Page 28 of Reverence

That’s where I’d spend my Sunday.

I loved reading, and bookstores had always offered me a strange sense of comfort. There was something peaceful about being surrounded by shelves upon shelves of stories.

A lot of people disliked silence.

I relished it.

My occupation threw me into noise and chaos every single day, forcing my mind to work overtime.

My demons needed silence and so did I.

Otherwise, I’d lose whatever little sanity I had left.

Thankfully, the bookstore was relatively empty and I internally jumped for joy.

I smiled at the staff members as I entered, offering them a polite nod when they welcomed me warmly.

Then I headed straight for the romance section.

I picked a random book from the shelf before settling at an empty table tucked away at the back of the store.

My brown mini skirt rode up my thighs as I sat, so I tugged it down before crossing one leg over the other.

Vista had forced me out of my usual comfort zone when it came to clothing. The heat here was relentless.

My cropped cream shirt matched my sneakers perfectly. One thing I would never be caught wearing outside, however, was slippers.

Absolutely not.

I became so engrossed in the novel that I failed to notice the unwelcomed presence taking the seat beside me.

Until his voice skated across my skin.

“I didn’t know you could read.”

My eyes narrowed slowly as I turned my head.

Ares.

Of fucking course.

“You’re like a demonic entity that simply refuses to leave me alone.”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“Why on Earth couldn’t this conversation wait until I returned to the room we share?”

I forced a smile, keeping my voice low to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

“How did you even know where to find me?” I asked under my breath. “You’re creepy as fuck.”

I abruptly stood, returned the book to the shelf, thanked the staff, and headed for the exit.

“Amala.”

Ares’s voice followed me but I kept walking.

“Amala.”