Page 30 of Eris

Enzo gasped, and the world dropped away. They were in the dark void for a few moments and then reappeared on the boat's deck. Enzo stumbled, but Eris held him upright.

"Holy crap. I thought you said your curse would drop in weird places when you teleported," he said, still clinging to her as if he was too afraid to let go.

Eris tilted her head up to give him a cheeky smile. "But the curse doesn't work when you are close to me. It was worth the risk." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Go and have a shower, Enzo. Wash the day off. I'll take us out."

"Wait, you can sail?" he asked.

"I can get us going. Navigating is up to you," Eris replied with a wink.

Enzo laughed softly and slowly let his arms fall from around her. "I'll shower quickly. Just in case."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The sun was setting out over the ocean when Enzo returned on deck, his hair still damp and smelling of citrus. Eris tried not to lean in and sniff at him as he took over the ship's wheel.

"I told you I could get us moving," she teased.

"Thank you. I'm…"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry. Now, get back to work so I can shower too," Eris said, refusing to let him feel bad about what happened on top of Byrsa Hill.

Enzo's lips twitched up into a smile. "Bring me a beer when you come back."

"Pushy little mortal, you'll get what you're given," she said and headed back downstairs with a sway of her hips.

It felt good to shower off the sweat, tears, and dust. More than ever, she wanted to protect Enzo from anything that would try and hurt him again. Bianca had said he had loved the wrong person, which was true, but Eris didn't believe for a moment he was cursed. He didn't have the heart of a murderer. He wouldn't still be upset over what had happened if he did. No wonder he hadn't dated in over a year. After a marriage like the one he had, it was a miracle he wanted to try relationships again.

You really don't deserve someone like him, a voice said in the back of her head. It sounded like Zeus, which made her even angrier.

"Maybe I don't, but I'm not going to give him up without a fight," she said aloud, silencing the inner voice.

Clean and relaxed once more, Eris chopped lime wedges for their beers and went up on deck. Enzo was sitting on the reclined mattresses, staring at the darkening water.

"No one steering the ship?" Eris asked.

"Autopilot can handle it for the moment," Enzo said, a slow smile spreading over his lips. "Are one of those beers for me?"

Eris moved across the deck and passed them to him so she could climb up beside him. "Only one is. The other is mine," she said, leaning back against the cushioning. "Are you okay?"

"I am now. Actually, I feel better than I have since it happened. Lighter, I guess," Enzo said and sipped his beer. "I had moved on emotionally after the divorce. She just couldn't let it go and then thought it would be best to kill me over it. Feeling all of Aeneas and Dido's pain just ripped it out of me. I've wanted to tell you about it since I met you, but I didn't know how."

"So you don't love her anymore?" Eris asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Enzo shook his head. "Not for years. I didn't want her to die, but I didn't grieve our love. That had been over a long time. It was only that she died when she should have gotten help. She wasn't a bad person. Just unwell."

"I understand. There's no point in letting the past drag you down. Take it from an old immortal who knows," Eris replied, bumping her shoulder against his.

Enzo smiled, making her stomach flutter. "Drinks. A beautiful sunset. Despite the weird day, this almost feels like the date we never had."

Eris liked that idea. "I wouldn't know. I never had one."

"As a rule, I usually don't let my dates see me cry," Enzo said with an awkward chuckle.

Eris couldn't resist pinching his cheek. "Why? You look so pretty with tears in your eyes."

"Ah, there she is. I was wondering how long the soft Eris would last," Enzo said before his voice turned husky. "Is that something you are into? Making grown men cry?"

"Not recently, but I can make the exception if you are into it."

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