Page 3 of Winning Back Persephone

"I've no idea," I admitted. "My mother is encouraging me to date, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Could that be because you always manage to turn any conversation around so we're talking about..."

"Hades," I said.

"Well, yes. I was getting there," the Norse goddess said.

"No, I mean, Hades. He's here." I looked past her to where the crowd parted, and I spotted my former husband in a well-fitting suit and his dark hair in general disarray. A weird feeling passed through me as I looked at him. I hadn't expected to find him at any Jinx event, never mind one I was attending.

Hel sighed. "Should I make him leave?"

"You can't do that," I protested. "He's a guest."

"And you're not going to have a good time if he's here."

"It's fine. I'll just go say hello and get it over with."

The expression she gave me said it all. I knew how my friends felt about my break-up with Hades. It wasn't that they disliked him, far from it, actually. They were just fed up with me talking about him. They had no idea just how much time I spentthinkingabout Hades and the way things ended between us. It hadn't even been dramatic, maybe it would have been easier if it had been, then I could have been hurt and then moved on.

Instead, all I was left with was an aching deep within me that never seemed to fade, one that wanted a return to the life I'd had a couple of years ago and the comfort that came from knowing that I was settled.

And happy.

I pushed the thoughts aside as I arrived by Hades and cleared my throat.

He turned to face me, surprise registering on his face before he looked me up and down, making me feel appreciated in a way only he could. "You look good, Sephie," he said in his low and inviting voice.

My traitorous heart fluttered in response. "So do you. The suit even looks like it was bought this century."

He chuckled. "It was. Poseidon insisted I get a new one if I was going to start using Jinx's services."

This time, my heart constricted, but I didn't let myself dwell on the idea of him dating. I'd renounced my right to complain about that when I'd walked out of the door. "I'm surprised you let him take you shopping."

"I hired a personal shopper instead," he admitted. "He came to the club with options."

"Ah."

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, nodding towards my empty hand.

"Oh, I'm here with Hel," I said, looking over to where the blue-haired goddess was already talking to someone else. "I just thought I should get the awkwardness out of the way so we didn't run into one another by accident."

"I see." He studied me with a thoughtful expression on his face, like he was having thoughts he wanted to share. If we'd still been together, I'd have asked him what they were. But despite the fact I wanted to know, I'd given up the right to ask.

"So, erm, yes." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's good to see you. You're looking well."

"Yes." He met my gaze, and I was transfixed, barely able to think as it felt like he was staring straight into my soul and seeing all of the things that made me the person I was. He'd assured me many times that it was nothing to do with any magic he held and that it was all in my imagination, but it was hard to reconcile that with the way he made me feel when he looked at me. There was magic in his gaze, even if he didn't realise it.

"I should go," I murmured, finally managing to pull myself away. I gave him a strange half-wave that could definitely have been better. I wasn't used to feeling this awkward around people, but then again, it wasn't every day that I found out my former husband had decided to start dating again. I wasn't ready for that. And I supposed I'd assumed he wouldn't be ready for that either.

I sighed and made my way back over to where Hel was, resisting the urge to look back over my shoulder to where Hades was. I doubted I was going to be able to focus on anything other than his presence now that I knew he was here.

Hel turned when she saw me coming. "So? What's he doing here?"

"Using Jinx's services, apparently." I looked over to where my former husband was now in conversation with another woman. My insides tightened and it took everything I had not to let any hint of my jealousy out. It wasn't fair for me to act on it.

"Unexpected."

"Maybe my mother is right. I should be dating myself. But I don't want to be on the app."

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