Worlds Beyond: Shattered (ON HOLD)

Chapter Twenty

You have no new messages.

I cursed inwardly, staring at the screen of my phone in my hand that showed no new phone calls or messages, from my mother that is.

In the past four days I had been in hiding, both Cain and Cerberus had sent me several text messages and emails, called me several times, but I didn't dare pick up. I was too scared to for fear of what they would say to me. I didn't even dare check their messages, just deleted them until they sent another batch and even after going missing for days they still didn't give up. I wondered why.

Why didn't they just give up on me? I'd been a terrible friend to them, especially to Cerberus. Was he calling to yell at me for what I'd said to him? To make fun of me? Wanting to know where I was to beat me up? Not that he would ever hit me, no matter how hurt or upset he was at me. Even though he could lose his temper at times, Cerberus was a kind and gentle person that would only ever hurt anyone if they threatened his happiness or that of those he loved.

But if I was the one to hurt him, would he still love me enough not to hurt me back? Would he come in head first to hurt me for hurting him? That seemed to be the most logical thing to do. I wouldn't blame him if he did it. I expected him to because I knew I deserved it, and the more I stayed here the more I began to think that maybe it'd be best if I didn't come back.

For what reason? Apologizing wouldn't change the fact that I hurt Cerberus and I wasn't so sure he would forgive me either way. Every night I woke up in a cold sweat due to dreams of Cerberus crying and repeating those same words over and over again, so much so that I began to believe them. It was all my fault. Every night I was reminded of what I did to him and that was more of a reason not to go back. I could for Cain and Cecil, but what if I hurt them too? What if one day I mentioned something that could hurt them? Yell at them?

I couldn't take the risk. I couldn't hurt my friends anymore. I didn't want to hurt anyone else.

"Something's troubling you?" A voice suddenly cut through my thoughts and I turned halfway to find Neros standing there with two cups of hot chocolate, that sweet gentle smile tugging at his perfect lips that always managed to relax me. I tucked my phone in the pocket of my jean as he handed me one of the cups and I nodded my thanks to him, taking the warm cup from him to blow the steam off before taking a little sip, shivering as I savored the warmth of it spreading down my throat and warming my cold palms.

The temperature had significantly decreased in the past few days as winter approached the realm of Hades. Thinking back on my first day here, that day Cerberus brought us upon Hades who reluctantly took us in, it had to be at least a month since then and I still had so much to learn about this realm, all the realms. If I stayed here.

Honestly, I wanted to. The Underworld was vast and new. Nobody knew who I was and so far I liked being a stranger to most. A place where nobody knew who I was, where no one stared at me oddly due to my eyes. A place where I wasn't cornered as much as I was in the mortal world, but that might just have to do with the fact that Neros was always around me; no one dared try to flirt with me with him right by my side at all times. His presence around me wasn't so much of a bother either.

Neros had proved to be a good person. It wasn't so bad to look over my shoulder and find him there each time as much as I thought it'd be. He clearly wasn't trying to hurt me. He always walked right next to me when we went into town to protect me from any lecherous gazes, always inspected shops to deem them safe before I went in, and always stayed by my side no matter where we were, and now wasn't the exception.

With his dirty blonde hair swept back from his chiseled face, wearing only a navy turtleneck with dark jeans and his perfect bare feet touching the cherry wood flooring, Neros stood by my side taking a gulp of his cup, those long tapered fingers going around it with such delicacy that always captivated me. The more I stared at them, the more I could make a few faint scars on the back of his hand, similar to the ones I'd seen before on his palm. They looked like they were pretty old and I wondered if he had more. That little curiosity in me was practically begging me to ask how he got them, but I didn't want to sound nosy.