Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“You aren’t being fair…” I feel my jaw tighten, and I take a deep breath of my own to steady my temper. My patience is growing thin, and I don’t want this to turn into a fight and it to allow either of us to push what I feel could be a really good thing between us away.
“What’s that stupid saying? Life isn’t fair.” She looks at me and gives a fake smile. “But don’t worry. I know how to be the perfect Godwin wife.”
“Daphne…” I warn. “I have no idea what is going on, but I’m not liking this tone or how you’re acting.”
Finally she snaps. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she seethes between clenched teeth. “Am I not being a respectful wife? Am I not being a good and dutiful wife? I guess I should be kidnapped and locked in a cage again. I suppose I should be punished into submission.”
“Is this what has you so upset?” I ask. “What I did to you?”
She crosses her arms against her chest and doesn’t say a single word.
“I’m not going to apologize for what I did,” I begin. “It was either that or death, and I much prefer you alive.”
“It’s not about the goddamn cage!”
“Then what? Because I’m having a hard time following you.”
“Everything is changing!” she snaps back as she scoots herself to the edge of the seat like she can’t get far enough away from me.
“Yes,” I say calmly. “Some things will change now that we’re heading back in the city.”
“But I don’t want it to. Don’t you get that? What you and I had at Olympus was… I don’t want it to change. Medusa has the power to turn our lives to stone. I don’t want that!”
“Daphne, you need to calm down.”
“I’m calm. Perfectly.” A lone tear falls down from her cheek, and her pain nearly breaks my heart.
“I don’t know what’s going on, or why you think that you and I—”
“I don’t think anything,” she interrupts again. “I know,” she shouts as the tears fall. “If we go back to that life, we won’t survive.”
Her words are like a punch to the gut. “We will.” I pause to take hold of her hand. “Look at me.” I wait until she does. “We will survive. I already had my brush with death. And losing you would be the same as dying.”
“Promise me,” she breathes.
“You know I do.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with me,” she says as she wipes at her tears. “I feel so out of control. I think these baby hormones are messing with me.”
I chuckle. “And I’m here to ride the wave of them every single day.”
She looks up at me and smiles. “I’m excited for today. I am. And I’m sorry to have snapped. I’m just scared of what comes next in our story.”
“You need to remember something,” I say as I touch her belly. “You and this baby are Godwins. I will die for my family. There is nothing I won’t do for you. I give you my vow of a Godwin.”
Daphne
I watch the scenery change from a city feeling to a more residential one. Even though my hormones are raging, and I’ve already cried multiple times today, I can’t help but feel excitement as we get closer to the Queen Anne district. The rows of snugly fit houses in the hilly neighborhood are truly to die for. It’s the best part of Seattle.
We pull up to a house, and my breathing stops.
It’s the house. The house. The house I saw when I was a young girl and fantasized about. Apollo had listened to my story, and he acted. We are parked in front of my dream home. It still had the stained glass and even the little potted plants in the window.
Tears well up in my eyes, and my damn lip, I can’t seem to control today, quivers. “This house is for sale?”
“Not exactly,” the agent answers. “But your husband is very convincing.” Glancing at Apollo and then at me, she takes her cue and says, “I’m going to see if they are ready for us.” She exits the car and leaves us alone.
“Is this the house you told me about?” he asks.
“Yes. But how did you—”
“Your sister helped me. I told her I wanted to buy it for you.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, not believing that he’d do something so… so romantic.
“If you like the inside and not just the outside, then yes. I’m serious.”
My heart beats so hard that it seems to be stopping itself. “It’s smaller than any house we’ve ever had. Are you sure it’s good enough for you?”
He smiles. “We’ve never had a house before. And yes, if it’s good enough for you, then it is for me.”
“I can’t believe you did this. I’ve never had anyone...”
Apollo reaches out and runs his fingertips down the side of my head, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Let’s go inside and see this dream house of yours.”