Eros

Chapter 19: Conflicted

Shay and Angie sat cross-legged on the floor against the huge sectional sofa in the sunken entertainment room. The television was on, but there was no sound since it was on mute.

"I can't believe he'd do such a thing to you, the idiot." Shay's nails bit into a slice and ripped it in half.

Angie laughed, but it was empty. She didn't like how Shay sneered Eros. Yes, Eros was a rake as the romance novels put it, but she couldn't help but champion him. "Please don't call him that—it was hardly his fault."

"Hardly what? Hardly what!" Shay pulled away from Angie, a pillow snug against her chest. "How? How can you stick up for him like that? He doesn't deserve you. Gosh, Angie, I wish you had more self-esteem than that."

She didn't need this. Not now when it was too fresh. Too painful. "You know what?" Angie said, jumping to her feet. "I'm tired." She gazed down at her friend and smiled as sweet as possible through the mire of pain. "Good night."

"Ang, look, I'm sorry I even said that about him. About you, I'm sorry."

"Catch you in the morning, Shayla."

Angie washed up and slipped into her flannel pajamas with a shudder. She crawled into bed and flopped to her back, staring at the shadows from the distant lamppost in her backyard. The very same one she had sat by with Eros.

"Oh, Eros."

The more she tried to push him from her mind, the more he resisted. She couldn't help but think when she very first saw him. How lost and confused he was. How soft and breathless he made her (though he screamed "player"). How unassuming he was with her. Resentment pierced her.

How unassuming he was with everyone!

She touched her chin to her knees and pulled the blanket to her shoulder, her face buried into her feather pillow. So many thoughts came. So many thoughts went. But the one thing she was left with was an empty ache. Hollow and all-consuming.

"Good bye, Eros." She closed her eyes, squeezing out the last tear for him.

Sweet, numbing darkness enveloped Angie. She felt her bed spin and tilt as her body floated away into blessed nothingness. She smiled and snuggled deeper, listening to the call of a dreamless state. This was where she longed to be.

A sound. Soft and sharp.

"Who?" she mumbled, shifting under the covers.

The same sound. Louder.

"Hu?" Angie sprang up, her heart strong against her chest from the sudden disturbance. She gazed about, eyes wild as her hair. "Who's there?"

"Ang? It's Shay, can I come in?"

"Shay?" Angie yawned, scratching her head. "Shay? Shay, what are you doing here?"

Soft laughter floated from behind the door. "Did you forget already? Can I come in?"

Angie indulged another yawn, and a lavish stretch. "Yeah, the door's open." She dropped back into the sea of pillows and rolled to her other side.

"Scooch over, I want to lay down too."

Angie bumped back twice and patted the empty spot. "The bed's big enough."

"Yeah, but you were in the middle."

"Are you okay? You look, uh, you look sad."

Shay flipped the covers to her chest and nuzzled into a spare pillow. "Look, Angie, I said some things that were way too forward."