CHAPTER 63: All that's left unsaid
Jos glanced out into the hall again, seeing no sign of anyone. "You're not going to find her out there. She's the one who sent me back in here to talk to you." Arei said. "Now are you going to let me in, or are we having this talk out here?"
"Talk?" She sent him a pointed look. "That's all I keep hearing. Someone wants to 'talk' to me." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I have nothing left to say, so the point is null. Anything past this is you talking at me and forcing me to listen."
Arei smiled pushing past her. "You just said yourself the other day that I'm the one who always walks away from our conversations and issues. Here I am now ready to talk about them on equal grounds with some much-deserved privacy." He walked over and set the tray of food on the coffee table before the fireplace and sat in the chair facing the door. He leaned back and crossed his leg loosely over his knee. A charming smile spread across his thick lips. "Now which is it? Is it I, who always leaves things unsaid or will it be you this time?"
Jos let out a heavy sigh as she went to shut the door and thought better of it. Leaving it cracked, she ambled over to the chair opposite Arei. Flopping down into the chair with the grace of a scorned three-year-old, she puffed out a breath and said. "Alright... start talking."
Arei nodded as he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, resting his elbows on each knee. "What did you mean earlier by: you don't know what you want me to be to you?"
Jos blushed as she looked away. "Start somewhere else."
"Fair enough... What did you mean about not wanting me to leave all those years ago?"
Her cheeks grew hotter. "That seems pretty self-explanatory don't you agree?"
He nodded, "It does but elaborate for me, why don't you. Then IF you're still interested in my full side of things, I'll tell you all there is to tell." His breath caught as troubled aqua eyes met his.
Jos narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together as she chewed on the inside of her jaw. "You want me to elaborate? My feelings all that time ago wasn't clear enough to you? Me begging you to make me yours wasn't enough for you! My complete ruin when you and your brother destroyed me... that wasn't enough for you?"
Arei leaned forward and stroked the hand that knotted into the hem of the white tee she still wore. "I know I'm asking a lot right now, but I need to know... I have to know."
She watched his thick, strong hand run over hers, and her mind automatically recalled all the many times she would seek comfort in tracing those same tattoos. Her voice came out a low gruff whisper as she watched the way the flames of the fire caused shadows to dance over the tribal patterns. "Alright, fine... If you really need to know that badly..." Her eyes met his begrudgingly. "I was infatuated with you. You were my everything... my air... my marrow... my world... You gave me the hope that there was something out there besides being a despised creature everyone feared, and for the first time I wanted to know what it was like to live a normal life." Her gaze drew watery and distant as a sad reminiscent smile spread across her lips. "For the first time I was just a simple girl in love with this extraordinary man, welcomed warmly by his family..." Her teary eyes met his. "There was nothing you could have done or said that I wouldn't have forgiven... save one thing..." her voice broke, "And that was leaving and not giving me the chance to forgive..."
Arei's heart seized and he fell to his knees at her feet. Cupping one hand on either side of her face, he stared longingly into her eyes. "And believe me, leaving was the worst mistake I've ever made in all my many years. You don't know how many times I wanted to come back... How many times I wished I'd never left...? I loved you then... nearly as much as I love this strong, confident woman in front of me now." He didn't wait for her reply as he pushed up onto his knees and pressed his lips to hers.
Atlantis, Palace of Poseidon, 1566
"How do you deal with being cursed?" Jos asked as she trailed her toes through the water. She was in the library, sitting on the steps by one of the many openings to the submerged portion. Scylla was lounging in the submerged seating as Charybdis lounged in a chair, she'd pulled over close to the edge as to be closer to Scylla.
Chary and Scylla exchanged a long meaningful look before turning to Jos. "By enjoying the time we have in this form as often as we can." Chary smiled warmly back at Scylla.
"Hum..." Jos murmured as she splashed her feet. "That seems more of the way you deal with your time in your true forms rather than in the cursed ones." Jos said watching the tiny ripples in the water grow and grow before disappearing.
Scylla sighed. "I suppose you're right... but you see, we have been in this same endless loop of forms... Neither of us are even sure any longer which is the true form..." She and Chary exchanged pained smiles. "It doesn't even matter anymore, because without it, we wouldn't have the opportunity to be together."
