The nymph shrugged awkwardly, and then admitted, “I wouldn’t blame you if you decided you didn’t want to do this.”

Persephone’s gaze hardened a little. “I keep my word, Leuce.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m just...used to disappointment is all. I’m sorry.”

Persephone frowned, feeling sympathy for the nymph.

Two attendants appeared and took Persephone and Leuce’s coats and purses and gave them a glass of champagne.

“The store is yours,” one of the attendant's said. “We are here to serve.”

It took both of them time to warm up to shopping, but soon Leuce was handing over armfuls of clothing to the attendants.

“Are you planning to replace your wardrobe?” Persephone asked.

“No...but I figure why not try on everything? It’s not likely we’ll have another chance like this.”

Persephone smiled a little. She sounded like Lexa.

“Aren’t you going to try anything on?” Leuce asked.

“I don’t think so. I don’t need anything.”

“It’s not about needing,” Leuce said. “It’s for fun.”

“You go ahead,” she encouraged. “I am content to sit here and drink.”

Leuce frowned a little but disappeared into the changing room.

Persephone really wished Lexa were here. This was her thing. When they’d first met in college, Lexa had taken her to this very boutique. They’d laughed and tried on dresses and drank sparkling grape juice. It was the first time she’d been told her ‘colors’ were red, gold and green, the first time someone other than her mother had told she was beautiful, the first time she felt that someone meant it.

It had been a blissful day.

Persephone’s memories were interrupted by her phone ringing. It was Jaison.

She answered, her heart racing in her chest.

“Is everything okay?” She didn’t even say hello.

“Yes, Persephone. I wanted to let you know that Lexa just came out of surgery.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Because everything’s fine.”

How could everything be fine when Lexa had to go into surgery? Persephone couldn’t help thinking Jaison had done this on purposes because of her inability to convince Hades to help.

“What if everything hadn’t been fine?”

“This is why I didn’t tell you earlier.” His frustration was evident in his tone. “You freak out and it makes everything worse.”

Okay, those words hurt.

“She had some internal bleeding. They caught it in time and now she’s stable and back in the ICU.”

“I freak out? Excuse me for being concerned for my best friend, Jaison.”

“Yeah, well, she’s my girlfriend.”

The line went dead, and Persephone pulled her phone away from her ear to find that Jaison had hung up on her.

What the actual fuck was happening?