Poseidon (The God Chronicles) (13 page)

He did
as he was told, his mouth descending on mine like a pack of wolves. I pressed him as close as I could get him to me, clutching our bodies together until we were practically one.

“Tell me you love me,” he
plead, pushing away enough to look at me.

“Why should I?” I teased.

“Because I want to hear you say it.” His head dipped back down and he nipped at my ear softly.

“Tell me you don’t want anyone but me,” he whispered softly. “That you’ll die without me. Tell me you feel the way I do.”

“I remembered,” I said instead, my gratitude resurfacing.

“What?” he said,
freezing.

“
My memory of falling into the water and thinking I was going to die came back. You were there right before I passed out, swimming towards me.”

He pushed himself up again to look at me.

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?” I
jokingly asked, “Is there more?”

“No,” he rushed. “I just thought—I’m happy for you. I know you didn’t need to remember, but it’s nice to know your brain didn’t suffer permanent damage.”

“All thanks to you,” I reminded him pushing my fingers into his hair again.

“
Audrey,” he was hesitant.

“Is something wrong?”

He seemed to battle within himself before lowering down and kissing me again.

“Not at all. Where were we again?”

His lips took mine once more as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, causing my back to arch. Taking advantage of it, he quickly nipped at my collarbone again before laying me back down softly.

A soft moan escaped
as one of his hands slipped beneath my shirt and rested on my stomach in a fist. My hands ran down his bare chest, kissing his neck as he brushed softly over my shoulder.

Ever so slowly, the hand under my shirt relaxed and began to travel upwards, into the space between my breasts.

“You’re perfect, did you know that?” He asked, each breath coming in short bursts.

The hand on my chest moved down, brushing over the side of my shorts before unbuttoning them and tracing the edge of my panties.

“How do you do that?” I half laughed, pleasure racking my whole being.

“Do what?”
He breathed.

“Make me feel completely boggled and happy at the same time.”

“Like you can’t help but want to be with the other person?”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t know,” he said and rolled off me, much to my dismay. “But you’re doing it to me too.”  

“Hello?”

I snapped my head to Amy’s general vicinity.

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked you what you were thinking about,” she repeated. “You’ve been off in Audrey Land all day.”

“Just
. . . stuff.” I smiled and returned to looking at the band on my finger. It wouldn’t be so hard to take off—would it?

“Uh huh,” she said, going back to whatever she’d been typing, her fake nails clicking on the keys. “I bet you were thinking about that hunk who came in here a few weeks ago.”

“Maybe,” I half teased, placing both hands in my lap.

“Well, I was wondering if maybe the two of you would like to come over for dinner sometime.”

She continued to look at her screen, scared anticipation on her face. When I didn’t speak right away, she started again.

“I mean, if you don’t want to that’s fine. I know that’s what we did with
you and John. Matthew doesn’t really know how he feels about it either, but he said he’d try. You never know, we might love Sy as much as we di—”

“I think that would be wonderful,” I interrupted. “Thank you.”

“Really?” she questioned, turning to me with tears in her eyes. “We’re not trying to replace John. It’s just that we loved when we would get together before.”

“I understand,” I
assured her. “Don’t worry about anything. Let me know when and I’ll talk to Sy about it.”

“Is this weekend okay?”

“It is for me. I’ll let you know about Sy. Sometimes he has to work extra hours.”

I smiled warmly and twisted the ring under my desk.

“How exciting!” she cheered, wiping a tear from her cheek. “It will be just wonderful, I’m sure.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Would you excuse me for a minute?”

I stood and walked out of the office, headed towards the ladies restroom right down the hall. Students greeted me as I passed and I returned the salutations the best I could in my rush. Once I was safely inside the staff restroom, I closed myself in a stall and sat down on the closed toilet.

I slid my ring off my finger and looked at it. So many happy memories came
flooding to the surface. The first time John kissed me, the look on his face as we were married, and his kiss first thing in the morning all still seemed so real. The memories of his death and the death of our child resurfaced as well, the unhappy ending to my fairytale.

T
houghts of Sy flash through my mind as I continued to look at it. His very presence stole my breath, something I didn’t think would ever happen for me again. He took care of me—loved me. His confession this morning hadn’t even fazed me. It seemed perfect, like we were made for each other. How could I wear another man’s ring when I felt that way?

