Our Forgotten Souls

Chapter Twenty-Two

"So...," he started. I wasn't even sure where to begin.

We'd both been lying.

"I guess I'll start?" He looked at me for confirmation, and I merely met his gaze. "Sure, I'll take that as a yes. Yeah. Sorry for lying to you. I...um...am obviously not who you thought I was. I do underground work on the side."

I scoffed. "You do underground work on the side of being a member of one of the richest families in this city?"

He opened his mouth as if to respond...then closed it. Then narrowed his eyes. "When you say it like that..."

"Do you have a job? Or do you just like...exist?" I replied, a bit condescendingly. Maybe I was being a bit rude, but I knew enough about the elite to know the majority were total jerks.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have a job. I may seem like a daddy's boy but I actually do work."

"Just please don't say the word daddy to me ever again." I tucked my chin into my knees. I knew what I had to ask. I was just scared to hear his answer.

"I know we're not on the best terms right now. I also know you don't trust me, but I will say...I'm not going to tell anyone who you are. I don't know who you are. I don't know why the hell you're here, although I suspected something was up every time you visited." He wiped a stray strand of hair out of his eyes mid-sentence. "But I'm no snitch."

"Really reassuring," I replied, although I did feel a bit of a weight lift off my chest. "Now, you're probably wondering about me."

"A little cocky isn't it, to assume I care?" he joked. Despite the tense situation, I fought back a grin. "Fine, tell me."

"I can't tell you everything. But I'm sure you're aware that I'm not the senator. I've been...," I started, realizing that I wasn't really sure how to say all this. I couldn't talk about the rebellion. But he knew I was a fraud already. There was nothing wrong with slightly distorting the truth. "In all honesty...I was made to take the role by...by my family. I'm too young to be a real senator, so Lenox agreed to allow me in under a different made-up identity. They also didn't want it to seem like nepotism." I tried to keep my face as straight as possible. Maybe it was a bit of a stretch, but I had to try.

"And do you, like, have a job or just exist?" Erebus replied sarcastically, throwing my words right back at me. "So, were you just not down for it or something?"

"Does it seem like I was down for it?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You make a good point."

"But...," I added, realizing that even my false story had to be covered up. Especially from Roland Lenox. "You can't tell anyone. Not even the Lenoxes. If you know them. Just don't talk about it because it's super hush hush."

If he was suspicious of me, he didn't show it. "Deal." He paused for a moment. "And you think I know the Lenoxes? Wow, you really are new here."

"I don't know! I just found out you're Darius's son!"

"Honestly, it's not as disturbing as watching you aggressively flirt with my dad."

I stood up, mouth wide open. "Okay. I did not flirt with your dad."

He narrowed his eyes at me, a smile creeping onto his face. "Sure, that's exactly what it seemed like when you two were practically making out in the garden...not to mention, you were sitting in his lap when he introduced you."

"You were watching me?!" I shouted, loud enough that people outside would hear.

"I wasn't intentionally watching you. But it's hard not to look when you're seconds away from sleeping with my dad!" Erebus replied loudly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

My cheeks turned a brutal shade of red.

I looked at Erebus, horrified, and tried to think of something to say. "Sorry! Occupied!" I said, raising my voice an entire pitch higher.

"Yes, we're having loads of fun," Erebus added, unnecessarily. I shot him a lethal glare.

"Senator Sardon," came a very serious voice from the other side of the door. "It's an urgent matter."

It was Hank.