Hades Legacy (Hades Series #3)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Suddenly, I lose the ability to breathe. I stare at him, my eyes the size of saucers. "Wha-what did you say?"

"You heard me."

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Unsure what to say, I let out a long breath, my heart stuttering in my chest, and blurt out the first question that comes to my mind. "Why does it scare you?"

Wow. Way to go Ellie. I bet that's the exact reaction he was hoping for.

"Are you kidding me?" Eric asks, laughing incredulously. "I make people fall in love Ellie; I don't do the love thing myself. I never have."

"Why?"

He doesn't respond. I smack his shoulder as hard as I can. "Eric!"

He rears back, his eyes widening in surprise. "What the hell was that for?"

"Seriously?" I cry, throwing my hands up in the air. "You can't just say something like that and then shut me out!"

"Why not?"

"Because you told me!" I exclaim, stabbing his chest with my finger. He stops, his forehead crinkling in confusion.

"What?"

"You told me." I repeat, emphasizing every syllable. "Which means a part of you wanted to say that, a part of you wanted me to know! So why would you tell me, and then completely shut me out in the next breath? It doesn't make sense!"

"I'm a compulsive person, Ellie." He retorts, his impassive expression betraying absolutely nothing. I suddenly find I despise that mask with an uncontrollable hatred. "Hell, who I am as a god embodies compulsiveness. I say things without thinking about it on a daily basis."

"I don't believe you." I reply in a hard voice.

He stares at me in disbelief, almost like he wasn't expecting me to say that at all. "What?"

"I don't believe you. Nobody speaks without thinking about what they're going to say first, even if its unconsciously." I say firmly. "So, why won't you tell me? Why does it scare you?"

Eric groans, rubbing his face in frustration. "Just give it up, Ellie."

"No!" This time I really shout, so loud that it tears through the ambiance of the ball and plunges us into a little pocket of silence. My outburst hangs in the air between us, and it feels like the night just stops for several seconds. I lower my voice when I notice the wide-eyed look of shock Eric's giving me, taking a deep breath before I continue. "You cannot expect me to 'give it up' when you've said something as paramount as that. I understand that you lash out and become excessively antagonistic when you're trying to protect yourself and stop people from discovering your secrets, but you can't do that with me anymore Eric! Not after everything that has happened between us, and especially not after what you just said! I deserve to know!"

"Not in this case, Ellie." He counters obstinately. My frustration starts boiling in my veins.

"Why not?!" I hiss.

"Because I know what you'll do with the information!" He snaps brusquely. I flinch, taken aback by his unexpectedly snappy tones. "You'll take it upon yourself to try and fix me, because that's what you do. You fix people. But what you refuse to realise is that some people are meant to be broken Ellie, and they stay that way, no matter how hard you try to fix them. Some people have skeletons in their closet that you can't just sweep away, no matter how damn hard you try."