Taking
a deep breath and finally admitting to myself what I hadn’t wanted to before—I was falling in love again. Not what I had imagined would happen—feeling a sisterly type of love for someone who wasn’t John—but real, honest love. I wanted to be with Sy. It wasn’t some weird hero love either. I was positive we could have met on the street and my feelings would still be the same.

With a deep sigh, I stood and placed the ring in my skirt pocket. My hand felt naked without it as I left the restroom and returned to my desk, but it was time.
If Sy asked me to tell him I loved him again, I didn’t think I’d be able to avoid the question.

After answering a phone call,
I retrieved my cell phone out of a drawer and sent him a quick text.

   
 
Hey, some friends invited us over for dinner this weekend. Is that okay with you?

   
 
~Audrey~

It didn’t take very long for him to respond.

   
 
Yeah, sounds great! When do they want to get together?              

     We’re waiting for you to tell us what works for you. ~
Audrey~

     I’m good with anything as long as you’re there.

     All right, I’ll let Amy know. ~Audrey~

I placed my phone back in the drawer and turned back to my friend.

“We’re good for any night this weekend,” I told her, smiling. “Call me and let me know once you have it all figured out.”

“For sure,” she said smiling. “I have to check with Matthew, that’s all.”

She went back to her work again and I leaned back in my chair, contemplating the place I’d been in my life a year earlier. I was on a mandatory leave from work, never leaving bed, and ready to give up on everything.

Now, I was happy again. Still saddened by my past, naturally. Things had turned around
though, like I kept telling myself they would. I hadn’t believed it then, but I was grateful all the same.

Same is safe, but it will always be
simply that—the same.

Chapter Twelve

“How did I not know there was a pool here?”

Sy swam up behind me and wrapped his arms around my bare midriff, nestling his face in the hollow of my neck.

“No idea. I thought that was what sold you on the place,” I joked, leaning into him.

“This was the first place I looked at. It fit my needs so I took it.”

“That’s nice. Way to skip the shopping around part.”

“Well, you picked this place after looking at a million places so I must have done pretty well.” He kissed my shoulder lightly, stroking my stomach with his fingertips.

“You lucked out,” I told him.

“I really did. You were here.”

I turned around to face him, wrapping my legs around his waist and resting my arms on his shoulders.

“Do you love me,
Audrey?”

“What if I do?”

“I will be the happiest man on this or any earth.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I will wait until you do.”

“What if I never do?”

“Then I guess I will wait forever.”

He reached a hand up and pushed a strand of hair off my forehead.

“You’re such a sap,” I teased. “Where do you come up with those lines?”

“I come up with them myself,” he
replied in mock defensiveness. “I thought it was pretty good. From the heart, you know?”

“If you say so,” I laughed.

He responded by kissing me gently, hugging our bodies closer together.

“I like you like this,” he said, breaking away.

“What do you mean?”

“In your bikini. Red is a good color on you. Also, it’s almost like you’re parading around in your underwear for me, which I’m totally down with. You could do that for real if you wanted, by the way.”

I gasped and unsuccessfully tried to push away from him. He was so much stronger than me though; it was like pushing against a brick wall.

“Hey now,” he laughed. “Don’t be like that.”

I laughed in return and splashed in him the face, trying to get the upper hand. Within minutes we were in a full-blown splash and tickle war, with Sy clearly coming out on top.

“Stop!” I squealed.

“Never!” His battle cry rang out seconds before dunking me and pulling me back up several times.

“Okay, you win!” I cried out. “Mercy, please!”

“Fine,” he conceded, his laughter booming out around the pool. “But only because you said please.”

After
my breathing returned to normal again, I wrapped myself around him once more.

“Are you excited for dinner with Amy tomorrow night?” I asked.

“Actually, yes. I was beginning to think you were never going to introduce me to anyone.”

“Whatever,” I
retorted, rolling my eyes. “You met my mom.”

“Through a closed door after you’d been arrested at a party I took you to. Yes, I remember.”

I laughed and kissed his cheek.

“I should probably properly introduce the two of you at some point.”

“That would be nice, yes.”

I swam away from him and got out of the pool, drying off with the towels we’d brought.

“Done so soon?”

“Yeah, I’m tired. It was a long day at work.”

“So many phones to answer. It must be tough.”

“Not all of us can be shark wranglers,” I
giggled. “Someone’s got to do the mundane work.”

“Hang on, I’ll come up with you.”

He joined me at the gate, shaking his hair out as I opened it. We walked hand in hand up to our doors and then kissed each other good night, well wishes whispered.

