Page 32 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I shift closer to him. My mouth is next to his ear. “I’m Paisley Grove,” I whisper.

I lean away from him. He’s still the sleeping prince, and his snoring is god-awful jagged. I’m trying to figure out what to do to help him sleep easier when a chime sparkles through the room. I turn and look over my shoulder. I hear the sound again. I roll onto my stomach and look over the side of the bed. A cellphone sits next to an empty bottle of liquor. The active screen holds a page full of messages.

We’re getting married.Get used to it. Xoxo Contessa

I gaspinto the palm of my hand. That message was sent at 2:33 p.m.

Call me.Let’s make it work.

She sentthat one at 4:55 p.m.

Areyou working for Achilles today? I’m your fiancée whether you like it or not. Say something to me. Xoxo Contessa

That last textmessage was sent a minute ago.

Holy cow.I’m stunned and don’t know what to do next. Here I am, lying naked beside a man who just banged me better than anyone ever will, and he did it while drunk. And he has a fiancée?

I flip around to study Hercules. Is Contessa the reason why he warned me, the stranger he picked up while intoxicated, that he can’t get into anything serious with me?

Feeling like the life has drained out of me, I take in Hercules’s expensive modern dresser drawers and the light fixture in the hallway that must lead to his bathroom. How very adult his life is compared to mine. He’s only three months older than I am. Maybe Max was right when he said that I’m veering off track. I’ve had to work three times as hard to keep up with my grades and academic projects ever since Boyles came into my life.

Gosh, he was so demanding, so high-maintenance. Boyles needed weekend breakfast followed by hikes in the Catskills. I wasted so much time with Boyles, engaging in our many make-out sessions. He said my lips were the most kissable ones he’d ever sucked on. But it sure looked like he was enjoying Dandi’s quite a lot. And the code. I’ve neglected the code, and doing that is like turning my back on Grandfather.

Hercules’s snoring whips against the air. Knowing what I know now, I wonder if I would let him have me again if he happened to wake up and draw me under him.The truth, Paisley.

“Yes,” I whisper and flop onto my back.

I look at him, trying to really see him. The smell of strong drink rising from Hercules’s breath saturates the room. I couldn’t smell it earlier as much as I do now. He’s still gorgeous, but he looks tired, worn out. Maybe earlier I was drunk on desire. I’m starting to fall out of his spell—I think. I’m a Grove, and we don’t comingle with Valentines. On top of that, he’s marrying some girl named Contessa.

The thought of the man with the most gorgeous profile I’ve ever laid eyes on being another woman’s husband makes me sick to my stomach. But what can I do about it? Nothing. We made love, but from this day on, our lives will be separate.

I carefully scoot off the bed and tiptoe around the room, stopping to put on my panties, then my pants, and next my shirt. All of sudden, Hercules starts to gag and cough, but he’s not waking up. I quickly rush over to him. He’s heavy, but I summon enough strength to flip him onto his side.

“Goodness,” I gasp, breathing heavily.

I’m afraid to leave him alone. I look around the room for solutions, and I scope out all the fluffy pillows on his bed. I rush to collect them and then stuff three behind him and three in front of him. Once he’s secure, I take a step back to make sure the propping will hold.

“Blah…” Hercules retches.

I inhale sharply as vomit splashes against the mattress and spatters on the floor. I remain very still, waiting for him to wake up and catch me leaving. His eyes don’t open. Instead, he hugs the pillow in front of him and continues sleeping. At least he isn’t snoring anymore.

Poor thing.He looks so vulnerable, so sad. One last time—I must do it one last time. Careful to avoid his vomit, I quietly walk to the side of the bed and bend down over him.

I kiss him on the cheek and then his forehead. “Goodbye, Hercules. Have a good life.”

“You too,” he mutters as if he can see me in his dreams.

I jump, startled, and hold my heart, waiting for him to open his eyes. Several seconds pass. He’s still asleep. Satisfied with my decision to leave him forever, I turn and walk out of the room without looking back.

Chapter Fourteen

Renewal

Paisley Grove

Returning to campus is hassle-free—thank goodness, because I left my cellphone in my room. I was so entranced by Hercules that I didn’t remember that I left our dorm brokenhearted and acting on a whim. Fortunately, Hercules’s building has cab service. Riding home, I close my eyes and relive the last two hours and thirty-three minutes.I had sex with Hercules Valentine.I’m not sure why that one brief encounter hurts more than a boyfriend’s and a roommate’s betrayal.

Maybe it was destiny that we ended up in the same restaurant tonight. I snort, chuckling about how I dismissed Eden’s advice to get under someone else to forget about Boyles. Not in a million years would I ever have believed I would not only do it but end up under Hercules Valentine. Can it be this easy to let go of anger and embarrassment? Maybe I never cared for Boyles at all.