ARES
I set the glass down, took another cigar, and shoved it between my lips, using the Zippo to light the bottom.
I ran a hand through my hair as I told a drag, letting the smoke release from my nostrils.
When I clutched the bottle to pour myself another drink, I heard the snappy sound of click-clack, and a hand took the bottle and tossed it, smashing noise filling the air.
"Idiot! You rented out a full bar to drown yourself in alcohol."
I took the cigar off my lips, pressing the bottom into the ashtray filled with many others.
"Let’s talk about Cat."
I snapped my eyes to Athena. She was angry, and she rarely showed it because she didn’t like negative emotions.
"Damn that habit of yours! Catherine was meant to be different. Do you wanna ruin that? Tell me!"
"This is none of your business."
"So what? You’re gonna let Cat go?"
A squeeze found my chest, but I disregarded it and sipped from my glass. "Yes."
"I don’t believe you."
"You don’t need to."
"Why are you doing this?!"
"She broke the rule in the special clause."
"Let me guess, she’s in love with you."
I pinned her with my cold eyes, but Athena wasn’t affected.
"Is she wrong?" she asked more softly.
I didn’t reply. I heard her pull out the chair to sit, taking my glass before it could get to my lips. She finished it in one go, grimacing at the burn.
"A day ago, you risked everything to get her back, but now, you’re just gonna let her go."
I grabbed the bottle and another glass.
"You’re scared..."
I paused.
"I get it, okay? Because I am too."
I resumed what I was doing, filling up my glass.
"But that doesn’t mean we can’t... Catherine isn’t that witch; her loving you doesn’t mean it would be like—"
"I don’t need her love."
"I love you, does that count as what you don’t need?"
"You’re my sister." I sipped the alcohol.
"Ares!"
"Love is for someone capable of returning it..." I glanced her way. "I saw her eyes, she wants love, and I don’t. We can’t work that way if what we want are two different things."
"Tell me right now... say it to my face that you don’t feel anything, even a little."
I gulped thickly as I looked away. "I don’t. It was never part of the equation."
"You don’t mean that..."
"And you? You think I don’t know about Isaac’s advances and how you keep pushing him away?"
"We’re not talking about me, but you!"
"Both. No matter how we try... we can’t, and you know it."
She took the bottle and refilled her glass. "You’re right. We’re too broken for anything good. We’re the worst ones. You know, I always wonder how we would have turned out if Mom were still alive. I dreamed of it once, and it was beautiful."
Athena smiled. "Of course that personality of yours would never change, but... It’s times like this I wish that dream came through, maybe everything would have been good."
"..."
"I’ll hate you for this, Ares... I will."
"I know."
She eyed my hand wrapped in a bandage, but she didn’t say anything about it.
"Boss!" Nico came into view. "I have been trying to reach you."
"I don’t want to be disturbed."
"It’s about your stepmother; she met with your wife."
"How come you’re just saying this now?!" Athena yelled.
I set my glass down, feeling my blood boil. "What happened?"
"They talked, but I don’t know what."
I pushed to my feet, and Nico backed away a little bit when he saw I wasn’t in a good mood.
"Talked," I said with venom in my tone, because I knew damn well it couldn’t have been just that.
"Ares... We don’t know what that witch told her, but it can’t be good."
I inhaled, grabbed my jacket, and walked out.
"Ares!"
"Keep her here, Nico," I said as I went out the door.
"What? Don’t touch me. Ares!"
I walked down the stairs, held my phone, and dialed her number.
"I warned you!" I hissed the moment she answered.
"Ares..." Agatha said softly. "You don’t sound okay."
"Why...?"
"Why what?"
When I said nothing, she sighed.
"I heard the news, and I went to see Catherine, that’s all. What else could there be?"
"Don’t toy with me!"
"Are you worried I might have said something to her?"
I clenched my phone so hard it felt like it would shatter into pieces.
"Are you scared, sweetheart...?"
Rage crawled through me, and I ended the call.
I made my way back to the penthouse, speeding through the road.
I came to an abrupt stop, the tires screeching. I got out, heading straight for the elevator, punching the password. When I was inside, I didn’t stop until I found myself at Catherine’s door.
It opened as Catherine was about to step out. Seeing me, she took a step back, her eyes were puffy and red, her nose too. A part of me felt like peeling my skin off for reducing her to such a state, but the moment I thought about the encounter she had with Agatha, I felt rage.
"What did Agatha say to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don’t..." I walked in. "Lie."
She grew angry. "What did you think she told me?"
"Don’t turn this around."
"What does it even matter?" She exploded in my face.
My breath hitched, but I got distracted when I saw her bags were packed. Seeing everything trapped in that box made a twisted feeling grip me.
"I gave you a month."
"I don’t need a month."
I veered my eyes to her; she did her best to hold it even though it seemed like she would blink away any minute.
I walked forward, and she took one back, trying to ward me off, but I trapped her against the wall, pressing my hand above her head.
My insides were roaring, my brain felt like splitting apart, and everything was clashing so fast I could hear my blood veins pumping in my eardrums, but when I looked into those hazels, I found silence.
I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her, but she pushed me off with every strength she had and slapped me across the cheek.
"I’m not yours to touch anymore. Get out."
I didn’t move, so she shoved me against my chest. "GET OUT!"
Catherine tossed things at me, anything she could find, screaming at me from the top of her lungs.
I barely made it out the door before she slammed it in my face.