My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

It All Comes Flooding Back (Part 3)

Pierce smiled. "Now you get the picture."

"What about 'love at first sight?'" Hannah asked. She leaned in to Pierce, a rapt look on her face. For Hannah, having Pierce explain magic love "scientifically" was like foreplay.

He shrugged. "Brilliant PR. Aphrodite plants the idea enough, people believe it. For those susceptible? I spark them and whoosh. The more they think they're in love, the more they work at it. The more they work at it, the more they're in love."

"Self-fulfilling," Hannah said. "Clever."

"She has to be," Pierce replied. "Aphrodite isn't powerful like Zeus. She comes across like a right ditz, yeah, but she's managed to keep how her power really works a secret." He looked at each of us sternly in turn. "I need to know I can trust you."

We all nodded. Even I wasn't going to out Aphrodite like that.

Pierce continued. "What you must realize, is that whether Aphrodite provides a spark or not, in the end, only the two lovers can fan the flame. Can make that leap from spark or crush or attraction—whatever you want to call it—to love." He smiled. "That part is never magic. It's all heart."

"That's so sweet," Festos dabbed at his eyes.

Pierce stood and shook out his legs. "It is. And that's how Aphrodite has survived in people's minds and hearts where a lot of other gods faded away."

I thought Pierce was being pretty profound. Given the adoring look on Hannah's face, she did too.

"You might think you're skeptical of love but you're brimming with it. Look at how deep it runs for your friends," Pierce said to Hannah, his gaze warm. He reached out a hand and pulled her up. "That's why Aphrodite went crazy for you."

"Just Aphrodite?" she asked with a coy look.

Pierce's grin widened.

Hannah blushed.

It was hilarious to see her all rattled. But I was still screwed. "What are we going to do?"

"Kiss her," Pierce ordered Kai.

"It won't work," I protested.

Pierce looked at me sharply then motioned at Kai. "Kiss. Her."

"If you insist." Kai kissed me.

It was a really fine kiss.

I mean, wow. Like a ten from the Russians and a lot of hooting from my friends. Except Theo, whose very audible "grrr" rated it minus a billion.

This kiss was the fairytale kiss of pure romance. Soft and sweet, with no doubt that it was cementing a happily-ever-after. The kiss of every girl's dreams.

But it didn't retrieve squat.

Kai pulled back. He looked into my eyes, searching.

I shook my head.

Disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"That should have worked," Pierce said. He sounded stunned.

The ache in my chest was definitely only because the clock was ticking and the memory spell was still in place.

"Is there somewhere Sophie and I can talk? Privately?" Kai asked.

Festos pointed to one of the other doors. "Through there."

Kai took my hand and led me into Festos' bedroom. He shut the door.

The room was just as sleek and modern as the rest of the place. A large bed with bright, graphic bedding took up most of the space. A flat screen TV was mounted on the wall across from the bed, with a bamboo dresser below it. Bamboo side tables flanked the bed.

Kai sat me on the edge of the bed and leaned a hip against the dresser. "What did I tell you when you found me cuffed?"

Not what I expected him to say, but sure, I'd play along. "That Hades had poisoned himself as a test of your loyalty, and that you chose me."

Kai gave a bitter smile. "Hades would halt the torture every once in a while to make me a proposition." His hands were pressed together, white knuckled. His eyes had a far-away look. "All would be forgiven, he'd even bequeath me the Underworld, if I went back and killed you."

"You said 'no,' right?" My stomach fluttered. I hoped I understood this correctly. "Turned him down. Chose me so I could help you defeat him. Team Sophie, yay?" My voice had gotten a smidge higher and more panicky.

I thought I understood the situation but there was always the chance the Kai was about to break out the evil laugh, tell me if he couldn't have Persephone, he didn't want me living and end me right then and there.

Kai shifted and brought his attention back to me with a fond smile. Like I was somewhat slow.

He sat down beside me and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Goddess, I didn't choose you to help me defeat my father."

He paused. I wanted to strangle him, I was so keyed up to hear what he was going to say next.

My smile might have trembled the tiniest bit.

Kai dropped his own smile and shoved his fingers through his hair, creating little spiky tufts. "Goddesses are easy. Sure, they're vain and temperamental, but I know how to handle them. But you. You were this prickly, mouthy, human girl. And I couldn't figure you out and I couldn't get you to fall in line and you just kept getting under my skin."

He gave me a look of anger mixed with yearning and despair. As if I was supposed to understand. But honestly? I was so lost.

"You don't remember us. I do." His brow furrowed. "At first, it was just confusing because I kept seeing glimpses of Persephone in this stranger. But then, it all started to get tangled up. I felt like I was betraying Persephone."

My stomach clenched in anxiety. Yeah, Kai being honest was better than Kai playing head games, which is what I felt he'd done when we first met. But it wasn't actually easier to hear.

I was going to have to reconcile myself to the magnificence that was Persephone or drive myself mad with insecurity and feelings of inadequacy.

"I get it." I force myself to meet his gaze and not stare at the floor. "You loved her so much. Her loss devastated you."

"Sophie," Kai began.

I cut him off. "You're not betraying her, you know," I said insistently.

Kai looked at me, confused.

"Having to fall in love with me. It's just battle strategy. It doesn't lessen what you felt for her."

Did it hurt to reassure him like this? Sure. I wasn't a saint. My feelings for him, whatever they were, hadn't disappeared.

Every word I spoke to Kai reassuring him about his love for Persephone cut my soul like a knife.

Maybe one day Kai and I could have a chance at something real, maybe we couldn't. It didn't change the fact that right now, he needed to hear this and know I believed it. That he should too.

Damn. Personal growth was hard.