The Lover's Vow

Chapter 42: Aidan

I ignored the pounding on my locked office door, cringing when Lucy's voice blasted through. I'd been avoiding her all day, not wanting to talk to anyone while I was in this mood.

"I swear if you don't let me in here right this second I'm going to kick the damn thing down!"

It was solid oak, so I doubted she'd be able to get through but I wouldn't put it past her to try. I groaned, rubbing my temples as she kept knocking and knocking.

"God! Fine! Give me a damn second!" I yelled the words and walked over to the door, yanking it open to glare at Lucy.

Her narrowed eyes widened as she took me in. I knew I looked like a mess; my hair had knots galore and my scruff was longer than normal, only wearing sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt I'd found in my car. I hadn't found any shoes in my car so I was barefoot at the moment, only adding to the whole "homeless" look.

"Shit."

I laughed humorlessly. "What, you don't like the new look? I thought it might fit in with some of the people down at the center, make them warm up a little faster. No? Don't think so?"

"Cut it out Aidan. I know you only turn into a dick when you're hurting. And I'm assuming it has to do with Callie."

Instead of answering I headed back to my desk and sat in the chair. Lucy didn't bother to shut the door behind her since it was now late at night and we were the only ones here. She stood in front of my desk, arms folded across her chest as she waited. I scrubbed a hand over my face and through my hair, grunting when my fingers got caught in the tangles and I had to push through them.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be an asshole."

"Yeah I know. So what's going on? It might help to have a female's point of view to talk through it."

"I'm not sure you'll believe me even if I told you. This is more... complicated than most relationship issues."

She raised an eyebrow and sat down in the nearest chair. "Try me."

"You asked for it." I relayed the whole story, starting from the smoothie hitting me in the face all the way to when I stormed out of my own house, leaving Callie on her own.

Silence filled the office as Lucy took it all in. She hadn't interrupted at all, but I watched the disbelief on her face turn into curiosity, and a hundred of other emotions over the course of my story. I waited with bated breath to hear what she had to say.

"Well, you weren't wrong."

"What's that?"

"This is definitely more complicated than normal relationships."

"Fuckin' tell me about it."

I leaned back in my chair to stare at the ceiling, twisting the chair from side to side while I waited for her input.

"So, an actual, real-life goddess?" I tilted my head back down to look at her, my first real smile in hours pulling at my lips at the incredulous look on her face.

"As hard to believe as it is, yeah. If I wasn't obsessed with Greek mythology and had all of that shit put into my brain about Callie and her family, I wouldn't have believed it myself."

"No kidding. I mean, it's hard to believe but I guess crazier things have happened." She tapped her fingers on her chin, thinking everything through. "First of all, this sucks ass for both of you. The only real winner here is Aphrodite."

Anger bubbled inside me all over again at those words. I had been thinking the same thing. I wasn't mad at Callie for leaving, or for wanting me to leave her alone. I mean, I was definitely frustrated that she hadn't given me a chance to talk to her about it but I did understand. I'm sure whatever she heard of my conversation with Aphrodite didn't make me look good at all. Besides, how would Callie know I was on the phone with the Greek goddess of love herself?

"Aidan, do you not understand the result of this if Callie doesn't say she loves you by midnight tomorrow?"

"Yeah I get it, but Callie is more important to me than the family that left me behind. I'd rather live my life with Callie and not know them, than to lose her and find them."

"You have no idea." She shook her head and mumbled something I couldn't understand.

"I don't want to do this anymore. It's not fair to Callie, and it's not fair to me."

"Fair? When has life ever been fair? You need to finish this."

"I won't. I'm going to tell Callie the truth."

"Oh you are?"

"Yes. I'm going to tell Callie that this whole thing was a lie, that the first time we met was that day she woke up in the hospital, and that I've only been doing this because of some stupid vow she made and YOU thought I'd be the perfect tool to break that vow."

"If you tell her, I can guarantee that she is going to feel betrayed, and she'll leave you anyway. You've gone too far to back out now. I've been watching, and I know that she feels it. She's almost told you three times already! Just get her to confess, and the bond will break and you'll both be free to work everything out."

"I'm not stupid! As soon as she tells me I bet the bond will break and she's going to remember everything anyway. And that only leaves me with her knowing everything before I can tell her. Which makes me look worse! I think there's something you're not telling me. Because I've studied mythology, and I know that everything comes at a price. What happens when this expires? What happens to YOU if she fails to tell me she loves me by the deadline?"

An image of Aphrodite ripped through my mind. Fury ripped across her face, turning her beauty into something terrible before she realized her temper was getting the better of her. Ice shards formed in her eyes, almost cutting me physically as I felt the hardness of her next words "That, dear human, is none of your concern. If you do not succeed, then I will make sure everything you have worked for falls apart. I do not care to be made a fool of. Get her to say she loves you, or else."

The vision of her faded and my basement came back into view. In fury I punched the wall, leaving a huge hole that reflected the one in my heart. I walked back upstairs, and that's when I heard Callie crying, only to leave my house minutes later with nothing left of my heart.

"Lucy, I don't know what to do." My voice gave away what a mess my emotions were.

"I can't tell you what to do. I think that it'd be good to give Callie a little time like she asked for, that way she can sort through everything and get her head on straight."

I nodded miserably. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to go after her, make her listen, make her believe that I didn't mean to hurt her. But I knew that if I went now I would only make things worse. I got up from my chair and headed towards the window, staring out at the lights of Denver and picturing Callie's face before I left. Lucy came and stood next to me, touching my shoulder softly to get my attention.

"I know that you love her. I could see it before you did, and I still see it. I know that Aphrodite has nothing to do with how you and Callie feel about each other. She wasn't the reason you fell in love, she only put you two together. Give Callie a little time, and then go get her back."

Her words lifted a burden from me, I had been wondering if all these feelings were a product of the vow instead of being something legitimate. I was sure Callie was wondering the same thing and the next time I saw her I was going to prove that I loved her because of her, and not some shitty trick of the gods.

I could feel the determination to fix things welling inside me, beginning to displace all the misery. A plan formed in my mind, and I hurried back to my desk to start writing things down so I wouldn't forget. It wasn't until Lucy chuckled that I remembered she was still there.

"I see you're getting back to the Aidan I know." She came over and I stood to give her a hug, squeezing a little too hard. "Ow! Geez, don't break a rib!"

"Sorry," I said and let her go with a crooked smile.

"No worries. I hope you work things out with Callie, I really like her and I don't want it to be awkward when we hang out."

"Well if you'd leave I could get started on that," I intoned as I sat back down, grabbing my pen and scribbling some more.

"Whatever. Good luck!" I waved her off without looking up and grinned at the paper as I planned.