Eros

Chapter 25: The Invitation

"Uh, Angie? I can't find Eros anywhere."

Angie inhaled the fresh air as they strolled through the gardens, making some last minute touches to the decorations and caterer's stuff. "Shay! What're you doing looking for him? I already told you, I don't think I can handle ever seen him again." Deep down, she wished she had invited Eros. In fact, her discovery of the rock's odd shape where it had broken in half still had her spinning. And to be downright honest, Angie was desperate to confront Eros about it. She believed only he held the answer.

"Yeah, well, with you believing that he's Cupid, I'm sure you have a burning interview waiting for him."

Angie regarded her friend's face. There was no trace of sarcasm or even humor. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Well, where does he live?"

"In the dorms on campus."

"Exactly! Yesterday was the last day of school, girl! There is no one there now."

Angie stopped breathing, her fingers going to her mouth. "Holy cow, I forgot all about that. Shay, what should we do? I'm responsible for him! It was me who brought him over here—he doesn't know his way around and he has like no money or job or car or anything!"

"Calm down, we'll think of something."

"Shay!" she buried her face and cried. Guilt. Deep and cold, bit her hard in the heart. "Okay, okay! I admit that I still love him. I can't, I can't stop thinking about him, Shay and now I'm never ever, ever going to see him again." She sucked on her fingernail. "Maybe it's for the best."

"What do you mean?"

Angie glimpsed at Shay through her fallen hair. Shay was hiding something, she could tell by the scared look in her eyes.

"What did you do, Shay?" Angie could feel the wild beat of her heart.

"What, me?" she laughed, twisting a small curl at her neck.

Angie paused in front of the Cupid fountain, and stared longingly at it. How badly she wanted to be wrapped in his strong arms again. "Tell me." She looked at Shay.

"Well, I crossed out Frank's name and wrote Eros above it."

"You did what?" Fear. Humiliation. Anguish. They rushed at her all at once. She relived the very night she had walked into the bathroom with Eros and Candi. "I can't ever face him again, Shay. Gosh, I wish you didn't do that. I feel so naked now. I'll always be to him."

"He's not like that, Ang, you know that." Her voice was soft.

Angie felt the tears spring to her eyes. "You weren't there."

"No, he doesn't feel that way. Take it from me, I know."

"Shay, tell me what you did, for reals."

A small smile crept across Shay's lips, her eyes dropping down. "I gave him the invitation personally."

Angie gasped, turning her back to the sun.

"You should've seen his face—he had dark circles under his eyes, under his cheekbones if that's possible! He was so white he reminded me of a sick vampire. When he saw me, when he very first saw me, his eyes lit up and he—," Shay stopped right there, tearing her eyes away as she sat on the bench.

"And he what?" Angie lowered herself beside her friend, gripping the stone bench.

"He muttered a whole bunch of Greek words, grabbed my shoulders and squished me. He grabbed my face and gave me a—are you sure you want to know?"