𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 [𝘼𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙭𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧]

CHAPTER 38

"Answer me, Hermes! Did you or did you not dissuade her to forgive me?"—

Hermes stood his ground, not wavered by the accusation hurled at him. "What make you think I would commit such a crime? Who even are you to y/n that I would try to keep her away from you?" His teal eyes stared right back at the sun god with the same intensity. There was no way he was going to let his brother know about the heinous act he had committed behind his back. Trying to dissuade y/n was simply a trivial thing when compared to making the young lady fell in love with him — with the help of Cupid, when she already had someone else in her heart.

He was very well aware of her growing love for the sun god and it was what made him so insecure. Afraid she might leave him for his brother even after she was struck by the cupid arrow. It was what stirred jealousy in the pits of his heart. He could never understand why y/n fell for Apollo and not him. He believed he treated her better.

"I may not be anyone special to her in your sight." Apollo spoke out after the deafening silence. "But the fact that she gave me another chance even after knowing I am the sun god she despise..."he paused to stare dead in his brother's eyes. "And even after your persuasion speaks volume of who I am in her life. A good friend who you can never be, Hermes." The teal god hands clenched in a tight fist, his knuckles turning pale. "Your whole bond with her is build on the foundation of lies."

"If you truly cared for her you would have told her the truth by now." Apollo continued. "I promise that I will keep your identity a secret from her because I thought you really loved her. However, seeing how you do not. She is better off leaving you behind as she deserves someone better. Someone who can love her right unlike you."

Hermes had gone tone deaf after the part where the golden eyed prince had mentioned that the h/c had forgiven him. It was like his nightmare had came to life. Didn't she love him? Was her friendship with the sun god greater than her love for him? It made his stomach churn with envy. If only their friendship mattered this much to her, how much more would her love for his brother be? His vision turned hazy with rage and jealousy.

"Let her go if you cannot love her right, Hermes. And if you cannot, change your wrong ways."

Change his wrong ways. What wrong have he done? Everything he had done till date were all for her love. All so they could be together forever. "My wrong ways..." he scoffed. "Just look who is talking." He mocked the golden haired prince, the hatred he hid perfectly under an innocent facade slowly showing in his teal hues. "You are no different from me, Apollo. The same blood of Zeus runs in our veins. So don't act righteous in front of me."

"At least I am doing it for love." He continued. "Everything I am doing might appear wrong in your eyes but it's all for love. Every. Single. Thing. I have done till date is so that she and I can be together forever. You have no right to judge my love for her considering your countless failed love affairs."

"No one can love her more than I." Hermes proclaimed. "I give you my word."

Apollo observed his brother, his calm demeanour long gone with the night breeze. His brows furrowed, his hands slightly clenched. While his stance were one of a man ready to a punch on another. How dare he say no one could love y/n more than he? When he was the reason behind her troubled heart.

He wouldn't have hesitated to throw hands on his brother if only y/n didn't love Hermes so much. He knew the h/c would hurt more if he were to see the teal eyed god in pain. So he restrained himself.

All he could do was glare at his brother as he rambled on about how much he deserved y/n as if she was a prize at the end of a game. Love have many faces and the one that Hermes was wearing repulsed him yet it reminded him of his old self. Of how selfish his love were in the past? How he had viewed his past lovers as a possession he must have or a prize he deserved at the end of a game?

It made him realise how rightfully justified y/n was with her reasons for not liking him in the start. And even more so for not worshipping the gods, his kind.

"Hermes... you remind me of who I was and how selfish I had been." He finally spoke out, his golden hues hold no condemn nor disgust, instead it overflowed with regret and pity. "And now I truly understand how rightfully justified her reasons were for despising me and the gods."

..............................

Y/n sat down on the window, gazing up at the wide night sky. A book in her lap which had a dried black rose as a bookmark. She found it strange why she treasured every little gift the golden haired prince gifted him. It was like a muscle memory for her which couldn't be wiped off with Cupid's arrow. As the first thing she had done was hid away all the presents Apollo had gifted her away in the depths of her drawer, when Hermes had tried to convince her to stay away from the sun god and erase every trace of him from her life.

She didn't understand why she did that back then. She could never find the answer to it like many questions left unanswered in her mind, heart and soul — which she hoped to find an answer to soon.

She tore her gaze away from the moon to the dried flower. "When did dead roses became so precious to me."