by Anna Collins
“So why don’t you just have Ares stay with you? I think that solves your problem perfectly,” I said, and he sighed, frustrated.
“I thought we already talked about this,” Apollo said.
“No, we haven’t. Not exactly. I just think Ares would be better off with you now, with someone who would unconditionally shower him with the love he deserves. I saw his bedroom, Apollo. It hardly looked like a room of a six-year-old boy,” I said, before telling him how the room looked like and how Daphne acted about him.
Apollo’s face grew stormier as I continued. “And the child told me about what it is like living with her, Apollo. It’s a blessing he can still act like a rambunctious and sweet child, but I can’t help but think that if he continues to stay with her, you might lose him.
Apollo kept quiet for the rest of the drive, and I didn’t even protest when instead of taking me home, he took me back to his place. I got out of the car, and he immediately wrapped his arms around me, tucking his head at the space between my shoulder and neck and I closed my eyes.
“Thank you for caring so much about my son,” he whispered, and my grip on his shirt tightened.
“Always,” I murmured, and he pulled away to give me a light peck on the lips.
“I almost forgot to tell you that Reynolds called me earlier to talk about my bid,” he said, and I remembered that Drake had told me this earlier, but had refused to tell me anything else.
“So? What did he say?” I asked.
“He accepted. We’ll be working on finalizing the concept and details, and then the actual construction will start next month,” Apollo said, and I squealed in delight, this time wrapping my arms around his neck to congratulate him.
“Oh my God, Apollo. This is great news! I am so happy for you!” I exclaimed.
“The formal announcement will be next week. I was wondering if you would mind coming with me to the event,” Apollo said, and I hummed, pretending to think it over. “I can understand if you have other plans,” he started to say, but the wide smile on my face had him trailing off.
“Don’t be silly. Of course, I’ll be your date. Who else would be able to pull it off?” I taunted him, and he laughed.
That, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to take my place.
Chapter Fifty
Apollo
I knew that women took a long time fixing themselves up and why not, but I thought more than eight hours of preparation time was pretty ridiculous.
I blamed Helen for most of it, really. Callie had slept over here a few times, and it was enough for me to notice that she wasn’t high maintenance when it came to clothes and fashion. She just wore what she thought was okay and then she got out and left.
So yeah, I pretty much blamed Helen.
“Are you guys done yet?” I yelled irritably, making Perseus snicker.
“Jesus, bro. Just relax! Girls always want to look their best at events like these. Give them time,” he said. “Callie will be worth the wait.”
“And what about you? Why are you here?” I asked.
“Well, would you rather Helen rode together with you guys? Jeez, I’m already acting out of the goodness of my heart…,” he trailed off, and I had the urge to hit him in the head. The sound of someone coming down the stairs stopped me though, and I turned around.
Helen came down by herself, and she looked quite lovely, to be honest, but then again I wasn’t expecting her to look like anything else. Her hair was lightly curled and swept to one shoulder, and her silver gown hugged her curves before billowing out at her legs like a mermaid’s tail.
“Relax, Apollo. The one you’re actually waiting for is right behind me,” she said, and even though I was trying to act nonchalant, I guess the anticipation to see Callie was still obvious.
We heard someone come down again and my breath got caught in my throat as I finally saw all of her. Her hair was tucked into a slightly messy bun with a couple of tendrils falling down her ears, her neck and shoulders bare and her skin was creamy and glistening. Her gown was royal blue and flowed from the waist down, and a small train flowed behind her.
Perseus was right. Callie was worth every hour I waited. She was worth twenty-four hours more.
She stopped in front of me, but she couldn’t raise her eyes to meet mine, so I took a step closer and raised her chin up with my finger. Her face was just lightly touched with makeup, enough to accentuate her pretty face but not to transform her into a completely different person.
“You are so beautiful,” I whispered, and she smiled widely. It seemed those words were the ones she wanted to hear. I leaned down to kiss her, but a hand shot out from the side, blocking my path to Callie’s lips. I turned my head to the side and glared at Helen. “What the fuck?” I asked angrily, and she shook her head.
“I didn’t work hard dressing her up only for you to ruin it even before we get to the party!” she exclaimed. Callie laughed and put Helen’s hand away from her face before looking at me apologetically.
“Later,” she mouthed, and I sighed.
“Okay, Helen. You’re right. I’ll do what you ask,” I said, grumbling all the while.
“Thank you! Now can we get out of here? It’s important to be fashionably late, but not so late we miss out on the party,” she said, and Perseus shook his head.
“You’re crazy. Come on, we’re taking my car. See you at the party, Apollo. You too, Callie,” he said, waving his hand at us and offering his arm to Helen with the other.
I turned back to Callie and raised my hand towards her.
“Shall we go?” I asked, and she giggled.
“Aren’t you being such a gentleman,” she commented, putting her hand on top of mine. I rubbed her knuckles with my thumb first before placing her hand neatly into my arm.
“Enjoy it while it lasts, because I won’t be much of a gentleman later tonight,” I promised her, letting her see a glimpse of my eyes filling with lust, and she bit the inside of her bottom lip lightly.
