After Hades dragged Alice away from Suzy, insisting they walk back ho for no reason at all, he judt simply... walked.
Hades’s long, purposeful strides had forced Alice into a quick, awkward pace to keep up.
He hadn’t said a word, and obviously, she didn’t know what to say either. The walk would have been a lot more helpful if she wasn’t forced to stay in this awkwardness.
It was almost a relief when he finally broke the awkward silence.
"How’s the person?" he asked, his voice low.
Alice’s brow furrowed in confusion. "The... person?"
He didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. "The one you brought ho."
"Oh," she said, the realization hitting her. "Her na is Paula. And she’s fine." She paused, the words feeling stiff and formal.
Would it have been best to not tell Paula’s real na to them? Had she made a mistake?
Before she could start spiraling, she spoke up, "Thank you... for letting bring her. And for the doctor."
He didn’t respond. His strides were long and even, and she struggled to match them, the rhythm of their walk falling into an odd, disjointed dance.
She had to say it.
She had to really let this go otherwise, she would continue to be like this around him.
Her guilt caught up before her breath did. "About last night..." she began, her voice hardly audible.
That was what finally made him stop. Abruptly, decisively.
Alice halted too, her pulse skipping. She didn’t dare et his eyes, didn’t dare look at the man towering over her, the way his presence seed to fill all the space around them. Her gaze darted to the ground, to the gravel, to the shadows clinging to the road.
"I’m sorry again," she whispered. "For what happened." Her throat tightened, but she forced the words out. "Thank you... for trying to make my mood better."
His brow arched. The corner of his mouth didn’t move, but his tone carried an edge that might’ve been amusent or a blade.
"So now that you’re clear-headed, you don’t want to throw yourself at anymore?"
Her face burned instantly. She nearly tripped over her own tongue. "W–what?!"
He tilted his head slightly, as though examining a puzzle. "Was that not what happened?"
She wanted the ground to swallow her whole. "You—" Alice clutched her arms, unable to look at him. "Why are you making this... more embarrassing than it already is?"
"Why did you do that earlier?" he asked.
"D-Do what?" she stamred. Was he really trying to make her have a conversation about the kiss right now? Right here where she could not run anywhere?
"Take my side." His voice dropped. "Against the Matriarch."
She didn’t know how to answer that. It felt so much bigger than just a simple question. "I... I just stated the truth."
He was quiet, his silence so heavy it felt like an accusation. "You know I’m not the Matriarch’s son," he said, his voice flat, emotionless.
"I ca from the Patriarch’s affair."
Alice was stunned. He had just told her that, so casually, so bluntly. She had to swallow to moisten her dry throat before she could speak. "I... I kind of knew. But... it doesn’t matter."
She looked up at him, her gaze finally eting his. "I won’t let anyone talk down on you."
"Why?" he asked, his voice a low challenge.
She stuttered, searching for the right words. "Because... we’re married," she finally managed, the words feeling both like a shield and a confession. "So I’ll always take your side."
"Always?" he asked, and the single word was loaded with more weight than she could comprehend. Was it a trap?
She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I an... you’re not that bad." Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right words. "You’re nice... and considerate... even though sotis you say scary things... and do scary things, and look scary..."
He raised a brow, the corners of his lips twitching faintly, and she could see he was wondering if she was complinting him or calling him out.
"The point is," she said, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "I think you’re... nice."
A sound, half scoff, half laugh, slipped from him. "Wasn’t it you who called out the other day? Over Derren? And weren’t you the one eager to move out?"
She winced.
"And you," he continued, his voice lowering as he stepped closer, "looked at like a monster when I stabbed Vik. With a fork, not even a knife."
Okay, boo boo, a fork makes everything... simpler.
Alice instinctively stepped back.
His eyes followed her, steady, unflinching. "So why are you suddenly... caring toward ?"
The way he said the word made it sound like a curse. "I don’t like it."
Alice’s heart hamred, the unspoken accusation in his gaze chilling her to the bone.
She pushed back, the words tumbling out before she could think. "Then why do you care about ?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You always said you didn’t like ."
Hades’s jaw tightened. "When did I ever care?" his tone sounded like a challenge.
Alice stood her ground. "Think about it," she said, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Have you been behaving normally with lately?" she asked quietly. "You used to be quick to strangle . To threaten with death."
He didn’t answer imdiately. His brow furrowed in concentration, his gaze fixed on so unseen point in the distance. He seed to be replaying their recent interactions in his mind.
The more he thought, the deeper the frown on his face grew, as if he didn’t like the conclusion he was coming to.
Deciding it was a good ti to keep moving, Alice turned to walk away, but his hand shot out and grabbed hers again, startling her.
At the sa ti, Gavin’s car drove past, the headlights sweeping over them. He didn’t stop, didn’t even seem to see them.
The two of them watched the car disappear into the dark before Alice turned to face Hades again.
He pulled her closer, his voice low and intense. "If you know I’ve been... nice to you, then why do you still keep things from ?"
Alice’s heart rate spiked. She stamred, "What... what am I keeping from you?"
He gave her a pointed look, a silent refusal to play her ga. The ssage was clear: he wasn’t going to entertain a pointless question.
Alice sighed heavily, the fight draining from her. She looked at the ground, then back up at him, her voice barely audible. "If... if I told a really big lie, would you... would you kill ?"
Hades’s gaze was a heavy weight on Alice. Her heart pounded as she waited for his answer. She had never been so terrified in her life.
She didn’t like how she was with Hades.
She was always tough. Independent. Strong.
But since him... her heart was always beating fast. She got nervous easily, softer and even began to depend on him and fear what he may think of her.
He finally broke the silence, his voice a low, asured rumble. "I might not."
Alice’s breath hitched in her throat. Just three words, but they felt like a lifeline. She sagged in relief, the tension she’d been carrying finally beginning to ease. The relief, however, was quickly replaced by a sharp, familiar pang of guilt.
She t his gaze, her eyes shining with a newfound honesty. "I won’t lie and say I’ve been honest with you," she said quietly. "I’m sure you already know that. But I’ll... I’ll co clean one day."
He took a step even closer, his presence a commanding force. "When?"
"I... I don’t know," she stamred, the uncertainty of her future a cold knot in her stomach.
"I’m not a very patient guy."
"I noticed," she muttered, a tiny spark of her old self returning.
"Why do you always wear heels when you’re so bad with them?" he suddenly asked.
The change of topic was so abrupt it left her montarily speechless.
Alice was surprised he had even noticed. "I..." she began, but he cut her off.
"Take them off," he commanded, his voice brooking no argunt. "Walking barefoot is good for your health."
"Then why aren’t you?" she challenged, a small smile playing on her lips.
He eyed her for a mont, the corner of his mouth twitching as if accepting a dare.
He reached down and took off his own shoes, picking them in his hand as he straightened.
Then, he raised a brow, his gaze a silent challenge.
Alice almost couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She kicked off her heels and picked them up.
They resud walking, barefoot side by side. The cool grass and gravel underfoot felt grounding, strangely intimate.
"Where is that bastard driving to?" Hades muttered, noticing Gavin’s car had driven far, far away from Block C.
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