Bows and Eros

H&H Chapter 12: Thinking Clearly

I woke up to see Eros and Carmen staring at me, and Carmen was flashing a light bulb in my eye. I blinked violently, trying to will away the brightness. Everything hurt so much, and my head was throbbing like never before. The bullet hole that had gone through me days ago was nothing compared to this. I glanced around the room, seeing Jericho and Aphrodite in the corner of the room. Aphrodite, I was supposed to remember something about her. It was important. My thoughts are interrupted by Eros' voice, calling me back to the present.

"Macy, do you think you can sit up?" He asked me.

I looked at him, taken aback momentarily. Holy crap, how did I not notice how devastatingly good looking he was before. His blue eyes seemed to pierce right through me, and the way he looked at me made me quiver. He looked concerned, amorous, and protective. He loved me. I'd known it, believed, and heard him say that a million times before. But for the first time, it was as if I could sense and feel his affections. And for the first time, my heart started to kick into overdrive and I knew somehow I could appreciate his affections now.

"I'll try," I said, answering as I moved upwards.

Shooting pain entered my midsection, and I screamed out. But I didn't take my eyes off of Eros. His eyes seemed laser focused on my belly button, and I glanced down. There was a bandage covering my middle, and red stains spotted the white in spots that seemed to erupt from a center point.

"What the hell? What happened to me?" I shouted, feeling panic seize me. Why did I keep bleeding? The only upshot to being dead was pain was supposed to subside and I could just exist.

"Gabriel had another episode," Aphrodite said. "He was hovering over your body, holding a knife. He seemed very confused as to what had happened."

"I spoke with him," Jericho replied. "He said he didn't remember what happened, he just woke up in a pool of blood."

"He hasn't been in control," Eros said. "People aren't meant to leave the underworld. His mind is fragmented. I think it's safe to say he needs to be kept away from Macy."

I glanced down at my blood, nodding. Eros could be very astute sometimes, saying exactly what needed to be said. He was fearless, a born leader, and a sense of clam swept over me watching him command the room.

"I agree," I said, my voice sounding cold. "So, should we just toss him back in the underworld? I mean, it's not like he'd even notice. He's a little disoriented."

"Macy," Carmen chided. "He's your boyfriend. You love that man and you spent months getting him out of the underworld. What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know," I said. "I feel odd...dizzy. It must be the blood loss. But in regards to Gabe, I would say it's safe to say that we're breaking up. I mean, he did stab me and try to kill me. I care about him, but I can help him and he can't control himself."

I said the words, I care about him, but I didn't feel it. I felt nothing, like I was reciting a fact from a book. The first president of the United States was George Washington, and Macy loves Gabe. It was an emotionless recall of what I knew I was supposed to feel. But what I really felt, despite logic and an absurd amount of pain, was the desire to throw myself at Eros and wrap my legs around his waist. Clearly, I had feelings for Eros but I'd never felt so out of control with them before.

"Did he drug me?" I asked.

"No," Jericho said. "Where would he get drugs? He hasn't left and you've been in Eros' bedroom next to his stash doing who-knows-what all night."

"Ok," I replied, feeling odd. "Where is Gabe now?"

"He's in the dungeon," Eros said. "Locked up, but not shackled. He apparently has a thing about shackles."