Chapter XXII
Demi
“You really think Roman is the guy to help you find your true love?”
Cassie had asked me that ten times since we’d gotten back last night. She’d also told me the weirdest part—how no one at the hoedown remembered the storm. No one had even noticed Roman and I had disappeared.
I’d figured that was the case.
When we returned, it was like someone had hit pause, then casually pressed play again. Same music. Same laughter. Same cast members getting ready to dance like nothing had happened.
It was terrifying what the gods could do. How easily they could bend reality.
Were they bending mine? Maybe. Is that why I’d agreed to become friends with Roman? To basically let him be my sidekick on this quest?
I glanced at Cassie. We were sitting on the creek bank, our toes submerged in the slow-moving water.
It was cool against my skin, a soft contrast to the heat radiating off the sunbaked rocks behind us.
The midday sun pressed down, bright and relentless, turning the surface of the creek into a shimmer of gold.
Cassie had braided her hair back, but a few strands clung to her damp neck. A dragonfly hovered near her shoulder, its wings catching the light like glass.
We had today off. Roman and his team were holed up somewhere, deliberating over dating schedules and probably camera angles.
The dating would start tomorrow. Ugh. It was absolutely pointless for me, given I already knew that none of the male cast members were meant for me.
And to be honest, a couple of them, including Todd, weren’t meant for anyone here.
Although Carter was going to be a nice distraction for Cassie all summer.
As far as the others went, the jury was still out.
I kept getting this tug in my chest—a whisper, maybe—that Brinley and Jessica’s old boyfriends weren’t entirely out of the picture. That maybe their stories weren’t finished yet.
But Paloma’s captain? I didn’t know. Something in me said he wasn’t as great as she thought he was. I would have to do more research.
I was still having a hard time trusting that part of me.
“I know it doesn’t make sense to let him help me given . . . you know.”
Cassie didn’t even blink. “Oh, I know. Does he know?”
“Of course not.” Although we’d kind of skirted around it with the whole when-we-met conversation. Weird that he’d seemed genuinely sorry he’d been so disappointed when we met. I had to wonder what would have happened had things gone differently that night.
On the tragic night, I’d thought I’d worn my best black dress for him and tried to do something with my hair.
But I’d neglected it and damaged it for so long, it wouldn’t behave how I wanted it to.
And I was so unsure of myself, I’d worn enormous glasses like they could protect me somehow.
But I just knew that he would love me despite everything.
That he would see through what had become my costume.
I’d even hidden a plate of chocolate peanut butter cookies behind my back because I knew they were his favorite.
Those cookies, like my heart, ended up in the trash.
I picked at a blade of grass beside me, twisting it until it snapped.
“I can’t tell him there’s the tiniest chance he’s my true love.
And I’m pretty sure it’s almost a zero percent chance.
” I paused. “I let him hug me for an inordinate amount of time last night. Just to see if he could unlock my heart. And believe me, his god side went hardcore trying to break in. And he had no luck.”
Had I kind of enjoyed it? Yes. I wasn’t admitting that out loud, though. And I think it had less to do with his rock-hard body and the way he smelled like cedar and cinnamon and more to do with the way my heart felt alive when we touched. Like something inside me had stirred.
Cassie blinked. “Okay, that’s weird. Why would he try so hard? That’s not normal.”
“Well, I’m not normal. My heart’s locked. Cupids aren’t used to that.”
“Maybe,” she said slowly, not sounding convinced. “But, Demi, I say this as someone who cares about you—this is insane. And need I remind you, we’re not even sure your goddess lied to you.”
I swished my feet in the creek, watching the ripples fan out like tiny spells. The water was cool and steadying. But my chest felt tight. “Except that he hasn’t been able to unlock my heart.”
Cassie tilted her head. “Did you ever stop to think . . . maybe it’s him that needs to do it? Not his divine side?”
I swallowed hard. That possibility hadn’t crossed my mind. Not once. And now that it had—I wasn’t sure I liked how it felt.
