Page 80 of Raising Hell
I made a face and tugged my hand free even as my face heated at the reminder of what I’d let him do to me.
“Last night didn’t prove anything other than that I’m weak when it comes to you.” What I said hit me, and suddenly fully awake, I sat up and looked down at him. “Wait. It proved I was telling the truth. You know it did.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps you chose to be very convincing once I gave my word not to press for everything even when it was offered.”
My hopeful expression turned to a scowl.
“You’re annoying.”
I got out of bed, grabbed a tooth twig, and closed myself in the water closet to avoid him. After a few minutes, I could hear him pacing not far away.
“Come out,” he demanded before I was ready.
I scowled at the closed door and angrily chewed on my stick for another second.
“You know what this room is for. Stop making this weird,” I called back.
“Stop using this tiny room to escape me.”
“Stop making me want to escape, then,” I retorted.
The sudden bang that filled the space when he slapped his hand on the surface of the door in his irritation made me jump but smile. It felt good knowing that he was as irritated as I was…until I remembered why upsetting him wasn’t a good idea.
Huffing, I tugged the door open and walked past him to the shower.
“Can you turn on the water, please?”
Hot water started flowing over the rock above. I washed my hands and turned to face him. He was already naked.
I shifted my gaze to the ceiling.
“A little warning next time.”
He caught my arm when I tried walking around him.
“Bathe with me.”
“I already did and don’t care for a repeat ‘performance.’”
He frowned at my air-quote fingers, and I rolled my eyes. “That means…you know what? Never mind. You didn’t believe last night was real, so why would you want me to lie to you again? Aren’t you always asking why things can’t be real? Well, this is why. Because when they are, you don’t believe them.”
I tugged my arm free and strode to the door, only to stop just short of opening it.
It still wasn’t safe without him.
Hanging my head in defeat, I considered what my day would be like if I didn’t make peace with whatever was going on between the two of us. The irony that it “would be hell” wasn’t lost on me.
Squaring my shoulders, I faced him. Only, he wasn’t there. Behind the privacy screen, I heard the water splashing.
I went to the dressing table, which I hadn’t used since he’d created it, and looked at myself in the mirror. The hairpin from yesterday rested on the surface. He must have taken it out for me so it wouldn’t jab my head while I slept. I tucked it back into my braids and straightened my necklace. I’d gotten so used to wearing it that I barely noticed it was there now.
After changing the band that circled my arm to the other one, I started sniffing the vials of oil until I found a citrus one I liked.
“How do I use these oils?” I called.
The water shut off, and when Hades rounded the screen, he was dry and wore pants.
“Those are for your bath. Would you like one?”