As my door shut softly behind me, Talley yawned and whined from the couch.

“I know, you’re hungry,” I said, wrapping my towel tighter around me.

She followed me into the kitchen and I pulled out her bag of food, pouring a good amount into her bowl before carrying it outside.

“Happy eating,” I said with a yawn.

“Amy and Matthew?” Sy asked, confirming before we got out of my car.

“Yes,” I said, nodding, looking over at their house.

They had lived in an apartment when John was alive, dreaming of the day they would buy a house and start a family. Matthew, being a few years older than the rest of us, finally finished his doctorates and bought this place as soon as he was hired on at the hospital.

There was nice rock and cactus landscaping with a big tree right in the middle of one side of the yard, shading the sidewalk we walked up on from the little light that was still peaking over the mountains. As always, the house was painted in desert colors, matching all the others on the street.

We rang the doorbell, Sy holding the salad I’d made, and waited for the steel bar and glass door to open.

“Hey!” Amy said, unlocking the screen and letting us through. Her Capri pants and tight t-shirt showed off the tiny bump her pregnancy had produced.

“You look so cute!” I gushed.

“Really?” she asked, a look of relief passing over her face. “I was worried I just looked fat.”

“No way,” I laughed. “There’s definitely a baby in there.”

“Thanks,” she beamed.

“Now why wouldn’t you believe me when I told you that?” her husband said, coming down the stairs, his dress pants and button up shirt a little
wrinkled after a long day at work.

“It’s a girl thing,” Sy
explained, moving the salad and holding one hand out. “Sy, nice to meet you.”

“Matthew.” They shook hands shortly and Amy took the salad.

“Why don’t we all sit down?” she invited. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. We can visit while we wait.”

“That sounds wonderful. Do you need help with anything?”

“It’s all taken care of,” she said, smiling.

“This way,” Matthew
directed, leading us through their open living room and around the corner to the pretty brown, wood table.

Sy
held a chair out for me to sit in, the perfect gentleman.

“Thank you,” I said as he took his seat next to me.

“So Sy,” Matthew said, settling into the place at the head of the table. “Tell me about yourself.”

“There’s not much to share,” he laughed, grabbing my hand that rested on the table.

“Why don’t you start with how you met Audrey,” Matthew said, eyeing our grip.

“I was out swimming,” Sy started, smiling at me. “And there was a girl out on the rocks who slipped and fell in. Naturally, I hurried over to help her.”

“Wait, you were the one who saved her?”

“Yes.”

“How romantic,” Amy sighed, taking the seat closest to her husband.

“How did you end up here?” Matthew asked, cutting her off.

“I moved here to look for work. I’m also thinking about checking out the university as well.”

“Didn’t California have any jobs for you?” Matthew’s brows were pinching together and a cloud of worry started to overshadow
dinner.

“Sometimes a change of pace is nice,” I butted in. “Amy, how is your pregnancy going?”

“Don’t get me started!” she laughed. “There’s so much—some of it is so gross! Lots of really TMI stuff, if you get my drift.” She giggled and poured herself some water from the pitcher sitting in the center of the table.

“You must be loving it,” I pushed, catching Matthew looking at Sy’s hand around mine again.

“Oh I do, Audrey,” she beamed. “It’s the most wonderful thing in the world.”

Right then, a timer went off in the kitchen, signaling
dinner was done.

“It’s ready!” Amy beamed and stood again, Matthew following suit.

“How can I help?” Sy asked, standing as well.

“We’ve got it, thank you,” Matthew said shortly.

In a few moments the settings at the table had been completed with a lovely casserole dish and our salad.

“Wait till you see what I made for dessert,” Amy teased, laying a napkin over her lap.

Matthew picked up his plain, silver fork and went straight to eating without saying a word. My worry level increased—this was not how he normally acted.

“So,” I started, trying to ease his tension. “How’s working at the hospital? Amy told me you’re loving it.”

“I am,” he said, wiping his mouth. “There’s something about saving lives that makes me feel like I’m making a real difference in the world. Right, Sy?”

He
ate another bite of his salad and stared pointedly at Sy, waiting for an answer.

“I guess so,” he said after swallowing. “This is delicious, Amy. Thank you for inviting us.”

“Yes,” I said, knowing that Matthew was going to stick with whatever was bothering him. “We’re very happy to be here.”

