Hades Legacy (Hades Series #3)

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

"Mum?!" I gasp, gaping at her in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Playing the role of the awkward parent who walks in at the wrong time, apparently." She replies with a hint of amusement lacing her tones. I blush so hard that it feels like my cheeks are on fire. She glances over my shoulder at Eric. "Hello Eric. Long time no see."

Eric stares at her for a few seconds in complete silence, before shaking his head.

"Oh, hell no. I'm out. I'd rather carve out my own eyeballs than even attempt to exchange these awkward pleasantries." He mutters, surprising a laugh out of me that I barely manage to stifle. Biting back a smile I glance up at him, and he shoots me a rakish smirk that sends shivers down my spine. He squeezes my hand. "I'll see you later, Bambi."

"Bye." I squeak out, still in so much shock from my mother walking in on Eric and I in the middle of kissing that I'm barely able to get a word out.

Well, almost kissing.

Eric nods and disappears out the door, and not even a second later we hear him yelling. "Ria! I need to have a word with you about your guarding abilities! You just let the ruddy queen of hell walk right through my mansion without realising!"

I hear Ria's muffled reply from the other side of the house. "I did realise Eric! You were just preoccupied."

Oops. I wince, slyly glancing at my mother out of the corner of my eye. My blush deepens when I realise how much she's struggling to hold back a grin.

Oh, I'm never going to live this down.

"So." She drawls the moment Eric's finally gone, a scarily mischievous look in her eye. "How you doing, Bambi?"

Yup. There it is. I bury my face in my hands just so I can avoid looking at her. "Please don't."

"What?" She asks innocently. "Hey, I'm not judging. I have plenty of pet names for your father; it's like a given in any relationship."

I wrinkle up my nose in disgust. "Mum. Gross. Stop."

"Well, I mean, come on Ellie, you could do worse." She shrugs. "I don't want to get started on some of the things your father called me when-"

"Mum!" I lament, pressing my fingers to my flaming cheeks. I'm pretty sure I'm about one more teasing comment away from spontaneously combusting, I'm blushing so hard. "Stop. We are not in a relationship."

"Really?" She turns around slightly, glancing over at the door. "Do you kiss all your friends like that?"

"No!"

"Ah, so it's just Eric then?" She says, her green eyes twinkling. "Ellie. Sweetheart. That's a relationship."

I groan, covering my face again. I mumble into my hands. "I hate you."

"No you don't." She replies cheerily. "You missed me. You know you did."

I glare at her through my fingers, but I can't hold back the small smile that ricochets across my lips in response to her bright grin. She holds her arms up in the air, wriggling her eyebrows at me over-dramatically, and I laugh. She's right; I have missed her.

Without another word, I fly across the room and wrap my arms around her in a tight hug. My mother chuckles and hugs me back just as tight.

"See? Told you that you missed me."

I bury my face in her shoulder and mumble, "Not when you're making fun of me."

"Me? Make fun of you? Ellie, I would never!" She gasps, laying a hand on her chest. " What kind of mother would I be if I made fun of my own child?"