60. Athena
CHAPTER 60
Athena
I t’s so fucking hard not to laugh when a stricken Scott comes back into the living room.
Making sure the rock on my finger is visible if he looks in my direction, I turn my attention back to packing up the extra decorations.
Is it mean of me to have stolen the ring I know he hid in the library? Maybe he shouldn’t have been so careless with his things.
I turn to the tree, so no one sees me smirking to myself. When I turn back into the room, Scott is pale as a sheet, sitting in the same seat he was in before his big “we’re a safe space,” moment. To be honest, I felt like stripping naked and boning him right there. But as weird and uncomfortable as it was for my grandmother to join us for a conversation all about sex, I draw the line at actually having sex in front of her. Or any of my siblings for that matter.
Scott avoids all eye contact with me, which makes watching him super easy. He’s staring at Apollo like his life depends on Apollo accepting his subliminal messages.
He can’t get Artemis’s attention because Artemis is deeply involved with his phone. Also laughable, he’s gone from hating technology and criticizing people being stuck to their devices, to being one of the people he bitches about.
Guess a good dicking will do that to you.
When Apollo finally looks over at Scott, he widens his eyes and flaps his phone on his lap. Not needing additional context or instructions, Pollo picks up his phone and reads the screen. I look away, knowing he’s going to look right at me before he turns his attention back to Scott.
In my periphery, Apollo mouths ‘Oh, fuck,’ with a shake of his head.
The two of them type back and forth to one another for a few minutes. It’s so hard to swallow down the laughter bubbling in my bloodstream. Ares scrunches his face up as he looks at me. “?Estás bien, Hermana?”
I nod.
“You look like you’re doing a pee pee dance.”
A snort of amusement bursts from me, and everyone looks my direction. When I cover my mouth with both my hands, the ring catches the light and the only sound you can hear in the room is Scott’s gasp. “Oh my God.”
I send the most innocent grin in his direction. “Everything okay, Gizmo?”
His jaw drops.
“Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.” I quote from the book I found my ring behind.
He blinks.
“Now, I return to this young fellow. And the communication I have got to make is, that he has great expectations.”
He points at me. “You found it.”
“Found what?”
He clears his throat. “You’re wearing it on your ring finger.”
That makes my brothers look at my hand.
“What the fuck?” Artemis looks at Scott. “Did you ask her?”
Apollo knows what has happened, but he stays quiet.
“Yeah, Scottie. Did you ask me?”
He makes a weird, horse-like noise through his nose. “I was going to. I went to get the damn thing. I thought it was lost.”
Abuelita and Mamá have come in to see what all the fuss is about.
“Then ask me.” I gesture at him.
“You’re already wearing it.” Amusement dances in his sparkling blue eyes.
“I needed somewhere safe to keep it. You can’t just leave something like this lying around.”
He nods. “I see this.” He walks toward me, speaking as he does. “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.”
The air leaves my body on such a beautiful quote from the book I don’t even like, but tears immediately spring into my eyes.
“Love her, love her, love her! If she favors you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces – and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper – love her, love her, love her!” His voice gets louder as he crosses the room toward me, quoting that bastard Dickens. When he reaches me, he brushes my cheek with his thumb, catching tears I didn’t know had even fallen.
“We need never be ashamed of our tears.” He cups my face, tilting my chin so I look up at him. “You are in every line I have ever read.”
The way he reads literature out loud in front of my family without a single blush of embarrassment in his cheeks is the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.
Abuelita sighs, dabbing her cheeks with one of Abuelito’s handkerchiefs. Seems it’s hit Abuelita in the feels, as well.
Scott drops to one knee, making me roll my eyes.
He waggles his eyebrows. “You wanted me to ask, so I’m asking properly. Then you can’t hold it over my head until the day we die.”
“Already assuming I’m going to say yes.” We all know I am.
“You’re already wearing the ring.”
I flare my nostrils like some kind of disgruntled animal, and he snickers. “Just fucking say yes and put me out of my misery.”
“Yes to what?”
“To marrying me, Bright Eyes. Say you’ll marry me.”
I turn my hand to him and wiggle my fingers, showing him the ring. “I already did.”