Page 10 of Through You
His hair is messy and he’s wearing pajamas. He looks sweet, and I smile.
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
His eyes dart over to the door of Artemis’s bedroom. And then they land back on me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.”
He grabs my hand. “Want to come to my room?”
Apolo and I have grown closer in the past months. Sometimes, after I’m done with work, we watch movies until midnight, although I often end up falling asleep midway through. The blush that appears on his face gives him away. At first, I thought we were simply bonding like siblings do, as if he was my younger brother. But recently I’ve noticed a change in his manner, and he may be misreading our relationship, hoping for more. Or maybe it’s just my imagination playing tricks on me. Either way, he’s sixteen now; I can’t keep treating him like a kid.
“I’ll have to take you up on that another night,” I reply.
He gives my hand a squeeze. “Are you sure?”
I nod as I pull my hand away. “Good night, Apolo.”
“Good night, Claudia.”
As I try to fall asleep, the vision of Artemis’s bare chest torments my thoughts.
A few days pass and I don’t run into Artemis at all. Maybe he’s busy with work—who knows. One thing is certain, I feel calm and grateful. Artemis doesn’t intimidate me, but I feel unsettled in his presence. He’s been away for so many years that it’s going to take some time to get used to him being around again.
On Saturday morning, I wake up as usual, assist my mother to the bathroom, and help her get dressed. I opt to wear my hair in two braids; it makes work easy and keeps my hair in place. I leave my mom in our room and make my way to prepare breakfast. I let out a yawn and stretch my arms as I enter the kitchen.
I jump when I notice someone sitting at the table. “Oh my god!”
Artemis is dressed in an impeccable black suit paired with a dark-blue tie, arms folded across his chest. The rays of sunshine streaming through the window shine on his hair, bringing out the few strands of blond that are usually invisible to the casual eye.
It’s the first time he’s come to the kitchen since the night of the party, and his impassive face and stone-cold eyes make me uneasy.
“Good morning, sir.”
Without even a greeting, he says, “I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes to eat breakfast.”
“It’s seven o’clock in the morning. I serve breakfast at seven thirty when Ares and Apolo are about to leave for school, and on weekends when they wake up.”
“Well, I’m ordering that you change your schedule to suit my needs.”
I flush with irritation. “You don’t have to talk to me that way.”
“I’ll address you whichever way it damn well pleases me.” He glares at me.
The voice of my mother plays in my head.Behave. I fight to control my urge to talk back and tell him where to go. I bite my tongue—literally.
“And in the spirit of getting things straight . . .” He points to a uniform on the table, which I hadn’t noticed. “From now on, you wear this.”
“I beg your pardon?” I snap. That’s the last straw.
“You heard me.” He pushes the uniform toward me. “I think you need to wear this to remind yourself of the place you occupy in this house. My brothers have failed to set boundaries where you are concerned.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “You are a fucking idiot.”
Though he arches a brow in reaction to my insult, he at least seems a bit shocked. “What did you call me?”
I make sure to emphasize each word. “You. Are. A. Fucking.
Idiot. Artemis.”
