Page 119 of Hades' Shadow
His lips brush my temple.
“What?” I ask and turn shocked eyes on him.
He told her that before we ever left?
“I told her to leave me alone, that there wouldn’t be anything between us.” He pushes a stray hair behind my ear.
I shiver at the contact and glance up at him. Tenderness and something I don’t want to name shine in his eyes.
“You were so mad, though,” I whisper.
We have to stop hurting each other, but at the academy it’s so hard. There are so many people trying to get between us there.
“I wasn’t mad at you. Well, once I got it through my thick skull that you didn’t want anything to do with them.” He shifts so our legs are touching.
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. “They are pushy idiots. I don’t know what it is about demigods and being dicks.”
“Hey now,” he says.
Jayden’s fingers trail softly over the back of my hand making me shiver.
“You know you are an asshole on your best days,” I tease bumping his shoulder.
“As long as I’m your asshole,” he whispers.
“Not yet, Jayden. You said it yourself that we both need to be at the academy before anyone can prove anything.” I lean back on my elbows and scan the meadow.
I’m glancing anywhere but at him when he leans over me.
“Whether we are here or I prove it to you when we get back, I’m yours, Beth.” He presses his lips to my forehead in a sweet kiss that’s filled with so much promise.
How can he say that when we have both been struggling at the academy?
Am I making a mistake that’s going to break me all over again?
Jayden didn’t try to stop me from jumping on the golem’s arm. Before he would have called me reckless or tried to stop me.
“What changed?” I ask with a frown.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“Why do you all of a sudden trust that I’m capable of handling myself?” I ask.
“My father contacted you instead of me. You single-handedly took down a fucking hydra. You are capable and I had to just put my ego and overprotectiveness aside when it comes to monsters.”
“I’m sorry. I asked your dad why he didn’t contact you and he said he tried but he couldn’t.” I run my hand over the grass on my left side, staring into space.
Shit, wait a second. Draven and Mr. Cross couldn’t contact their dads either.
“I know that look. What is it?” Jayden asks, leaning closer.
“Draven and Cross,” I say and Jayden growls. “Easy, killer. Neither of them can contact their godly parents. You don’t think someone is blocking the gods from their demigod children, do you?”
“Shit, how are they blocking the gods though?” Jayden straightens and runs a hand through his hair.
It’s getting longer than his usual buzz cut. I could tug on it if the situation calls.
Shit, Beth, we are not going there right now. Focus.
