It's not long before Cal's gentle snores fill the room.

I curl up on the armchair; determinedly looking away from my supposed match and watching the flames flicker in the fireplace. I can feel Cupid's eyes still on me.

After a while he sighs and I hear him getting up. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he moves to the corner of the room, bends down, and picks up a couple of folded blankets.

He walks over to Cal and casually throws one over him. I stare at him, surprised.

I thought they hated each other.

Cupid notices me looking and smirks.

"Want one?" he says, holding out one of the cream, fluffy rugs.

I hold out my hand and he passes one over. I look at him curiously.

He raises an eyebrow as he resumes his laid back position on the leather sofa – placing his hands behind his head and resting his bare feet on the arm of the sofa. He doesn't take his eyes off me.

"I don't think you're quite as bad as you make out that you are" I say quietly after a few tense moments have passed.

Cupid smirks.

"I don't make out I'm bad at all" he replies, looking at Cal "It's my dear brother who likes to do that."

I frown.

"You care about him though" I state simply.

Cupid shrugs.

"He's my brother." He says. "He's a pain. But he's my brother."

"He thinks you shouldn't have come here" I say.

Cupid slowly sits up again and bends forwards in his seat.

I notice the broadness of his shoulders. He looks at me intensely and I feel a fluttering in my stomach.

"Is that what you think?" he says.

I pause.

"You've caused a lot of trouble since you got here." I say. "Why did you come?"

"To find you" he says.

I feel my face flush. I shuffle in the arm chair but hold his gaze.

"Cal said you were banished from the Cupids Matchmaking Service" I say "He said you obsessed over women. That you had extreme views."

Cupid's serious look falls from his face and he lets out a short laugh. He looks surprised a moment - as though he hadn't expected to find something funny.

"Cal said that?" he says "he was always the dramatic one."

I frown.

"They didn't banish you?" I ask.

Cupid grins.

"Oh, they banished me alright" he says.

He shrugs then frowns, pausing a moment as though in thought.

"I guess my views are extreme to them..." he adds quietly.

I furrow my eyebrows.

What views? Chasing girls?

He falls against the back of the sofa – watching me almost studiously.

"I don't think you're my match." I say quietly after a while. "I don't believe in that kind of thing"

Cupid's lips curl into a half smile. He shrugs.

"I don't either." He says "Not really – not like my brother does."

I raise my eyebrows – surprised.

"Well why did you come here then?" I say.

He looks amused.

"Curiosity" he states simply.

I don't reply and as he looks at me his eyes darken.

"I've seen matches – I've made matches. So I guess it's not that I don't believe them." He pauses "It's just...well...a bit depressing isn't it? You only have one shot, with one person, and once that person's gone – they're just gone – and you're all alone?"

I find my mind drifting to my dad at home – by himself. Lost without my mother.

Cal matched them - so they must have been soul mates.

A sadness washes over me.

He shrugs.

"Sometimes I think that people should just be left to their own devices. All this matching...It makes it seem like everything is planned – I don't think love should be planned. Do you?"

He looks at me deeply, his eyes blazing.

"You're a cupid" I say quietly "And you don't think people should be matched?"

He smiles.

"Hence the extreme views" he says.

I frown.

"If you think like that– then why did you come here, and why have you been...well..."

Cupid's face lightens up.

"Flirting with you?" he says smirking.

I blush and give a sharp nod.

"Whether I like it - or whether you believe it..." he starts "A complex system, that has the details of every single person on this entire planet, has determined that me and you should be together. So maybe I'm not into matches the same way as my brother is. Maybe I don't think it can be possible...that love can be that simple. But still....you are my match. I had to find you Lila."

He looks at me seriously then grins.

"Plus" he says. "Now we're both here...you are pretty hot..."

I raise an eyebrow and look away - my heart beating fast.

Cupid thinks I'm hot?

We both fall into silence. The only sounds that fill the room are Cal's muffled snores, and the crackles of the fire. I fiddle with the tassels on my blanket.

"Why did Cal say you were dangerous?" I whisper after a few minutes have passed "Because he knew the Arrows would come?"

He looks at me.

"Partly" he says "But partly something else."

I raise an eyebrow in question.

"He thinks that something bad will happen if we're matched" he continues. "But I don't believe it will. And he thinks that that makes me dangerous."

I frown.

"What does he think will happen?" I whisper.

"It's something in the company policy..." he begins.

From the other sofa there is a sharp throat clearing noise.

I jump and spin around.

Cal has turned over on his side and is glaring at us both – his eyes blazing silver in the dim light.

"Can you please keep the noise down" he says sharply.

He turns grumpily back around to face the back of the chair and Cupid raises his eyebrows at me. I find myself grinning back- I can't help myself.

"Night brother" says Cupid, amused.

Then he lies back down on the sofa and pulls a blanket over himself. He turns towards me - his face looks softer for a moment.

"There's something about you Lila" he says quietly "I don't know what it is. But when I first saw you – I felt something. And I think you feel it too."

My stomach does a somersault as he looks at me. I want to pull my eyes away from him but my gaze is locked on his.

"You don't like the idea of matches" I remind him softly.

Cupid smiles and rolls onto his back. He shrugs.

"I think maybe I'm starting to."