Page 117 of Eye of the Hurricane
Katherine
Yeah, everything is good. I just wanted to see you. Do you have plans tonight?
Ares
No, I’m all yours if you want me. What did you have in mind?
Katherine
I’m leaving the arena now, want to meet me at mine?
Ares
Yes.
I’m giddy the whole way home at the thought of seeing him. The cherry on top of a great day is the idea of melting into his arms. Home feels even more like home knowing he’ll be there waiting for me.
And that’s the thought that sets the realization in. The realization that I’m in love with him too. And that I should have said it back the other night.
I spend the entire drive thinking about all of the little moments. The grazing kisses on my knuckles, painting me at the lake, taking care of me when I was sick, dancing with me while I was drunk.
This is the love I dreamed of as a little girl. The idea of love that my mother killed in front of my own eyes. Between her relationship with my father being transactional at best and her heavy hand pushing me to be a bride and mother.
At a certain point, it pushed me away from all of it. She made me cold and apathetic toward the idea. Love become something that could trap me. I never knew it was something that could make me feel set free.
I’m practically jumping out of my car when I pull into the driveway and he’s leaned up against his car with his arms crossed. I don’t waste a single moment before running over to him. My heels slip through gaps in the gravel but I manage not to fall on my way.
“Please be careful in those heels, honey,” he chuckles, wrapping an arm around my back steadying my body to his.
“I love you,” I sigh, melting into him. He grins down at me, smile growing impossibly wide.
“Are you just saying that because I said it the other night?” he asks but his smile doesn’t falter, telling me he knows the answer is no.
“No. I’m saying it because I had a really good first day and the best part was the idea of coming home to you and telling you about it,” I tell him. Somehow his smile manages to widen further. “I love you because I feel like I’m living for the first time with you. I feel like I didn’t even know what fun was until I met you.”
“I love you.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’m glad you’re finally on the same page,” he says, resting his chin on my head. I roll my eyes, tipping my head up to look him in the eyes.
“It was less than a week.” He laughs.
“Week too long.”
Chapter 34
Katherine
Luna,Audra, Ravyn, and I all ride in one car and the boys ride in another to Ares’ art show. It’s so fun having a group of friends who do things like this together. I never really had a sense of community until Ares’ friends took me in without a question.
Today is the Charleston Southern Art Show which is—as I’ve been informed a hundred times by a very excited Ares—the third biggest art show in the United States.
Audra and Ravyn seem especially giddy for me to be attending. Maybe because Ares has never had a girlfriend in the crowd at these types of things… Am I even his girlfriend? I guess we haven’t put a label on it.
We are exclusive though… I think? I guess we haven’t talked about that either. Oh God. What if he’s seeing other people?
The thought of him taking some other woman to bed and doing to her what he does to me makes me nauseous. An unfamiliar feeling settles in my chest that feels a lot like jealousy. But like… way worse. Closer to territorial.
“I’ve hardly seen any of his work, I’m really excited for this,” I announce to the car. Audra and Ravyn share a look and laugh.
“I think you’ll love it,” Ravyn says.