I had rented out a limo for this occasion, and though it was more than big enough to accommodate all four of us, Perseus thought it would be better to go by pairs, to give us some privacy. I appreciated it a lot, and although I couldn’t exactly touch Callie the way I wanted to right now, I knew I was going to make up for it later when we got home.
Thank God the limousine was equipped with a retractable wall so the driver wouldn’t be able to see us.
We spent the trip talking about Ares, and I loved how her eyes lit up as she narrated again everything that happened at the amusement park and how much my son loved it. I asked her about the progress of my autobiography, and she smiled, her cheeks flushing.
“I was actually waiting to tell you when we got home, but I guess I could tell you now,” she said, and I tilted my head.
“Tell me what?” I asked, and she took a deep breath.
“I already finished it,” she said, and I blinked at her in shock.
“You’ve finished editing it already?” I asked, and she nodded. “That’s amazing,” I marveled, and she shrugged off my compliments and tried to act cool, but her face reddening like a tomato betrayed her actual feelings. “When did you finish it?” I asked her.
“About two days ago. And before you ask why, I wanted to surprise you. I don’t know what came over me, but that’s why I held off telling you about it,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, and she nodded.
“Have you decided though? If you’re going to give me credit or not?” she asked, and before I could give her my answer, the car stopped, and the valet opened the door for us.
I got out first and helped Callie out of the car, and we were immediately bombarded with flashes of light from the cameras, microphones extending past the bars and the guards keeping the paparazzi at bay. I looked at Callie, whose face was devoid of color and her eyes wide as she stared at the reporters, and I cursed myself in my head. I forgot to prepare her for this.
I also realized that this wa
s the first time I came to an event with a woman next to me, and because of this, I knew they would stop at nothing until they found out who Callie was and what she meant to me.
I also realized too late that even after all this time we shared, I still didn’t have an answer to that question.
Chapter Fifty-One
Callie
I felt sick to my stomach, and the flashes from the cameras were making me feel queasy. Apollo must’ve sensed my discomfort because he hurriedly ushered me inside the gala, forcing me to ignore those questions they tried to ask.
Who was I? Why did I come here with Apollo? Were we dating? Or were we together?
They were questions I realized I still hadn’t found the answer to.
I immediately started to feel bad about myself. I kept getting distracted by Apollo and everything else that happened that despite my promise to myself, I never got around to ask Apollo what I meant to him and what exactly we were to each other. It was a stupid thing to do, and I almost berated myself then and there in front of everyone.
“Are you alright?” Apollo asked, and I stared straight into his icy-blue eyes that seemed to search every inch of my face worriedly.
I shook my head.
“I don’t think so,” I told him, and before I could clarify what I meant, a couple of his associates came closer and engaged him in conversation, once again rendering me lost in translation and waiting for him to acknowledge me.
I was fed up waiting. I unhooked my arm from his and decided to walk around, looking at how sophisticated and somewhat dull the party was. The white-washed walls lit up by pink lights, the few people standing around wearing designer clothes and eating hors d’oeuvres fancier than all the meals I had ever eaten in my life only served to worsen my mood. They were making me feel the difference between me and Apollo. Maybe this was why he was hesitating. Maybe it was why he wanted to keep things casual.
Maybe—
“Aren’t you just a rotten social climber,” I turned around and saw Daphne standing in front of me, dressed head to toe in black. I had to give her credit for her color choice. It matched well with her soul.
“What are you talking about, Daphne?” I asked her. I was already frustrated with my own life to think about hers.
“Oh, hasn’t he told you?” Daphne said, her eyes widening with fake surprise. “He fired me. Apollo fucking fired me, and then he took Ares away. And I am one-hundred percent sure you put him up to it,” she said scathingly.
“Unbelievable. You know what, Daphne? The only one who brought this upon you is yourself. If you hadn’t become a mole and stabbed Apollo behind his back, he wouldn’t have to fire you,” I told her. I took a step towards her, and she flinched like I had slapped her across the face. But I was on a roll, and I couldn’t be stopped. “And speaking of Ares, that little boy deserves better. He deserves so much more than what you’ve given him, and how you’ve treated him, and I am glad he’s finally away from you.” I clenched my fists, trying to stop myself from screaming at her. I took a deep breath and looked her dead in the eye as I spoke once more.
“I don’t know what your problem is with me and Lord knows I have no time to figure that out. But if you try and insult me one more time, I swear to God, I will mop the floor with your face. Did I make myself clear?” I asked her, and she blinked rapidly before nodding, her skin stark white.
I turned around and walked away from her, seething with rage. I was wearing the most beautiful gown I could ever wear and would never be able to afford, I came with the most handsome man I had ever seen, and tonight was turning out to be the worst night ever.
I walked past the door to the veranda when I felt someone grab my wrist and pull me out of the ballroom. I opened my mouth to scream when another hand covered my mouth.
“Ssh! Callie, it’s me!” Drake said, and I wiggled out of his grasp.
