Page 84 of Through You
I burst out laughing when I notice Raquel biting her nails.
Her curiosity is adorable. My eyes move from her to Dani, aware they’re waiting for me to answer.
“It’s complicated.”
“It’s complicated,” Dani repeats, shaking her head. “Don’t give me a relationship status line from Facebook.”
“Let her be, Dani.” Raquel saves me from the interrogation.
I stop talking when I see Ares, Apolo, and Artemis casually walking in our direction. Ares says something to Apolo, which makes him laugh and shake his head. Artemis shoots them a tired look. I give myself permission to give Artemis a lingering look.
He has a black suit on, no tie, and the top buttons of his shit are undone. His hair is combed back, and his light scruff accents his strong jaw.
“Do you mind if we sit with you?” Ares asks when they reach us.
Ares sits down with Raquel, and Apolo sits next to me, which prompts Artemis to take the spot on the other side.Very mature,iceberg.Ares takes Raquel’s hand and gives it a quick kiss.
“What are you all drinking?” he asks.
“Just a little vodka,” Dani responds.
Apolo extends his hand to Dani. “May I have some?”
Artemis raises an eyebrow and Apolo pulls his hand away. I roll my eyes and give my glass to Apolo. “Take it.”
Artemis twists his lips. “Claudia.”
I smile at him. “Loosen up a little, iceberg.”
“Iceberg?” Raquel asks.
“Yeah. That’s what she calls him.” Ares laughs.
I gesture at Artemis with my hands. “Can’t you see how tall and cold he is?”
Artemis purses his lips. “I’m right here.”
Raquel laughs heartily.
“That’s a superoriginal nickname,” she adds, giving a thumbs-up.
I take a bow in an exaggerated and mocking way.
“Thank you, thank you.”
“We should play Never Have I Ever,” Raquel suggests.
I don’t think that’s a good idea. But how can I say no to the birthday girl? We all share a look and she raises her glass. “I’ll go first.”
It’s a long wait until Raquel starts the game. She’s deep in thought, and I suspect she’s thinking of something that involves Ares, because she can’t stop staring at him. She’s crazy about him, isn’t she?
It truly makes me happy that Ares’s first love is so real and pure—he deserves it. It’s about time he met someone who showed him there are good women left in the world. Women who can be trusted blindly and who are worth a chance.
“Raquel?” Ares’s voice seems to bring her back. “We’re all waiting.”
Raquel begins. “Okay, for those who have never played, it’s like this: if I were to say ‘Never have I ever eaten pizza,’ and you have, then you drink. You don’t need to explain anything, just have a drink if you’ve done the thing mentioned. Or not drink, if you haven’t. Everyone gets a turn. Is that clear?”
Okay, that can’t be that bad.