“Oh, I bet!” Matthew said, throwing his fork down.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Amy asked in alarm.

“I thought I would be okay with this,” he said to her. “But I’m not.

“Shame on you, Audrey. Going around with another man only a year after your husband has passed? It’s a disgrace!”

“Matthew
!” Amy cried in alarm.

“No!”
he yelled back, standing up so quickly that his chair slid back several inches. “John was my best friend! I will not stand for this—” he gestured to Sy and myself, “To soil his memory in my very own house!”

I remained silent,
staring at my plate. It felt like I was being repeatedly slapped in the face, the piercing weight of his words stinging me over and over again. Tears pushed at the invisible walls holding them in place.

“Matthew, stop it!” Amy
pleaded in full on panic, tears streaming down her own face.

“I will not,” he snarled at her before turning back on me.

“You did not deserve John. He could have had anyone he wanted and, for some reason, he picked you.” He said the last word like I was something dirty and unworthy of John’s notice.

“You need to calm down,” Sy said, standing and placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Matthew raised his hand, pointing a finger at us. “You didn’t even wait for his skin to cool!”

“I didn’t even see her again until a few months ago,” Sy said in
our defense.

“It doesn’t matter,” Matthew spat out. “I will not sit at my own table and watch this—
this misguided hero worship happen! You think just because you saved her you can take her as your own? She belongs to someone else!” Spit flew from his mouth as his face reddened, rage filling him like a poison.

“Matthew, please,” Amy sobbed.

“She’s still wearing his—” at that point, Matthew looked down and realized I was no longer wearing my wedding ring. His mouth opened and closed several times, hurt and despair radiating from his eyes.

“Get out of my house,” he said
quietly.

“Matthew,” Amy pleaded.

“Quiet!” he snapped.

I sat frozen, my worst fears come to life. Amy was crying uncontrollably on the other side of the table, her napkin held to her mouth. Sy stayed where he was as well, hand still on my shoulder.

“I said get out!” Matthew yelled, sitting back down.

I didn’t need any more encouragement. With tears about to break loose, I grabbed my bowl off the table and ran to the door, flinging it open and hurling myself outside.

“Thank you for the food, Amy,” I heard Sy say as he walked out behind me, shutting both their door and the screen behind him.

I fumbled with the keys, trying to unlock the door, and dropped them on the ground. Before my shaky hands could pick them up, Sy had them.

“I’ll drive,” he said, taking the salad from my hand.

I nodded, lips trembling as silent tears began to roll down my face.

He walked me around the car, opened the door, and made sure I was buckled in before getting in the driver’s seat. As we drove away, my silent tears turned into wailing that I couldn’t stop. Snot ran down my face as my whole body shook, racked with the hurt that I was experiencing.

“Calm down
Audrey,” Sy said, taking my hand. “This isn’t your fault. He shouldn’t have done that to you either.”

“It is my fault,” I gasped. “I knew this would happen when our friends found out. I knew they would hate me.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Sy disagreed softly. “He just hasn’t finished his mourning yet. He hasn’t processed everything like you have.”

“Have I?” I cried. “Or am I just being stupid? Am I being selfish and only thinking of myself?”

“Only you can answer that, Audrey,” he replied softly. “As for me, I don’t think you didn’t wait long enough. I’ve been alone a long time. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the one you love ripped away from you. I pray it never happens to me. But, if it did, I don’t think there’s any shame in trying to find happiness again.”

I cried harder, my heart hurting at the loss of a friend. What if everyone acted in this manner? What if Amy was the only one who thought it was fine? I didn’t know if I could take any more scenes like the one I’d just
been a part of.

Sy parked in my regular spot at the complex and helped me out of the car, holding onto me tightly as we ascended the stairs. He used my keys to open the door to my apartment and lead me inside, greeting Talley as she came up to us.

“Go into the bathroom and wash your face off,” he instructed gently, pointing me in the right direction.

I did as he said, my tears finally slowing. The door clicked shut behind me
. The reflection in the mirror showed the marks of tragedy on my features. A mess of mascara and tear trails greeted me, my hair hanging in my face.

Matthew’s words
reverberated through my mind and I sucked in a breath. Someone who’d loved John now hated me. It felt worse than I’d imagined it would.

I turned on the faucet and did as Sy instructed, knowing it would calm me down and help me relax some. After a few moments, all traces were gone except for the puffiness of my eyes. I opened the door and stepped into the hall, turning towards the living room.