Page 94 of Oh No! There's an Incubus in my Hot Spring
Irene pushes through the crowd and stands in front of me with hands on her hips. “I think it’s about time you go.”
Jason tongues his teeth, glaring at me. Fire rolls through my veins and I glare right back. The night is already ruined, no need for a smile.
“Now. Before I call the cops,” Irene says.
Leonard steps up beside her, as does his mother and father, blocking Apollo and me from the camera. Jason scoffs and turns for the stairs. I really hope he slips.
He doesn’t.
Irene turns to me. “You okay, hon?”
I swallow, bobbing my head. Normal chatter returns to the room, but the news camera stays pointing at me.
“Could you ask Andrew to wrap up?” I ask her.
“Sure thing,” Irene says, moving toward the reporter.
Apollo’s hand is still tense on my side, and I wait until the cameras are off to turn to him.
“What the hell was that? Threatening toremove his hand?” I whisper.
His jaw flexes. “He was hurting you.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to hurt him,” I say, frustrated. “I can handle myself. I can handlehim.”
“He was mistreating you in front of everyone. He was making you embarrassed and ashamed. He was lying.” Apollo lists the reasons as if it excuses him.
“He was trying to make a scene, and you antagonized him. You gave him the scene he wanted.” My voice is too loud.
I turn my back on him and grab my wine, then take a long drink. My heart is aching. He wanted to protect me, but he made a spectacle out of something I could’ve diffused. Now Channel Nine will be changing their piece, and whoever sees the special will know all of my fucking drama. They’re going to start digging, and they’re going to find dirt.
Too focused on my business. Never there. Cold, unloving girlfriend. No wonder he cheated. No wonder I’m unworthy.
I finish my wine and bite back the burning behind my eyes.
When I turn around, Apollo is gone. My hand tightens on my cup and I scan the crowd, but he’s not in there.
I swallow the lump in my throat and take a deep breath. Imustsalvage the night somehow. There’s a bottle of red on the tapas table so I pour a refill and reenter the crowd, begging for talk of hockey and hauntings.
twenty-four
A Gift in Return
Irene helps me make the best of the rest of the evening with games. Earlier, we’d hidden five tickets for an hour of exclusive access to the private pools in places where people should be going—except the bathrooms—and we encourage everyone to scavenge around while we play silly music through the speakers.
Apollo doesn’t come back, and by the time Irene leaves at nearly midnight, there’s a black pit of regret swallowing up my stomach. The door clicks shut and I wait, listening to her start her car and drive away.
“Apollo?” I call out.
He doesn’t appear.
I drop my head. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted. I was so caught off guard, and angry that he would come here, and evenmoreangry that he won the giveaway.”
It’s quiet.
I look at Charlie. “Why won’t he just leave me alone?”
“I dunno, buddy.”
