Page 16 of Winning Back Persephone (Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency #9)

PERSEPHONE

I was exhausted by the time the launch event was over, but my spirits lifted as soon as I saw that Hades was still here. I hadn't expected him to leave, not really. We'd shared too many events like this for me to expect him to disappear afterwards without saying anything.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. What had I been thinking in walking away from our relationship? He might not have my same level of ambition, but he had a lot of other things that were just as important, if not more. I could trust him to be alongside me every step of the way.

Someone cleared their throat beside me, and I turned to find Aphrodite there with a clipboard. "If you want to go, I can finish up here," she said.

"It's fine, I can stay."

She gave me a look that said she didn't believe me. "You're going to spend every moment you can staring at Hades and wishing you were alone with him if you did that."

"What? No, of course not."

She laughed. "Lie to me all you want, I've been doing this as long as you've been queen of the underworld."

I sighed. We weren't close, but there was no reason to doubt her insights. "What do I do?"

She shrugged. "Whatever you want to do. I can only tell you what I can see from watching the two of you. You're the ones who have to decide what you want to do with that."

I nodded and looked over in his direction. She wasn't wrong about that, and I knew what I wanted, I was just a little scared about putting myself out there, especially when nothing had changed. "Are you sure you're okay staying here?"

"Of course. It's part of my job," she said. "Just recommend me to anyone else you know who is having a launch event. I could always use more business."

"But not by working for Jinx?"

She chuckled. "I like working with Jinx, but I don't want to work for Aine. I'm my own boss, and I'm not looking to change that."

"That's something I can understand."

She nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Persephone." She walked away before I could say anything else, leaving me to make a decision about Hades.

Except that wasn't right. I'd already made my decision, I just needed to find out if he was willing to make it with me.

He looked over, and my heart skipped a beat. There was no time like the present.

"Hey." I barely resisted the urge to lean in and kiss him. It was harder not to be affectionate than I'd ever expected it to be.

"Hey," he responded.

"I'm done for the night. If you want walking back to the portal."

He raised an eyebrow. "That depends."

"On?"

"If you're going to come through it with me. Cebby would love to see you again."

"Cebby would love to see me?" I echoed.

He laughed. "I'd like it too. I know you well enough to be sure you haven't eaten all night. We can pick something up on the way home."

Home . The word did funny things to me. "Let me just get my coat." It wasn't a yes, but it was as good as one. I headed into the back and collected my things, being careful with the potted daffodils he'd brought me. They'd need planting in a garden to properly thrive, but I appreciated that he'd brought me living plants instead of cut flowers. I didn't think anyone else had ever thought about that for me. But that just summed up Hades.

The cool air made it worthwhile for having gotten my coat as we stepped out of the building and began the walk back to the portal that would lead to the god realm where Hades made his home.

"It was a good event," he said.

"It was. Aphrodite did a good job."

"She did. Maybe I should hire her for my launch."

I stopped in my tracks. "Your launch?"

"Mmhm. Did I not tell you? I'm opening a club in the human realm."

"What? I've been begging you to do that for years." I started walking again, trying to process the revelation.

"And I was working on it," he said. "It just wasn't ready until now."

"Why didn't you tell me? When I left?"

"Would it have changed anything?" Hades asked. "I didn't want you to stay because of the club."

"And why didn't you tell me before now?"

"Because I didn't want you to come back for the club either," he said.

"Then why tell me now?"

"Haven't you already decided what you want?" he asked, looking at me.

"Yes."

"And are you going to tell me?"

"'I've been trying to find the right words," I murmured.

He stopped us walking and put his hand on my arm. The two of us were so close that it was impossible not to think about him. Not that I'd been doing much to avoid the thoughts anyway. "Try, Persephone," he whispered.

I took a deep breath. "I want you." The words were barely audible. I wetted my lips and tried again. "I want my husband back."

"You never lost me, Sephie." He stepped closer, lifting his hand to my face.

"I'm sorry." Tears welled at the corners of my eyes. "I was a fool."

"It was bound to happen at some point," he said. "You can't be the smartest woman in the room all of the time."

I laughed, but all it did was make the tears start to fall. "I'm so sorry, Hades. I don't know what I was thinking."

He pulled me into his arms and wrapped me up in a tight hug. I rested my head on his shoulder, the tears coming faster than I expected them to. I gripped the front of his coat, desperate to have him as close to me as possible. I didn't want to lose him, and I was aware that I'd risked that the moment I'd turned away from him and said I didn't want to continue our relationship further.

I pulled back, but only so that I could look into his eyes. "Hades, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, brushing my hair out of my face. "You don't have to keep saying it."

"I do. I hurt you. I hurt me. I damaged us."

"It's just part of our story," he assured me. "What's two-and-a-half-thousand years without a hiccup or two?"

I laughed, but it came out garbled thanks to the crying. "It's hardly a hiccup. We both signed up for a dating agency."

"And the only date we went on was with each other."

"I suppose."

"Persephone," he said firmly, pulling my attention firmly to him. "I forgive you."

A lump formed in my throat, and the tears kept coming. "Maybe you shouldn't."

"Says who? Your mother? I wouldn't listen to her."

I laughed and wiped away some of the tears. "Believe it or not, I don't often go to my mother for dating advice."

"I wonder why," he muttered.

"Many reasons."

"Come home," he said. "To our house, to Cebby, to me. Please, Persephone, just come home."

I nodded. "Yes. I want to."

"Then nothing else matters," he promised. "We can figure out anything. Don't let guilt stand in the way of us."

"I know."

"I love you, Persephone," he said softly. "I always have, and I always will."

"I love you too," I responded without even thinking. "Still. More even. I think being apart has just made it clear how much better my life is with you in it. I've missed you more than I ever thought possible."

"Then that's all we need," he promised. "We can deal with anything else."

"Yes, we can."

He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine in a tender kiss that made my heart soar. I was sure we'd still have some things to sort out and talk about, but admitting that I wanted our relationship still was the thing I needed. It felt as if a weight had lifted off my shoulders, and I could think clearly for the first time since I'd run into Hades at the Jinx party. Maybe even longer.

"Let's get home," Hades said. "Tomorrow we can sort out you moving back in."

I laughed. "You're ready for me back that quickly?"

"We can live separately for a bit if you want." From his voice, I could tell what he thought about that, but he didn't say anything out loud.

"I'm tired of living alone," I responded. "Two years is enough for me. I want you and Cebby around."

"Then that's what we'll do." He took my hand in his, and we made our way down the street and towards the portal that would take us home.