Metamorphosis

Chapter 15: Heart to Heart

We slipped around the back; I knew the backdoor was easier to nudge open because Patrick slamming it so many damn times when he got mad. 

I carefully jerked it open; I waited for a second to hear if anyone was awake. There were no lights on, which meant they were definitely sleeping. The TV would usually be on in the living room if they were still awake.

"Hey, Dove, what exactly are we looking for?" Annie whispers, "Are we suppose to find a key or something?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing. If there is another clue, it might be in the chest I found my birth mother's note in it," I said.

"Let's start there," Eros agrees. I lead Annie through the kitchen. 

BANG

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as I turned to see Eros had fallen on his butt with a pot on his head. Annie and I snorted laughter. I could see the mildly translucent shape of Eros' wings. One was stretched out and had hit the pots and pans that hung above the sink.

I couldn't help the laughter, but I tried to be quiet; Eros lifted the pot off his head, "If any of you tell anyone I fell on my ass, I will pierce both your hearts. Got it?"

His mild threat made it even funnier; a creak above our heads silenced our giggling fit. 

"Quick, help him up!" I said as Annie, and I rushed to help Eros out of his predicament. 

"Do you think they heard that?" Annie asked as we helped hold Eros' wings down against his back.

I didn't hear anymore creaking above us, so hopefully, they just fell back asleep.

"I'll go up first just in case one of them woke up," I said, praying I didn't jinx myself. I went up the stairs, which thankfully wasn't too bad. I crept down the hall to the painting room and quickly closed the door behind me.

I could barely see, and the only light was the moon shining into the room through one small window. Lucky for me, that light was right on the chest I needed. I smile at my tiny victory and open the chest to find nothing but a gold rock. 

"What?" My sudden victory deflated, "A rock? You have got to be kidding me..."

I sighed in frustration; I closed the chest, the doorknob wiggled side to side. I tucked and rolled to the other side. Someone came in and closed the door; they wrapped their hand around my mouth.

"Shh," It was Eros; my brows furrowed, confused, until I heard another door open.

"What's going on here-Annie? What on God's earth are you doing here?!" My mother's voice made my heart spike.

"Uh, hey, I was just getting some of Dove's things..."

"In the middle of the night?! Are you nuts?"

"Well...define nuts?"

I could hear my mother going downstairs with Annie; Eros released his hand on my mouth.

I sighed, "Oh no, poor Annie, we should-"

I started to say until I felt Eros's hand on my cheek. I could barely see him, but that didn't stop my body from reacting to his touch. My breath quickened; I swore I could feel the heat of his breath. What was he doing?

"Uh-Eros, I think we should-"

His finger pressed against my lips, the moonlight seeped in on my side, he probably could see me, but I couldn't see him. I had never felt so still in a moment than I did right now like everything was frozen in time.

His hand caressed my cheek again, and he tilted my chin up, "Eros-"

"You never just live in the moment, do you?" His question took me by surprise.

"Uh, well, I mean, I was pretty in the moment when that pot fell on your head," I snarked, then found myself giggling again.

Eros sighed, but I could tell he was sighing with a smile, "You're not gonna let that go are you?"

"Nope. It's funny for a second you reminded me of a regular guy just sneaking into a house with his friends," I said with a smile because it was true. Eros chuckled softly.

"Thank you," Eros helped me up, "that was actually the first time I've felt embarrassment in a very long time; it's unpleasant...but I felt it."

My heart ached for him. Did gods feel nothing because they lived long lives? I couldn't imagine what it would be like to feel nothing; to be numb to everything would be like your life has completely stopped, but time keeps moving around you. Life goes on, with or without you. Then I realized something, the last time I touched him felt exactly like that. Still, yet moving.

"Eros," 

"Yes?"

"Do you feel anything? Right now?" I asked.

Eros took a moment, "Why do you ask?"

I sighed; I knew something was going on with him; it was about time he told me, "What's wrong with you? Your soul feels numb."

I could see him rub that back of his neck, "Numb, huh?" He sighed again, but this time, I could tell he wasn't smiling anymore. "And how would you know what my soul feels, love?"

Sadly I knew the feeling of being numb all too well. I lived in it for a while when I was going through a rough patch with my mother. It was all I could do to not fall in deeper, and Brad brought me out of it. Now that I think of it, that's probably what brought me out of it.

"Because I know the feeling, you hide behind fake smiles because you don't want others to know you feel that way. At least that's what I remember doing with my mother..."

I could see Eros's hand slide down to his side, he was silent for a while, but I didn't break the silence between us because it wasn't awkward; it was just there, being.

"Something broke you..." I finally said, working up the courage to ask, "What happened?"

 Eros paused for a moment, "Love," Eros' softly chuckled, "Love broke me; Ironic isn't it?"