Bows and Eros

H&H Chapter 11: Hello, Goodbye

             The next morning, most of the reapers had returned to the underworld to keep things running. Hades had allowed for Gabe, myself, and Jericho to stay with Eros for a temporary while. I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I was freed of my debt to Hades, and so was Gabe. But I still needed to do something if I wanted to cross over, which I wasn’t sure of anymore. How would I open the gate now? I didn’t want to become a reaper if I could avoid it, but working for Aphrodite seemed unlikely. At the current moment, I was more worried about the drama between Eros, Gabe, and myself. I woke up and walked out into the living room. Jericho and Carmen were busy being nauseating, and Eros was sitting beside Adonis and watching them with a look of curious disgust. I approached him, feeling slightly nervous. Eros had never said that he blamed me for whatever happened between him and Gabe, but I had a feeling some of his anger was directed towards me.  I could imagine what he wasn’t saying. Why have you not broken up with him; he’s acting like a crazy jerk. But I wasn’t ready to give up on Gabe, not just yet. On the other hand, it had surprised me how insanely angry it made me when Eros got hurt. I felt a burning sense of protection and passion, which alarmed me. I mean, yes, I was aware that I liked Eros. But the way I felt when I saw him in pain, it was the way you reacted to…

          I couldn’t even say it. How could I feel that towards Eros if I loved Gabe? Did I love Gabe?

          “Hey,” I said. “How are you feeling today?”

“Fine,” Eros said. “I mean, I am a god. Macy, don’t get all maternal. It’s bad enough my mother is here.”

“Your mother is here?” I asked. My pulse started to race just a bit. “Where is she?”

“She is taking a bath or something,” Eros said. “What I don’t know is where Gabe is. He hasn’t come out of his room yet.”

“Oh,” I said. “So I guess he hasn’t apologized and started acting like a decent person again.”

“Nope,” Eros said. “I don’t really care about what he did to me. I’m more upset that he tried to force you into sleeping with him.”

“I should go find him,” I said. “I could barely sleep last night. I need to figure out what is going on with him.”

“Do you want me to come with?” Eros said. “I can just observe, keep you safe.”

“Eros, I appreciate the support, but I’m ok. Gabe may be acting up, but he’d never hurt me.”

“He better not,” Eros said. “I am on good terms with Hades again, and there is plenty of room in the underworld for him if he even lays a finger on you.”

“I can handle myself, ok? I reaped the souls of a handful of murderers, so I can take on a man who loves me.”

           “Ok, but I am here,” Eros said, his eyes full of something I couldn’t quite place.

Somewhere in the background I heard Carmen giggling. I didn’t look back to see what they were doing, but walked down the hallway to Gabe’s room. The hallway was far enough away that I knew Gabe and I could speak, and no one would eavesdrop. Eros’ place was more like a palace than a house, and I’d yet to find the outside wall. I sort of suspected that the house had some sort of never ending quality to it, which was fitting for a god. If I were a God, I’d want a house with infinite space and rooms. And maybe a never ending shoe closet. I smiled at the thought, almost forgetting what I was about to do. I knocked on the door, not hearing a response.

“Gabe,” I said before knocking. No response. I knocked again. “Gabe, I need to speak with you.”

I opened the door, feeling impatient and nervous. There was nothing there, just an empty room.