Chapter 207

[ 1,639 words ]

9:06 am

Goddess Of The Underworld

A Heartache and à Distraction.

Elliot

For a heartbeat, everything else fell away. It was just her lips on mine, my hand tangled in her hair. The smell of her perfume and the feeling of all her soft

curves against me. Then she stepped back.

Her breath caught, her eyes shining. “We can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Elliot, we can’t do this p>

The words sliced through my heart. I shut my eyes, letting my head dip until my chin brushed my chest. “You’ll admit that you love me one day, Mace,” i

said quietly. “I’ll wait for you, even if I have to wait forever p>

And before she could see what that admission cost me, I turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind the. The scent of her still clung to my hands, a reminder of everything I wanted and everything I had for just one single, mind-blowing moment. One that I will store in my memories and cherish.

Macey

It hadn’t even been ten minutes since Elliot left. The air still felt too thick, my heartbeat still too uneven. I was standing by the window, trying to breathe myself back into something normal, when another knock came. For a second, I thought maybe he’d come back. Maybe he’d forgotten something, or maybe I’d imagined the look on his face when he walked away. But when I opened the door, it wasn’t Elliot. It was Dean.

He leaned against the doorframe like he’d been born there, hands shoved in his pockets, the same grin from earlier tugging at his mouth. “Evening. sunshine,” he said easily. “You always answer the door looking this guilty, or did I interrupt something p>

I blinked, caught off guard. “Dean? What are you doing here p>

He didn’t answer. He just walked right past me, whistling low as his eyes skimmed over my room, the books, the sketches on the wall, the still-unmade bed. And then he stopped at the flowers.

“These are nice,” he said, stepping closer. “You have an admirer p>

I rolled my eyes, arms crossing automatically. “They’re from my… brother p>

The word stuck in my throat, and felt bitter on my tongue.

Dean laughed, low and surprised. “Your brother buys you flowers? That’s a little weird p>

“Yeah, well, my family’s weird,” I muttered.

He smirked, glancing around again before turning back to me. “I was bored,” he said simply, like that explained everything. “Figured I’d find worthing interesting to do p>

His gaze swept over me, slow, assessing, araused. The same spark from earlier flickered behind his eyes. “And, oh look,” he murmurd Fe

interesting p>

1 sighed, but the corner of my mouth betrayed me with the smallest twitch. “You’re impossible”

“Persistes),” he corrected. “There’s a difference p>

“You realise barging into a gof’s room uninvited is not a great first impression p>

He’s Too Good At This.

Class started the same way it always did, with Mr Graves shuffling papers at his desk and mumbling something about the syllabus while half the room checked their phones under the table. I tried to focus. Really, I did. But Dean was sitting right next to me, spinning his pen like it was a weapon and tapp his boot against the leg of his chair in perfect, maddening rhythm. He didn’t even pretend to be listening.

When Mr Graves turned to the board, Dean leaned toward he, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “So… how’s it feel walking into class with the

most popular guy in school p>

I didn’t even glance at him. “You’ve been here for twenty-four hours. Calm down p>

“Twenty-six,” he corrected, smirking. “But who’s counting p>

I scribbled something in my notebook, nothing useful, just lines that looked like I was taking notes. “Apparently you are p>

He grinned, resting his chin in his hand as he watched me. “You know, you’re way cuter when you’re pretending not to like me p>

“Cute,” I echoed, deadpan. “That’s original p>

“Oh, I’ve got better lines,” he said easily, “but I figured I’d start small p>

Mr Graves turned, catching sight of him leaning across the aisle. “Mr Blackmore, is my lesson interrupting your conversation p>

The class chuckled softly. Dean just smiled, unbothered, charming, precisely the way he always seemed to be. “Not at all, sir. Just helping Macey with the

notes p>

“Then perhaps you can help her in silence,” Mr Graves said dryly before turning back to the board.

I gave Dean a sharp look, mouthing, You’re impossible.

He shrugged. You love it, his lips mouthed back.

I scoffed under my breath, turning my attention back to the notes that were quickly becoming unreadable.

