Gods & Angels | Sinners of Saint Benedicts duet 1 (dark/bully romance)

Chapter Seven

Surprised by the thoughtfulness, I shook my head. "Usual is fine."

Apollo cocked his head as he looked me over. "You sure?"

I smiled. "I'll have what you're having," I said, giving in.

He grinned warmly. "All right. The lady will have what I'm having," he told the maître d'.

He inclined his head. "Certainly, sir."

At our table, Apollo pulled my chair out for me and kissed my cheek before I sat down, then he went to his own seat. When I looked up at him, his eyes were warm and taking me in carefully.

"What?" I asked with a laugh.

He shrugged. "Nothing. You look really nice."

I shifted in my seat. "I don't look any different than usual."

And I didn't. I wore a simple scoop neck dress, fitted in the bodice, flared in the skirt, with short cap sleeves, in a soft rose pink. I'd added a strand of pearls at my neck, another on my wrist, and one more around my waist. My hair was in my standard go-to 'going out' curls and I had on my white pumps. It was an outfit he'd probably seen too many times for society's approval, but I liked it. I felt good in it. We'd had some of our best dates with me in that dress.

"No," he agreed. "You don't. You always look really nice."

I scoffed. "You might not think that when you see me first thing in the morning."

His grin grew more rueful. "I'm sure I will."

Because it was a given it would happen one day. I didn't know when our relationship would progress from for show to something more real. When we left school? When he put an unnecessarily large diamond on my finger? When we'd signed the papers and I was officially Mrs Callahan? But it would happen. We both knew that and pretending otherwise wouldn't do either of us any good.

Apollo reached over the table for my hand and I gave it to him. He ran his fingers over my new ring and an uncertainty crept into his eyes.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice low, quiet.

I saw then that Florence had been right. There was a part of him - no matter how small - that was trying to compensate for his extra curricular activities. A less - or perhaps more - cynical person than I would call them extra-maritals. It all amounted to the same, but as much as I hated that side of him - hated who he'd become with everyone else - there was still the boy I loved. Very, very deep down.

I nodded and squeezed his hand. "I really do," I told him with the most sincere, reassuring voice I had. "I love it. Thank you."

The relief flooded his eyes visibly. They softened instantly, the corners of his lips tipping up gently like he was about to smile. This was the side of Apollo I rarely saw anymore. This was Apollo without the mask. Not that he ever really wore a mask with me. He was always honest and real with me. But I watched him wear it for everyone else. I watched him put on the show. I had to help him put on the show.

But not here. Not now.

Now, it was just us. Just him and me and us. Free from watchful eyes. Free from people speculating about how solid our relationship - and therefore our fathers' deal - really was. We didn't have to be the perfect God and his perfect princess. We could just be Apollo and Harlow, the way we'd been as kids.

The most obvious sign was when the waiter brought us two beers.

Apollo rarely let himself be seen drinking beer. It was considered lower class. But when it was just us, before dinner, he liked a beer. And tonight, I was having one with him.