“What is wrong with everybody today? Why is everyone either grabbing me or calling out to me or insulting me? Like, do I have a freaking target behind my back right now, huh?” I cried out, and Drake put a finger on his lips, instructing me to keep quiet.
“Callie, please lower your voice, I just want to talk,” he said, and I tried to control my breathing. He scratched the back of his neck as he waited for me to relax and I crossed my arms.
“You want to talk right? So talk,” I ordered. I knew he wanted to say something about my attitude, but being the perceptive guy that he was, he chose not to say anything and went right to the point.
“Have you thought about what I said to you at the amusement park?” he asked, and I sighed, losing whatever anger I had left in my system.
“Drake…I’m happy that you like me, but--,” I trailed off, not knowing how to explain. He sighed and looked away from me.
“Is it Apollo? Are you guys together?” he asked, and I opened my mouth to say ‘yes,' but my throat wouldn’t work.
I had tried time and time again to talk to Apollo about where we stood, to enlighten me of what kind of relationship we had exactly, but he kept blowing me off without telling me why.
I had already admitted to myself that I was in love with Apollo. I was utterly consumed and ruled over by the strength of what I felt for him, regardless of how long we’d known each other or not. Love was meant to be irrational and risky, after all.
But love was supposed to be a two-way street, right? So I was right back to square one. I loved him so much. But did he love me back? Should I interpret his actions towards me as a reciprocation of my love for him, or was he just being kind?
“I…We…,” I struggled to speak, and he scoffed at me.
“You don’t even know?” he asked incredulously before shaking his head.
“I want to be with him. I want to stay by his side always, Drake,” I answered.
“But does he love you back?” he asked immediately, and I closed my eyes, not knowing what to do.
My silence was his answer.
Drake laughed mirthlessly, and I rubbed my arm, trying to erase the uncomfortable feeling that was slowly consuming me.
“I know what I feel, and that won’t change anything, Drake. I consider you my friend…but unfortunately, that is all you’ll ever be,” I told him.
“Does he know you love him? Have you told him yet?” he asked, and I shook my head.
“Maybe you should. Before you reject me, can you please find out whether or not he feels the same way you do? Not for me…but for yourself,” he said before walking away.
I knew he was right, and even though I was going back and forth between asking Apollo about us or leaving things the way they are, I knew which move was the right thing to do. I had to tell Apollo what I felt about him, regardless of whether or not he loved me back. That was the only way I’d get rid of this aching feeling in my chest.
I pulled at the skirt of my gown and made a mad dash towards the spot I left Apollo and saw that he was still talking to the reporters outside.
I couldn’t disturb him now. I swore I would talk to him about it later. I turned around, but I stopped in my tracks when I heard one of the reporters ask him a question.
“We noticed that for the past few weeks, you have been accompanied by the same woman you brought here to the party. May we ask what your relationship is with her?” he asked.
My heart skipped a beat as I waited for Apollo to answer.
“She’s nothing. She’s my new assistant, and there’s nothing going on between us,” he said firmly.
I felt my heart break into a million pieces at what I had just heard.
He caught sight of me at the corner of his eye, and I ran out of there, unwilling to let him see how much he had hurt me. I heard him call out my name, but I ignored him and focused on getting away.
I should’ve known that his long legs would make up the distance I had put between us because he caught up to me in no time, grabbing me by the hips and pulling me into his arms, unwilling to let me go.
“I can explain,” Apollo sa
id, but I beat his chest with my fist, forcing him to let me go.
“You’ve explained enough!” I shouted, and I blinked back the tears forming in my eyes as a combination of rage and heartbreak ruled my core.
“You don’t understand. Calm down, and we can talk about this,” he said, and I raised my hand to stop him from saying another word.
“Just tell me one thing, Apollo,” I said, and he swallowed, bracing himself for my question. “Do you love me?” I asked him.
“Callie--,”
“Do you love me?!” I repeated, my voice rising in volume.
“You have no idea how badly I want you, how much I love it whenever I wake up and see the sunshine through your eyes. I want to be with you, Callie…,” he trailed off, and I closed my eyes, already knowing what was going to happen next.
“…I can’t be in a relationship with you, Callie. Inasmuch as the same way that I have never revealed Ares’ existence to the public. I don’t want them to meddle into my personal life, especially when you’re involved. I’m afraid that they would somehow use you as my weakness, and try to ruin me through you, and I’m not taking any chances,” he said.
I nodded silently, not knowing what else to say after that.
“Callie, come on, please—,”
“Stay away from me, Apollo. I don’t want to see your face ever again,” I said, my voice breaking.
I hurried towards the exit and was surprised when Drake was right there, waiting for me. He opened the door, and I didn’t hesitate. I got in.
And then I cried.
We didn’t speak the whole way. He didn’t offer comfort, but he didn’t disturb me from expressing my grief, either, and I appreciated it. When I got out of his car, I barely managed to mumble out a ‘thank you’ before turning around to enter my apartment.
“Callie,” he called, and I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “I get it. I’m sorry about what happened. I’ll always be here if you need a friend,” he said, even though he winced at the word ‘friend.' I smiled sadly at him before nodding.
