Chapter 15
Eva
“Hey, Granny,” I said when I called up Grandma Alice, knowing how much the goddess of beauty despised being called that.
“Where are you? I feel like this conversation needs to happen in person,” she said in a rushed tone.
A little confused by her urgency, I replied, “Um, I’m back at my house if you want to come over.”
“Yes, I’ll be right over.”
No less than ten minutes later, Grandma Alice was at the front door, knocking. “Girl, what have you been up to?” she asked, bursting through the door.
“Sure, come right on in.” I shook my head and closed the door behind her.
She moved into the small living room and sat on the loveseat. I picked the spot across from her on the recliner.
“Things have changed,” she said.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, a little confused.
“Who have you been in contact with?”
“In contact with? Is this regarding the prophecy thing?” I asked, hoping to hear good news.
“Yes, of course it’s about it. It’s all I can think about. Our lives depend on your love life. And let’s just say you don’t have the best track record.”
“Hey now,” I said, a little shocked by how blunt she was being. “Well, if you must know, I just came back from a lunch date with Hunter.”
“Hunter? You mean that boy from college who you were head over heels for and thought was the one?”
“Yes, he was the one.”
“Anyone else?” she asked.
“I mean, there’s a client—”
“Ha, I see,” she said, looking off toward the kitchen. “So you like this guy, don’t you? The client?”
“I mean, yeah, he’s nice, funny… He’s the perfect client and is doing well.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it,” she said, egging me on to say how I felt about Sam.
“Well, there’s something about him. I feel different around him. I just can’t explain what it is.”
“Okay, go on.”
“I mean, when I’m around him, I just feel whole. I can be my true self, and I don’t have to pretend.”
“Interesting,” she said. “Very interesting. Well, this kind of confirms what I’ve been feeling. I felt something the last few days that seems to fit the bill. I believe you have found your one true love, but I will not tell you who that person is. You should find them. But I think if you’re able to pull it off, everything will be fine, and we can just go on our merry way.”
“Wait, really?” I exclaimed, scooting toward the front of the chair, then falling off with excitement. “Who is it? Is it Sam? Hunter?”
“That, my girl, is something only you can figure out.”
“Great.” I leaned back in the chair and let out an exasperated sigh. The clock was ticking. I only had a few days left to figure this out, and it seemed like I had to do it on my own.
Bianca sipped her tea as I blurted, “I’ve been holding this in for too long. I need to say it out loud.”
Her eyes widened. “Now you have me intrigued. Is it about the prophecy itself, or is there more to it?”
I glanced at my watch, a nervous tic, then back at Bianca. “There’s only a few days left before everything goes wrong, and the worst part is I think I’ve fallen for Sam.”
“Really?” Bianca asked. “But is it genuine love, or are you just feeling the pressure of your legacy? You might mistake the pressure for deeper feelings.”
“That’s the thing. I just can’t figure it out. Is it real, or did you put some kind of spell on him?”
A voice boomed behind us. “You what?”
We turned and saw Sam, his face a mask of confusion and disgust.
“You had me under a spell this whole time?” he asked, his voice thick with betrayal. “Just when I thought I found someone, this happens. I was going to end this service so I could take you out on a proper date, with no conflict of interest. But it was all a lie?”
“Wait, Sam, you don’t understand!” I cried, jumping up from the couch.
He ignored my pleas and stormed out the door.
“Sam! Wait!” I yelled after him, but it was too late.
I pulled down my black leather dress and walked into Abyss, the nightclub. The best part of it being run by family was the free access to the VIP section. I walked in and shimmied through the crowd of people.
I did not want to be here, not after what happened earlier today. But to quote Bianca, who dragged me here: “When you’ve cried yourself raw, what’s left but to dance it out?”
“Hey!” I yelled over the loud music. Bianca jumped up and down, sloshing her drink from the martini glass.
“You’re here!” she said. “I am so glad you came. You’re gonna feel so much better after this.”
“If you say so.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
I looked over and saw a family friend’s daughter, Penelope, swaying side to side.
“You’re out here again, Penny?” I asked. It seemed every time I went to Abyss, she was here too.
“Hey, now, I have to get out of my house, and this is the perfect way to live,” she said with a huge smile.
Penny was in a unique situation. Her mother, Demeter, the goddess of harvest, was super controlling, and Penelope had to put on a front to hide her party-girl lifestyle. It would be hard to be a closeted party girl.
But that wasn’t my story to tell.
We made small talk for a little while, the best I could anyway. Dion came around, the golden boy as he was called here, with a tray of drinks.
“Ladies, I’m so glad you’re here. What’s with the long face, Eva? Did someone break your heart, or did you break theirs?”
I closed my eyes for a second and opened them.
Penny responded for me. “Eva just got dumped by someone who wasn’t even her boyfriend, and now she’s all boohoo.”
“Penny!” Bianca yelled.
“What?” Penny shrugged. “You know it’s true. Who cares about some prophecy? It’s not like it affects me.”
“Thanks for your support,” I muttered. I hated that the whole town of Icarus Bluff knew about my ordeal.
Dion shifted from side to side and set his tray down. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” I said sternly and grabbed a bottle of nectar from the tray. I took a long drink and headed to the dance floor. Forgetting everything that had happened, including my feelings, was necessary. I would love to erase them all.
And luckily enough, the nectar could do just that.