Persephone’s Fall – Page 30
Most of the cab ride is nothing but dead silence. Hades seems afraid to speak, and I have nothing to say. Finally, he looks over at me.
“This is harder than I thought.”
Which part, Hades? The whole blackmail thing, or getting ready for the wedding itself? Or is it juggling the combination that really takes it out of you. I’m sure that’s tough.
I don’t say anything. Hades goes on.
“I didn’t expect it to go like this, Seph. I thought eventually you’d get tired of dating stupid assholes, and realize you had a nice guy waiting for you. That’s how it works in the movies, you know? Except that never happened. I just kept waiting.”
Cry me a river.
“And now I had hoped that planning your wedding might at least be something you could enjoy, even if everything about it isn’t exactly as pictured. But you’re either apathetic, or bursting into tears you refuse to explain. Fair enough, I suppose. You’re probably right not to be happy. I’m only saving your life.”
Please, Hades. You’re not saving anything. This is my penance for the sins I’ve committed. It’s a delay, at best.
Hades sighs. “And now, of course, you’re not talking to me.”
“What do you want me to say, Hades?”
“Tell me a story, Seph. Make it a story about a girl whose only goal in life is to throw herself off a building. A girl who’s spent the past ten years being cold and jaded, encased in ice you might say. And make sure to mention what’s causing that ice to crack, all of a sudden.”
“You already know that story, Hades. You understand me. You always have.”
Hades shakes his head. “Everything I’ve ever been sure of about you, Seph, you’ve proven wrong.”
