Page 53 of You Can't Fight Lightning
“Why are you here?”
He leaned back a little, the worry gone from his eyes, replaced by something I couldn’t decipher. “We decided we were done. We closed up Olympus and left.”
“Why? It’s your job to look after the world.” My reaction came swiftly, almost accusing.
“That’s a nice thought, but you have moved past us. There’s one god for this world now, and he has a lot of different names.”
“Is he real?”
Z shrugged. “I don’t know. Not really my lane. We’ve chatted… but I don’t meddle in the lives of any gods other than those I’ve lived with or around or fought with for thousands of years. I’ve had more than enough to manage.” He laughed.
I laughed with him, feeling my shoulders drop a little. I should be mad at him. I should be tossing another drink in his nosy face.
But I couldn’t. “Why is someone like you even interested in me?”
His brows came down before I’d even finished speaking. “Even before I knew part of your history, I knew you were extraordinary.” His hand eased across the table and Z rested his fingers on mine. “I knew I wanted to spend time with you. But I realized that my…” his eyes moved away, and a slight pink dusted the top of his cheeks. “My former methods of wooing weren’t going to work.”
“Enter Courtney and her books.”
He nodded. “Exactly. I love her writing. I know they’re fiction, but things that are written have always been indicative of what it is humans are longing for. What they wish for. So I read them with that in mind.”
“And what did you learn?”
“Not enough.” The pink disappeared, and he grinned, looking less sheepish. “Not enough that I didn’t pry into your life. I wasn’t trying to. But Hypnos.” He sighed. “As much as I’d like to blame him, he only tempted me with something I really wanted.”
It felt like this was a big admission from him.
“What was that?”
“I wanted to know you better.” His eyes held mine.
I couldn’t look away.
I felt myself falling, melting. The desire I had for him almost since the moment I’d met him, the desire I’d been pushing away, holding back, holding off—it rushed over me with the force of a rogue wave. I was breathless at the depths I saw in his eyes.
They were like the deep, blue ocean, inviting me in.
I knew that if I took just one step, just one, I’d be lost. I’d be at sea forever.
With Z.
Would that be so bad?
“Have another bite. We’ve come all this way, and I have to admit I’m enjoying this.” Z leaned back again, the intensity of only seconds before broken.
Almost as though he knew what he was doing to me. Knew that I was overwhelmed.
And he was giving me space.
We finished the baked feta, and then Z held out a hand to me. “Come and walk with me?”
I took his hand without speaking.
We walked through town for another two hours. Sometimes we spoke. Most of the time we didn’t. He took my hand as we walked, and I let him. It was warm, comforting, and it made me feel safe.
For the first time in years.
I felt a prick of tears at the corners of my eyes. My throat ached suddenly, when you know a huge cry is coming on.