“But . . . it’s one and the same, right? And Roman hasn’t been able to do it either.”
“Has he even tried? And you know as well as I do that being a demigoddess means having two sides. Most of the time they work together—one heart, two minds. But sometimes the mortal half just can’t see what the divine half already knows.”
“You’re not making me feel better here.”
She nudged me with her shoulder. “I’m just trying to make sure you’re going into this so-called friendship with Roman with your eyes wide open.
And I really don’t want you to get kicked out of our world.
Even if that means you have to be in love with Roman.
I will learn how to tolerate him for you. ”
“Cassie, it can’t be him,” I whined. “If it is, why all this?” I waved at the beautiful scenery around us.
“I’ve known Roman for years now. Sure, it’s been mostly antagonistic.
And let’s not forget he’s the big reason I locked my heart in the first place.
Also, if he was my true love, wouldn’t my heart automatically just unlock? ”
Cassie shrugged, her gaze drifting to the water.
“I don’t know, girl. True love is so rare, I’m not sure anyone knows exactly how it works.
And if it’s true that Roman is it for you, sure, it would be a weird twist of fate.
But the gods like that sort of thing. I mean, look at your dad and Psyche’s story.
Fate is a fickle creature, and the gods love wielding her to their advantage. ”
The more Cassie said, the more my insides churned. Could Roman really be my destiny? Would he even want to be? And if he was . . . how in the world were we supposed to fall in love in the next five weeks? In love enough to unlock my heart and true love?
We weren’t even supposed to be fraternizing. Much less dating. And let’s not forget—I had an entire schedule of dates with other men ahead of me. Men I already knew weren’t meant for me.
Then there was the whole enemies-to-lovers thing. Again. A sexy trope in books and on-screen, but it didn’t always work out so well in the real world. It was so against my rules. Rules I was trying my best to get past.
Granted, I didn’t have any rules about fated love. Mostly because I’d stopped believing in it after my own debacle.
“This is so messed up.”
Cassie laughed, tossing a pebble into the creek. “Welcome to the world of gods and goddesses.”
Before I could respond, my name drifted through the air, light and lyrical.
“Deeemiiii,” Junie sang.
Cassie leaned in, whispering, “Is that Roman’s daughter?”
I nodded and turned to watch Junie skip toward us, her ponytail bouncing, her sundress catching the breeze.
Cassie grinned. “Ooh, this is getting interesting. It’s like an episode of All My Immortal Children.”
“Oh, ha ha.”
But Cassie wasn’t wrong. This was starting to feel very soap-opera–ish. I was half afraid to find out what happened next. Did I have an evil twin? Did Roman? Was I about to get sacrificed to a volcano?
Junie landed beside me with the grace of someone who believed the world belonged to her. She snuggled into my side as if it were the most natural thing in the world and like I somehow belonged to her.
I wrapped an arm around her, instinctively protective. “Junie, where’s your grandma or dad?”
“Don’t worry,” she said, waving a hand like a tiny queen. “I sent Lady Goldy to tell them where I was.”
“You were able to call Lady Goldy?” Only Zeus and I should have been able to do that.
Junie nodded solemnly. “I know I should’ve asked, but I haven’t seen you in days,” she said dramatically, as if it had been months or years. “And I missed you. And I knew you missed me.”
Oddly . . . I had.
“I did miss you,” I said, squeezing her tighter. “But you can’t run off from your grandma or dad. It’s not safe. You shouldn’t be by yourself.”
“My goddess will protect me,” she said sweetly, but there was a glint in her eye—impish and knowing.
Roman had warned me her goddess was naughty. But how naughty were we talking?
“Even if that’s true, honey, you have to promise me—no more running away. If you want to see me, ask your grandma to bring you over, or call Lady Goldy and she’ll let me know.”
I was still weirded out that my golden eagle was apparently at Junie’s beck and call. More disconcerting was that it brought me one step closer to entangling myself with Roman.
