Geneva spent as much time with Lizzy as she could. Watching over her friend helped the Cupid forget about her own problems. She'd allowed herself to mostly forget about what Dot claimed. But the issued lied in the fact that, after she'd shot that woman in the grass, her heart felt the teeny tiniest fraction better.

She could recognize that, long ago when she'd loved a man, her heart was similarly tortured. She couldn't quite reconcile the fact the it was swollen now due to Adrian or if it was due to the fact that her heart was already too full. So she made it a point to avoid Adrian. He only ever came to her when she summoned him. For this, she was grateful because she didn't think she could manage to deny him anything if he was sitting there on her bed with his heart in his eyes.

Did Adrian have a heart? Or was he like her? It would have been a very funny coincidence that two beings, neither without a heart, could find one another in love so unerringly. Life was sort of funny that way, Geneva thought.

"Are you okay?" Lizzy asked as she placed an elegant hand on Geneva's bare shoulder.

"Hm? Oh...Yep. Right as rain," Geneva lied and smiled her brightest smile. The Cupid saw doubt in her friend's eyes but felt relief when Lizzy didn't push her.

Lizzy didn't usually push. She placed roads down, she even made bridges, and sometimes when Lizzy was feeling particularly strategic, she'd corner. But she didn't push. Quiet, patient, and intense like a fearsome tactician.

"Anyway, I'm more interested in you and how you feel," Geneva said. She was definitely deflecting but she was also concerned about Lizzy's emotional well being.

Last week during a check up, the doctor informed Lizzy that her residual limb was healing very well now that the infected section has been removed. He'd also informed her that, after the swelling diminishes, they could begin measurements for a prosthetic. The days after were spent calmly selecting a model that suited Lizzy's style and level of activity.

"I'm good. I'm only taking over the counter painkillers now. Works great," Lizzy replied. She was smooth in her reply as if she were glossing over her own feelings.

Geneva didn't push. She often pushed her friend, but she held back because she didn't want to be hypocritical. Lizzy would deflect, Geneva knew, and the Cupid wanted to avoid any confrontation that would lead to issues of the heart.

"I...I'm going to go on a walk. Would you like to get some fresh air?" Geneva asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"No, I'm exhausted," Lizzy replied honestly. She'd finished a physical therapy session earlier and looked a bit frazzled. Geneva was a little relieved for the solitude she might have.

"Okay, I'll check back with you a little later. I'll bring over Thai, yeah?" Geneva offered as she stood up and stretched.

"That sounds amazing," Lizzy said as her shoulders relaxed and she sank back into her chair.

Geneva kissed her friend quickly and left the apartment. She made her way to the park and sat on a bench in a crowded area. The very same bench she'd sat on with Dot when the Heartbreaker revealed to her the intricacies of love. Her feet brought her there automatically.

Around her, people were jogging, walking, picnicking, and even reading. There were more people than the last time because the weather was warm and it was a Saturday afternoon. And though not everyone was smiling or laughing, Geneva could sense a communal well being. The weather was a balm on any poor mood. Except for her own, of course.

Her heart was aching and she considered Dot's theory. When the thought entered her head, Geneva felt the smooth grip of her bow in her hand. Her heart swelled with anticipation of being used and Geneva stood.

Her first victim was a man sitting on the bench across from her. He was in his mid-forties, white, balding just slightly, and reading from an e-reader. Geneva thought that he looked a little lonely but didn't know him enough at all to make this judgement. Many Cupids shoot their arrows without delving deeper into their client's life. But she couldn't think about his history now. This was a selfish shot.

She got him in the arm. Her heart deflated a nearly unremarkable fraction. Teary eyed, Geneva aimed her next arrow at a woman jogging toward her. She missed the first time but managed to catch her in her left butt cheek. Again, her swollen heart shrank in size.

Little by little, Geneva released her arrows into these unsuspecting victims. Today was a good day to fall in love. By the time that she'd infected everyone in her vicinity, her face was wet and her tear-bleary eyes made her horrible aim even worse. She'd shot more trees then she'd shot people. If trees had hearts, there would be plenty of amorous plants about.

The Cupid's heart was no longer as heavy as it had been before. She felt more capable of facing Adrian again after their exciting night together. At first, she felt bad about summoning him so sporadically, but now that her heart wasn't distracting her brain, she could really sink into the strategy of infrequent encounters.

On her way back to her own apartment, Geneva set her arrows on several passersby as if to prepare herself for seeing Death. It helped to take the edge off and if she didn't think too deeply about who she'd inflicted with Love, it made it easier to shrug off.

She'd managed to clean up her bedroom a bit, having always summoned Death there. But while she cleaned, the memories of the encounters seeped into her mind and plagued her. She felt frustration and arousal. She didn't think that she could spend any more time here with him. They needed neutral ground.

Geneva summoned him there anyway with the thought of moving into a new atmosphere with him. The Cupid scribbled a letter and almost immediately, he appeared as if waiting. She'd hardly even set the folded letter on the sill for a full second before he arrived.

"Geneva," Adrian greeted. She could tell that he was trying not to look too eager but knew that his swift arrival revealed too much.

"Adrian. Let's go on a walk," Geneva said right away with a smile that hid her feelings well.

He was taken aback, she could tell. "A walk?" He asked.

"Yes. A walk," Geneva replied airily. She turned from him and walked through her apartment. She knew he would follow her out the front door, knew that he would follow her anywhere if his expression was anything to judge by.

"Is everything all right?" Death asked. She cringed at the concern in his voice.

"Yes. I just wanted to see you in a different environment. Let's go to your place. We always meet at mine," Geneva said.

"I don't live like you, Geneva. When I am not with you, I am working." His face was closed off and he didn't meet her eyes. Geneva knew right away that he was hiding something from her.

"I don't like liars," Geneva declared coolly and watched as Death squirmed under her gaze. She couldn't help but notice how cute he looked, walking next to her in his outlandish outfit.

"Sometimes, I go to the library," he admitted.

"All right, let's walk to the library. Central?" Geneva asked.

"Yes, that's my favorite one," Death agreed.

"I should have guessed from what you told me about your dad."

Death didn't respond during the fifteen minute walk to the library but he kept sending furtive glances in her direction. They walked briskly and ignored the cityscape around them. Each more interested in the other.

"What do you like about the library most?" Geneva asked when she pushed the ornate door open and entered the cool library lobby.

"The skylight," Adrian answered without hesitation.

Geneva had never noticed the ceiling before. When they entered the main section of the library, she tilted her head back and took in the breathtaking sight of the stained glass skylight. The entire ceiling was made up of sections of patterned glass, symmetrical in shape and and color. It was beautiful and Geneva released a breath of awe.

When she looked back at Adrian, he was staring at her intensely, hungrily. His concentration was on her neck and her lips, switching from one spot to the other as if incapable of deciding which he was most ravenous for. Geneva shuddered and turned away.

Her heart might not be as swollen as before, but her body still wanted him.

_____________________

Author's Note:

Hello, beauties! Here is another update. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave your comments below. I find your words encouraging and your criticisms very helpful!

Thank you so much and see you next Saturday!