tendency get in the way of us anymore."

          Panacea hummed. "Communication is the best medicine for a marriage."

          Yeah, and miscommunication is like a giant cancerous tumor.

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We stepped into the foyer of our new house. Hera threw the house keys into the bowl on the table in the middle of the foyer and looked back at me.