A few minutes passed, filled with the low murmur of Mr Graves’s lecture and the faint scratching of pens on paper. But Dean didn’t stay quiet rong

“So,” he whispered, “this party tomorrow, what’s the dress code? Do I need tg.impress anyone, or is my natural perfection enough p>

I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. “If you show up like this, they’ll probably build a shrine in your honour p>

He chuckled. “See? You do notice me p>

“Hard not to. You’re like a human spotlight p>

Dean laughed softly, the spand low and warm. “You keep talking like that, and people might think you actually like me p>

I turned toward him, meeting his gaze fully for the first time that morning. His grin faltered just a little, replaced by something quieter and curamas

* divit,” said, thưugh the wurde distn’t sound as convincing as I wanted them to

13

9:07 am

He’s Too Good At This.

He smirked again, that spark of mischief back in his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, Mace p>

Mr Graves cleared his throat pointedly, and both of us jumped a little.

“Some of us,” he said without turning around, are still pretending this is an academic environment p>

The class snickered. Dean grinned, leaning back in his chair. And me? I stared at my notes, heart annoyingly loud in my chest, and told myself that this,

whatever it was, didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was running purely on too little caffeine and too much irritation. Dean had spent all of first period whispering smart remarks, half of second drawing doodles in the corner of my notebook, and by third, well, he’d somehow managed to charm the lunch lady into giving hin two desserts. Now, of course, he was following Tessa and me to our usual table, tray in hand, grinning like he owned the place. Tessa didn’t seem to mind.

“Dean!” she said, sliding into the seat across from me while he sat beside her like he’d been invited. “You’re officially the most talked-about person in

school today p>

He looked pleasantly surprised. “Already? That’s a new record, even for me p>

Tessa laughed, tapping her nails on her drink cup. “You’d be surprised what counts as exciting news around here. New people, big parties, who’s secretly

dating who-it’s a whole soap opera p>

Dean leaned in, elbows on the table. “You’re telling me there’s drama? Do go on p>

I rolled my eyes, stabbing at my salad. “Don’t encourage her p>

Too late.

Tessa’s grin widened. “Okay, so tomorrow night’s party? Everyone’s going. Even the seniors from the neighbouring schools got invited. Half the football team’s already planning to sneak in a keg. Don’t tell the teachers! and rumour/is, someone’s bringing fireworks p>

Dean’s eyes lit up. “Fireworks? Now we’re talking p>

“Right?” Tessa said, practically bouncing in her seat. “We’ve been planning what to wear all week. I’m thinking something sparkly, maybe gold. You know, to

stand out p>

Dean nodded seriously. “Solid choice. I’d go with sparkly too, but I’m afraid it’d clash with my natural glow p>

Tessa snorted into her drink while I groaned. “You two are going to be unbearable together, aren’t you p>

“Oh, absolutely,” Dean said. “It’s a gift p>

Tessa was already scrolling through her phone, showing him pictures of past school events, gossiping about who was dating whom, who had broken up, and who had gotten caught making out behind the gym.

Dean soaked it all in, asking for derails, tossing out perfectly timed jokes that made Tessa laugh so hard she nearly dropped her friex

I sat there, watching stem, part of me amused, part of me… something else. He was too good at the Sliding into people’s lives like he’d always heen t Making everyver fent like they were the most interesting person in the room. When he caught my eye, that grin woftewed, just for a wrennd, and something in wis sumach fupped.

“No,” he said, nudging his tray chart. “What about you, Mace? What are you wearing to this hig event p>

2/3

9:07 am

PP

He’s Too Good At This.

Tessa answered before I could: “She’s wearing whatever tell her to. Probably black, because she refuses to admit she looks good in colour p>

I kicked her under the table. “That’s because I don’t look good in colour p>

Dean leaned back, his grin returning. “You’d look good in anything p>

Tessa gasped dramatically. “Oh my god, you did not just say that p>

Dean shrugged, shameless. “What? It’s true p>

I rolled my eyes again, pretending the heat in my cheeks didn’t exist. “You two deserve each other p>

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Dean teased, and Tessa laughed so hard she nearly fell off her chair.

For a moment, despite the chaos, despite the confusion that still clung to me from the night before, I found myself smiling too. It was easier, sitting here with them. Easier to pretend that everything wasn’t so complicated. That maybe, just for now, I could let things be light.

Comments

Mariah SunChaser

I don’t trust Dean. Something about him doesn’t sit well with me

7 days ago

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Juliet Zvayi

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