Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
(ignore, ignore, ignore)
But as soon I take my seat, my gaze follows his every movement like I'm under a spell.
(why are you so beautiful?)
Eros gives us seatwork near the end of his class, and my teeth start grinding when I see Sluttivan sashay towards the professor's desk.
The other girl has always taken every chance she can get to flirt with Professor Lucious, but this is the first time I'm in his class knowing he's also my god. Sluttivan asks a question about our seatwork while rubbing her breasts against the side of his arm, and the sight makes my heart squeeze in pain—-
Eros suddenly falls out of his chair in an obvious attempt to escape Sluttivan's advances, and the whole class gasps.
My god looks flustered as he picks himself off the floor, and he curtly sends Sluttivan back to her seat when she tries to talk to him. I can feel my god staring at me again, but I pretend not to notice.
I miss you, Halyna.
My eyes squeeze shut.
(I miss you, too.)
****
Today marks my first P.E. lesson outside class, and our teacher is another new recruit like Professor Mayumi. "I know you're all used to calling your teachers 'professor' here," he says gruffly, "but I'd rather you address me as 'Coach' or 'Coach Jonas'."
He introduces himself as a fifty-something Florida native who used to coach Olympic swimmers, and I like the way he briskly outlines his program for the entire semester.
We troop to the lake afterwards, and while all the other girls have changed into their bikinis, I'm the only one who's suited up in a black one-piece that doesn't reveal the slightest hint of cleavage.
It probably makes me stick out like a sore thumb, but I don't really care. I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable drawing attention to myself again, not when the first time it happened almost had my parents killed.
Coach Jonas tells us we'll be diving into the lake by batches, and he randomly divides us into groups of five.
"Rosethorne Lake has an underwater connection to an Old World spring," Coach Jonas reminds us while we work on our warm-ups. "Expect the unexpected, and try not to accidentally drown yourselves if you happen to catch a glimpse of a baby water serpent swimming under you."
We start looking for our respective groups as soon as Coach Jonas blows his whistle, and that's how I end up standing next to Austin, whose gaze slowly sweeps over me from head to toe.
"Stop that," I grumble.
"Just admiring the view."
I start to tell him I have a boyfriend, but the words are suddenly stuck in my throat.
Do I really?
"Just don't look at me that way," I say instead.
Coach Jonas blows his whistle again, and all five of us dive into the water.
Holy Greek heavens!
The water is freezing, and Austin laughs as soon as we swim up to the surface, and he sees that my teeth have already started to chatter.
"It's not even cold," he teases.
"Only b-because you've got ice water for b-blood like e-everyone else h-here."
"Skin-to-skin contact is supposed to be the quickest way to transfer warmth," Austin suggests. "So if you'd like..."
I roll my eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks." I turn to swim away...and that's when I feel his gaze on me.
Eros?
It's my god who doesn't answer me this time, and although I know I haven't done anything wrong—-
I know he's hurting, and it hurts me, too.
Chapter Eleven
My eyes feel bloodshot when I wake up the next day. It's the second night that Eros hasn't tried to talk to me, and yes, yes, yes, I do know that I was the one who asked for time—-
"Dad? Pops?"
Hugh lowers his glass of orange juice as I take my seat, and it's only when Hugh elbows his side that Leslie stops looking at his pancake with longing.
"I have a problem."
The two immediately get up to leave, but they sit back down when they catch my glare.
"Do we really have to do this?" Hugh asks in a sigh. "Where are the good old days when our daughter didn't care to ask us for advice?"
"Yes, exactly." Leslie's tone is morose. "Why can't you be just like other kids and hide things from your parents?"
Hugh gives Pops an I-told-you-so look. "Now, do you get why I said we should've just adopted a cockatiel or a tur—-
"I'm in love with a god," I blurt out, "but the god has a female childhood friend who seems special to him, and I don't like it."
My parents gape at me, and I squirm in my seat. "What?"
"You used to hate having anything to do with the divine," Hugh bursts out.
"I still do. More or less."
"Then how in the world did you end up falling for a god?" Leslie exclaims.
"Long story."
"Good thing we're starting early then."
"It's a really long story."
"Feel free to skip classes," Leslie offers generously.