Part three
The museum wasn't too crowded. It had a few people linger in corners as groups of guide tours moved through the floors. After a few minutes of wandering, Posey found a large painting of a pomegranate.
It was in the hands of a woman. Her face was not visible. She clutched the bleeding fruit to her chest as if it was her heart.
Posey signed breathlessly as she scanned the painting. She didn't know how long she had stood there for but when a voice spoke next to her, she jumped in fright.
"What do you think this painting says?" A deep voice asked.
Posey turned to the man next to her and gasped.
Like a flood gate opening up, memories of midnight walks around New York and private museum tours flooded Posey's mind.
She stood motionless as the man took a step towards her. He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Tobias," Posey breathed out his name.
"Hello, Persephone." Tobias smiled.
When Posey didn't move or object to him touching her, he took her hand into his and brought it to his lips.
Posey's heart beat wildly in her chest as Tobias placed a kiss upon her hand.
"I know a place that sells the best zeppolis," Tobias smiled. "What do you say we get out of here and go taste some?"
Posey nodded as she took a step closer to him. She placed a hand over his chest and looked into his eyes, "I'd like that very much."
Tobias looked down at her hand on his chest and a ghost of a smile spread across his lips. He could hear Posey's heart hum through her hand. It was as if her strong rapid pulse was seeping in through his body to jump start his frozen heart. The high points of her cheeks grew warm as the tips of Tobias's finger tingled to touch them.
"Where-" Posey lifted her thick lashes. If she wasn't breathless before then the day the man's dark eyes put her at the center of his universe surely made her heart skip a beat.
"Where have you been?" Posey finished.
"Were you waiting for me?" Tobias asked. The unfamiliar way his chest tightened made the God of the Underworld uneasy.
"Yes," Posey frowned. "Everyday."
"My apologies, my dove," Tobias leaned in a bit closer as if Posey was a magnet pulling him to her.
"That's not an explanation," Posey's frowned.
The corner of Tobias's mouth curved up in amusement, "I'm afraid I don't have an explanation."
Suddenly, as Tobias watched Posey's eyes, she began to pull her hand back from his chest. His hand tried to hold her close without his permission, but Posey slipped away. She took a step back as her gaze dropped.
"Persephone?" Tobias was surprised by how cold he felt suddenly. It was as if he was denied the warmth of the sunlight.
Posey lifted her head toward the painting of the lady holding the pomegranate. She could feel Tobias watching her as he waited. But she had no intention of leaving the museum with him. His lack of explanation for why he had made her wait so long irritated her. And not understanding why she was irritated bothered her even more.
As Tobias watched, Posey began to move toward the empty bench by the painting. She plopped down and let her shoulders drop. Her chest began to close up and the tears began to burn at the back of her eyes. After a few seconds, Tobias took two strides forward and took a seat on the bench beside her.
"Are you upset with me?" He asked, staring at her rather than the masterpiece in front of them.
"Why would I be upset?" Posey shrugged.
"You seem upset," Tobias pointed out.
"I have no reason to be upset," Posey pushed her dark hair over her shoulder. "How's that girl you told me about?"
"What girl?" Tobias raised a brow.
"You said there was someone in your life," Posey turned her glossy brown eyes to the god. "You said she wouldn't agree with my opinion of you."
"Gemma," Tobias said in recognition.
"Gemma," Posey tried the name on her lips. "How is she?"
"She's married."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Tobias nodded his head. "It was a beautiful wedding. She looked beautiful."
"I bet she did," Posey looked away from the god and focused on the painting once more. Her eyes ran up and down the red juice of the fruit running down the woman's wrist.
Tobias followed the girl's eyes to the painting. A few months ago when he first had the idea to have Posey come to Paris, he had been standing in front of the exact canvas thinking about her. He was addicted to the way her eyes scanned every inch. If he was allowed, he could watch her for hours as she watched the painting.
