The Struggle(68)

Looping my arms around his waist, I closed my eyes. “How did you miss me when I was with you?”

He was silent for a moment. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, but I guess I wasn’t . . . I wasn’t entirely me, so there was a part of me that wasn’t actually there.”

I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. “And you’re completely here now?”

“I am.” His lips brushed my forehead. “For the first time in my life, I’m actually me.”

~

We stayed out on the cliffs until my stomach rumbled so obnoxiously loud that people on the other side of the island could’ve heard it. Seth had laughed like it was the funniest thing ever, and while I debated hitting him again, he took my hand, leading me back inside.

Seth and I stopped at the same exact time as we entered the kitchen. My first impression was that the room was ridiculously huge, with pale gray countertops and multiple islands. I had no idea why anyone would’ve needed a kitchen of this size unless they were hosting their own reality chef show, but it wasn’t so much the kitchen I was staring at.

It was Alex and Aiden.

They were in the middle of the room, near a multiple-burner stovetop. It looked like they had been in the process of making eggs to go with their bacon, but the eggs remained in a bowl, uncooked, whisked and frothy. It also appeared they’d forgotten everything except each other.

Alex was sitting—barely—on the counter near the stove. Aiden’s hips were pressed between her thighs, and one of his hands was somewhere under the loose tank top Alex was wearing. She was grabbing the back of his head with one hand and the other had Aiden’s shirt balled, tugging it up. Their mouths and hips were practically fused together.

Oh my.

Heat invaded my face as I glanced up at Seth. His brows were raised. “I think they’re about to make a baby,” I whispered. “And maybe eggs.”

Seth snickered as Aiden stiffened and then slid his hand out from under Alex’s shirt, dropping his palm to the smooth countertop. His forehead pressed against hers, and what I could see of Alex’s face was blood red.

“I would like to be able to eat food out of this kitchen again,” Seth commented. “And actually use the counter to prepare food.”

“Shut up,” Alex growled. “As if you know how to cook food.”

Seth smirked as he swaggered forward, picking up the forgotten bowl. “I am quite the chef, among other things.” Passing a pointed look at Aiden, he leaned against the counter. “Unlike some.”

Aiden turned his head, scowling. “Just because you’re a god doesn’t mean I won’t punch you.”

“Just because you’re a guest in my house doesn’t mean I won’t drown you in the ocean.”

“Oh dear,” I murmured, wide-eyed.

Ignoring Seth’s threat, Aiden pushed back and looked at me as Alex hopped off the counter. “It’s good to see you up and moving around,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good.” I inched into the kitchen. “Just a little tired.”

“You look so much better,” Alex said, and it was probably a lie. She walked over to me and gave me a quick, tight hug. She drew back a few inches and whispered, “Is everything okay with you and Jackass over there?”

“I can hear you,” Seth replied, dumping the eggs in a heated skillet.

“I don’t care,” Alex sang back.

“Yeah.” I nodded and smiled. “Everything is . . . It’s good.”

Relief flickered through her warm brown eyes. “I’m happy to hear that.” Wrapping her arm around mine, she guided me toward the island with several high-back chairs surrounding it. “Believe it or not, we were making everyone breakfast.”

“Sure looked like it.” Seth picked up a spatula.

Aiden turned around with a sigh. “Would you like anything to drink, Josie?”

I stopped. “I can get it.”

“I’m closer,” he said, walking toward the fridge. He peered inside. “Well, the options appear to be limitless. What would you like?”

“Um, orange juice?” I sat down.

Alex climbed up on the seat next to me as Aiden searched down a glass. “We talked to Deacon and Luke last night. They’re relieved to hear you’re okay.”

“I’m happy to know they’re safe at the Covenant,” I told her as Aiden placed a glass of OJ in front of me. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “They’re not exactly safe. They left yesterday to search down the demigod in Canada.”

My gaze darted to Seth. He was flipping the eggs, and it was more than weird to see him doing something so domestic any other time, but knowing that he was a god now made it all the more . . . fascinating to watch him fiddle at a stove. I imagined he could just whip up omelets out of thin air or something cool like that. “Will they be okay? The Titans are still searching for the other demigods.”