“I promise,” Junie sang.
“Very good. Now let’s go find your grandma.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she said, settling deeper into my side. “My daddy will be here soon.”
“How do you know?”
Junie leaned in, her voice a whisper wrapped in mystery. “She told me.” She pointed at her chest.
Cassie snorted. “I like this kid.”
Junie leaned across me, her tiny hand brushing Cassie’s arm.
“I like you too. We haven’t met yet, but I know you’re Demi’s very best friend.” No five-year-old should sound that sure of herself.
Cassie blinked.
I blinked.
Junie was a little scary. Not in a horror movie way. In a divine-child-who-knows-too-much kind of way. Like she was going to tell me something I wasn’t ready to hear.
“Well.” Cassie stood, grinning from ear to ear. “I think I’d better skedaddle. I don’t want to get in the way of . . . fate,” she said, teasing me.
I narrowed my eyes at her. I wasn’t sure this was fate. At. All.
“You can stay.” My voice pleaded with her to do just that. I wasn’t sure I was ready to be near Roman again. Not when Cassie had me a tiny bit believing he might still be a true love contender.
Maybe I should have talked to my father about how true love works.
He should know, being the OG god of love.
Perhaps he had a pamphlet or stone tablet about it.
Anything to help a girl out. I probably should have asked more questions before I’d left.
But I’d just assumed when it found me, I’d know, and my heart would unlock.
“You’re going to be just fine.” She twirled her finger around in a bibbidi-bobbidi-boo flourish like she was my fairy godmother. “This should give you all the privacy you need. Ta-ta.” And with that, she flitted off.
I stared after her, feeling a creeping sensation that fate was about to make its next move. What did that mean?
Junie took my hand. “You don’t have to be nervous.”
I turned and studied her. She could read emotion like me. It was weird, how she could read me but her father couldn’t. It appeared he was just limited to reading someone’s heart. Huh. Either that or this girl knew some voodoo, which at this point wouldn’t shock me.
I squeezed her hand back. “Thank you, Junie.” If only she knew how nervous I deserved to be.
There was a possibility that her father was my true love.
If that were the case, it would be the biggest plot twist in my life.
Like when you find out that the poor guy in The Sixth Sense was dead but he’d been showing up to work every day.
“Hey there,” a sexy voice crooned from behind.
Cue the scary plot-twist music.
I turned to find Roman standing there holding a picnic basket, shaking his head at his daughter with an exasperated sigh.
“A little birdie—or make that a big golden one—interrupted me and told me there were two hungry demigoddesses by the creek and I needed to bring them lunch.”
Junie jumped up. “Yay! I hope you brought my favorite, peanut butter and raspberry jam.”
Roman caught my gaze. He was as nervous as I was. What did that mean?
“Thank you for watching Junie again. I’m sorry she keeps escaping to find you.”
“I’m not,” I blurted and then immediately panicked. “Please don’t take that as me luring her here. I had no idea she was coming. I just meant that I like her.”
“I knew what you meant.” His disarming smile put me both at ease and on high alert. “She likes you too,” he added, shooting Junie a look that promised a future conversation about boundaries, escaping, and summoning magical birds.
“I like her a lot,” Junie said proudly. Then she turned to her father, eyes wide with mischief. “Do you like her now, Daddy?”
Roman cleared his throat. His ears turned pink. “Yes,” he mumbled. “I like her.”
A baby whoosh fluttered through my belly. I hadn’t felt a sensation like that in years. Did that mean I was supposed to fall for Roman . . . again? Or was I losing my mind? Probably the latter.
“Do you like my daddy?”
Junie was a troublemaker. An adorable one.
“Um . . . I’m working on it,” I breathed out.
Roman laughed, breaking the weird tension in the air. “Well, I guess I better make this lunch count, then.”
Him and me both. I needed to figure out if Roman was my destiny or just my sidekick on this quest. Oddly, I couldn’t say which outcome I was rooting for more.