Bound to the Greek by Kate Hewitt

event tonight?’
    Eleanor sank onto the worn futon and kicked off her heels, nodding wearily. Allie’s apartment was so different from her own modishly sterile condo; it was colourful and cluttered and shabby, and Eleanor loved it. Now it made her ache just a little bit for the kind of apartment she’d once had, the kind of life she’d once had. The kind of person she’d once been.
    You’re the kind of person you never wanted to be.
    Eleanor pushed the thought away. Allie sank onto the futon across from Eleanor, flicked her long braid over one shoulder and propped her chin on her fist. ‘So?’
    ‘He came back.’
    Allie’s eyes widened, her breath coming out in a slow hiss. Eleanor knew she didn’t need to explain who
he
was. One night long ago, when they’d both had too much wine, she’d told Allie her whole sordid story. Or most of it, anyway. She’d left out some of the heartache, the consuming loss that was too private to share.
    ‘He did?’ Allie finally said. ‘How—?’
    Eleanor didn’t want to explain it. She didn’t have the strength or will. ‘Party,’ she said simply, and Allie nodded. It was enough.
    ‘What happened? Did the bastard finally apologise, I hope?’
    Eleanor let out a choked laugh. ‘Yes,’ she managed, and covered her face with her hands.
    ‘And isn’t that a good thing?’ Allie asked cautiously. Eleanor was prevented from answering by the shrill whistle of the kettle. Allie got up to make their tea, and Eleanor sagged against the futon. It
was
a good thing. At least, she’d always thought it would be. Yet when someone asked for forgiveness, you were meant to give it; you were meant to letgo. And Eleanor wasn’t sure she could. She might have told Jace she forgave him, but those were only words.
Could
she forgive him? What would happen if she did?
    Allie returned, handing Eleanor a mug of tea before settling back onto the futon. ‘So it doesn’t seem like a good thing,’ she remarked wryly. ‘Why not?’
    Eleanor let out a hiccuppy laugh. ‘Well, I suppose it’s not so much the apology, as the kiss that came after it.’
    There was a second’s silence and then Allie nodded. ‘Ah.’ She took a sip of tea. ‘Was it nice?’
    Eleanor burst out laughing, nearly spluttering her tea. It felt good to laugh, despite the pain and regret still tearing at her. ‘That was the last thing I expected you to say.’
    Allie shrugged. ‘For all the apparent heartache it’s causing you, I hope it was.’
    ‘Very nice,’ Eleanor admitted after a moment. She gazed down into the milky depths of her tea. ‘Very nice,’ she repeated quietly. Even now she could remember how good Jace had felt, how
right,
which was ridiculous because there had been nothing right about it all. It had been very, very wrong.
    ‘So why exactly did he kiss you?’ Allie asked after a moment. She tucked her knees up to her chest and looked at Eleanor over the rim of her mug. ‘Was he just caught up in the moment?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Eleanor said slowly. Why
had
Jace kissed her? Had it been a spontaneous gesture, as Allie had said? He had seemed so surprised, as stunned as she had… yet she could hardly believe that Jace would be so out of control. Had he been proving to her that she was still attracted to him? Had it been a mere amusement? Or worse?far worse?a
pity
kiss?
    ‘Eleanor, stop whatever you’re thinking. You’re looking way too freaked out.’
    Eleanor groaned. ‘I’m feeling freaked out. You know I haven’t had much time—or inclination?for relationships, Allie. I can’t
do
this—’
    ‘Does he want a relationship?’
    Eleanor groaned again. ‘No, of course not. That is—I don’t think so. I shouldn’t even care.’
    ‘But you do,’ Allie filled in quietly and Eleanor bit her lip, nipping hard.
    ‘No,’ she finally said, firmly. ‘I don’t. I can’t. Ten years ago he broke my heart and—more than that.’ She twisted the mug, her tea barely touched, around in