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A wealth of warmth blossomed in my chest at those words, and then spread when I realized that Aiden was under the covers and he was shirtless Maybe even pantsless "I’htstand, his eyes were a lu closer, I bit back a sigh as his hand slid around the nape of ods changed things That was crazy, right?"

His lashes swept his cheeks and then lifted The intensity in his gaze was consu you see every day"

My lips tipped up at the corners "It’s a relief to know that a lot of what I was feeling wasn’t coree" His knee rose under the covers, and soft flannel brushed s Damn He did have pants on "Want to talk?"

What I really wanted to do was cross the scant distance between our mouths, but I did need to talk to hiods had been squatting in my head, and there was sofroht Ares to what it was like the moment all those violent emotions rose to the surface

When I was done, he smoothed his hand over my cheek His hand had stayed on me the whole time "Do you feel that way now--the way you felt with Ares?"

I ainst his warm chest "I think there will still be moments when it…well, when it sucks, but I don’t want to die I’hed, a little embarrassed "I don’t feel that way anymore"

"Good" Aiden inched his head over and kissedcautious, and then pulled back He slipped his hand off ainst his chest "It killed me, Alex, when I heard you ado in there and hold you, figure out some way to make it better"

"I’ers through his "But I’m still scared"

"That’s normal"

"I know And I know it’s okay to be scared"

He squeezed my hand "Dahed, and it was a real sound It was good "I never thanked Seth, and I need to, Aiden He helped me calm down He didn’t try to ht that building down"

His eyes latched ontoheavily, I prepared ods for that I knehat I was doing when I went to see Seth I should’ve woken you and told you where I was going That was ht," he said, as if he hadn’t heard me

I blinked "What?"

"The little bastard was right" He let out a heavy sigh "I was jealous when I found you with him I was jealous afterward I am still jealous"

"I--"

"I heard what you said," he stated quietly, not looking away "I heard you say that you loved him"

My eyes widened andopened up inthat too? For a moment, I didn’t knohat to say Aard didn’t even cover it "I did say that, but it’s not the same--"

"Same way you feel about me" His eyes shut briefly "I know I honestly know it’s not, but hearing that…? I wanted to punch him I still do for various reasons, but mostly because I know that there will always be a part of you that does love him That you till have this connection for the rest of our lives, and that’s so I can never compete with"

An ache opened up in my chest, and I closed the distance between us, practically crawling onto him "I’m sorry"

His brows rose as he rolled onto his back, wrapping an arm around my waist "For what, Alex? I should say I’m sorry I was a dick to you because of ize"

"But you shouldn’t have to deal with a freaky Apollyon connection" I peered down at him "What normal couples have to deal with that?"

"We deal with a lot of things normal couples don’t deal with," he replied dryly

"I know! That’s why I’m sorry you have to deal ith Seth andelse If it was me, and you were connected to someone, I’d probably stab her in the eyeball every time I saw her"

Aiden’s lips quirked up lazily "Really?"

"It’s not funny" I shtly "I would I wouldn’t be able to deal with it, so I totally get your jealousy I just don’t want you to feel that way, because I love you I’s I can attach to that"