"Persephone?" Tobias said after a while as the silence between them stretched.
"Yes, Tobias?" Posey turned her head.
"I can leave if you want me to."
"No!" Posey jumped in fright. She grabbed Tobias's hand and tugged it toward her. "I'm already upset at you for taking so long. Don't go."
"So you are upset with me?" Tobias gave a rare laugh.
"Yes," Posey said breathlessly, her eyes fixed on the dark strand of hair that dangled over the god's forehead. "Why did you make me wait so long?"
Tobias's eyes lingered on his hand in Posey's as he tried to string all the right words together.
"I wanted you to have more time with your family," he said after a long pause.
"How does the myth go?"
Tobias lifted his dark eyes, "Pardon me?"
"The myth of Hades and Persephone," Posey said slowly. "How does it go again?"
Tobias's eyes scanned her face. Before he could answer Posey continued.
"She spent half the year on Earth and the other half in the Underworld....... You made me live through winter here."
Tobias frowned. His mind started to race and his heart began to ache. He could feel himself on the verge of making a big mistake, a mistake he wanted to make very badly. But as he watched the girl in front of him, he knew he needed to put a stop to whatever was happening before either one of them fell from the skies too hard.
"Why," Tobias began slowly as he pulled his hand back from Posey. "Why would I take you to the underworld with me?"
Posey blinked in confusion, "It's where I belong.....with you."
Tobias felt his chest tighten, "Posey, I think I may have given you the wrong impression."
"Are we not going to the underworld?" Posey asked. "Will we be staying here? On Earth?"
"You will be staying here on Earth."
"And you're staying with me," Posey stated.
"No," Tobias shook his head. "I am not staying with you."
"Then you're bringing me with you," Posey tried so hard to make sense of what he was saying.
"No," Tobias got up from the bench Posey lifted her eyes and watched him. "I just came to say hello. Not to bring you with me or to come stay with you."
A bitter lump began to form in Posey's throat. She felt her stomach drop as everything around her began to spin.
"You came to say hello?" She asked, biting down to not shout.
"Yes," Tobias said.
"I thought you came to take me with you," Posey confessed. "I'm Persephone........ You're Hades......"
"No, Posey," Tobias shook his head. "That's a myth. And we just happen to have the same names."
Posey frowned. She felt as if an ice cube was sliding down her back as she glared up at the god.
"Why are you here?" She huffed in anger.
"I came to say hello," Tobias stared down at the girl.
"Does the God of the Underworld go around to pay annual visits to everybody he saves?"
"I didn't save you," Tobias shook his head. "It wasn't your ti-."
"Why did you come back?" Posey's voice rose just a bit and cracked. "If you're not going to take me with you then why are you here?"
"Posey," Tobias gave a light laugh. "Again. Why would I take you with me?"
"Because I've been waiting for you," Posey jumped to her feet. "You belong to me."
"You don't know me," Tobias frowned. "I don't know you. We've only ever spent a few hours with each other."
"It feels like a lifetime," Posey took a small step forward. "Tell me it doesn't."
Tobias looked into the girl's brown eyes, "You don't belong in the underworld."
"Then we can stay here."
"What do you think is going on here?" Tobias suddenly grew angry. He watched as Posey's steps halted and a frown appeared on her face. "Have you lost your mind? We're not star crossed lovers."
Posey visibly flinched from his words. She felt the little ice cube turn into a bucket of cold water as it poured all over her body, freezing every cell. Tobias watched as the warmth in her brown eyes began to freeze and then crack like ice. Her face drained of all color and she began to fidget, shifting from feet to feet.
Seeing the hurt in Posey's eyes, Tobias felt a ton of dread land on his shoulder as if the sky had fallen on him. He lifted his hand and reached out for the girl.
"Persephone,"
Posey's eyes darkened like the God of the Underworld.
"Persephone is dead to you."
What do you think? I think Posey has a lot of hell in her, despite what Tobias might think.