Ares

Chapter fifteen: Breaking the Walls

Elara

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand, smiling to myself. Last night had been... interesting, to say the least. Sure, maybe I had been a little bold, practically glued to Ares during that scary movie, but who could blame me? He wasn't just any guy; he was Ares, god of war, all bronze and beauty, and here he was sitting next to me on my couch. I didn't regret a thing.

The reflection staring back at me grinned. I knew I'd gotten under his skin last night. The way his body tensed whenever I touched him, the way his breath hitched when I leaned closer. He might act all superior, like this ancient immortal who's seen everything, but I'd rattled him. I knew it.

Rinsing my mouth, I replayed the moment when he'd caught me gripping his hair. It was subtle, but I'd seen the way his eyes flared with something-desire? Annoyance? Whatever it was, I liked it. I liked getting a reaction out of him, no matter how small. It made him feel more... human, more real.

But today, he'd been different. Off, somehow. It started with breakfast. He barely said a word to me, his eyes glued to the table or the wall, anywhere but me. If I asked him a question, he answered quickly and curtly. No teasing remarks, no sarcasm, no nothing. He didn't even sit too close to me-something he usually did, even though he pretended not to.

And then there was lunch. I had made a sandwich for myself, fully expecting him to make some snide comment about mortal food or how pathetic it was that I had to eat, but... nothing. He just sat there, quiet, distant. It was like he couldn't get far enough away from me.

I didn't understand. Last night had been fun, hadn't it? I mean, sure, I'd practically been in his lap, but he didn't seem to mind then. So why was he acting so weird now?

The rest of the day dragged on with Ares avoiding me at every turn. He was still here, in my space, but there was this invisible wall between us, and I hated it.

By evening, I'd had enough. I walked into the living room where he was sitting, but he didn't even look up from the book he was pretending to read. He hadn't made eye contact with me once all day, and it was driving me insane.

"Okay, what's going on?" I said, hands on my hips. "You've been weird all day."

Ares didn't answer. His eyes stayed glued to the book, flipping a page like I wasn't even there.

"Ares." I stepped closer, feeling my patience slip. "I'm serious. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he muttered, still not looking up.

"Nothing's wrong?" I repeated, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Really? Because you haven't been able to look at me all day."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat but still said nothing.

I moved closer, until I was standing right in front of him. He couldn't avoid me forever. "If nothing's wrong," I said, voice low, "then why can't you look at me?"

Silence. He didn't even twitch.

I crouched down so I was eye level with him, forcing him to acknowledge me. His jaw was tight, his body tense, and I could see his hands gripping the book a little too hard. I leaned in closer, my face just inches from his.

"Ares," I whispered, eyes locked on his face. "Look at me."

Slowly, he turned his head, his amber eyes locking with mine for a brief second before darting away again, like I was something too bright, too intense for him to handle. His reaction only fueled my determination.

I reached out, gently touching his chin, forcing him to face me. His skin was warm under my fingers, and for the first time all day, he seemed to freeze, like he wasn't sure what to do. His eyes met mine, and this time, they stayed.