Chary nodded, "She's right. I was cursed for no other reason than my father and uncles constant fight for land and power."
"And I for no other reason than the wrong man fell in love with me, which angered Cerci." Scylla shook her head. "It didn't matter that I didn't care for him in the slightest..." Her smile brightened. "Had Poseidon not carried me to those cliffs, I'd never met Chary." She reached her hand up and stroked Chary's cheek. "Did Poseidon intentionally plan for us to fall in love? I doubt it. He only wanted to ease his favorite daughter's loneliness during those times of the year she was cursed to be chained to the ocean floor..." Her joyous eyes met Jos's. "But we did... we fell in love with each other, first as monsters then in this current form."
Chary nodded. "You should be thankful you don't retain the memories of the acts you are forced to do by the curse. Even without that memory it can still be a hard burden to bear. It can cause many years of self-loathing and pain." She bent to stroke Scylla's face as she'd done earlier. "But the understanding and love of someone who truly loves you for you... that kind of love changes everything. It's freeing." Her smile widened into one of love and admiration. "It makes any harsh fate bearable, knowing someone is there with you through it all."
Jos watched as Scylla pushed herself up on the ledge of the surrounding floor as Chary lowered to meet her lips. They shared a long, lingering kiss before it was interrupted.
"Oh man, Get a room you two. You're going to scar and corrupt my innocent Jos." Arei joked as he walked through the main hall of the library. He bent and kissed the top of Jos's head before sitting down beside her and rolling up the bottoms of his pants. Once he was finished, he placed his feet in the water with hers and pulled her body tightly against him. He tightened his hold as she snuggled into the fabric of his shirt in an effort to hide her blushing cheeks.
Chary arched a brow in her brother's direction as Scylla slid back into the water. "I'd say if anyone in this room is going to corrupt that girl's innocents, it's going to be you baby brother... If you haven't already."
Arei sent her a wide boyish grin as Jos snuggled tighter against him, her giggles muffled by his shirt she clung to. "I'd say she's well on her way to corruption all on her own where I'm involved." He teased as he tickled her sides until she was forced to release him. As soon as her red face was visible, he bent and pressed his lips to hers. They were long past hiding their affections in front of his family. His sister seemed to truly adore Joslyn and his father, being forever the power-hungry god, was overjoyed to see their open affection.
Chary winked at Jos when the girl's shy eyes met hers, "Sometimes us girls have to take what we want."
Arei bust out laughing, "Gods above, don't tell her that!" He pulled her against him in a bear hug and kissed the side of her head. "This little minx will have me on my back right here."
Jos gasped, "Would not!" She spat in surprise. She cleared her throat, trying to recover some sense of dignity when she realized he'd only been joking. {The truth is... the idea is tempting...} She thought as her cheeks continued to flame hot. "I mean... I'd at least wait until I got you into a more private area of the library..." She whispered shyly.
His brows jerked and his lips curved upward at one side. "Is that so?" He shot a smile to his sister and Scylla. "I think I'm going to give Jos a much-needed tour of the WHOLE library."
Chary rolled her eyes as she made shooing motions with her hands. "As if we don't have the same superior hearing as you, baby brother. "If you're going to fornicate in here, I would heavily recommend the relics section in the back. No one goes in there very often and it has a nice water chamber... for extra fun." She winked.
"Ah nice!" His smile widened as he pushed himself up taking Jos's hand. "I think we'll start there." He nodded his goodbyes to them as Jos waved with her free hand.
"I like them." She commented as they made their way through the maze that was the lower level.
Arei sent her a smile over his shoulder. "They seem to really like you as well, Kitten." He turned and scooped her up into his arms causing her to let out a surprised giggle before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hopefully not as much as you like me, though?" He teased rubbing his nose against hers as he began walking again.
Her giggles came to an abrupt stop as she shook her head. "No, I like you much more... in a different way." Her cheeks reddened again. "In... in the way like Scylla and Chary like each other..." She stuttered. "In a lover's way..."
His eyes softened as he turned the handle of the door and stepped inside. The room was lit only by the cool blue glow of the open waters that covered most of the room. The high walls were lined with shelves upon shelve, all covered in ancient pottery and statues. Many of the pots and statues were faded and chipped depicting a history that outdated the written text. He didn't set her down as her eyes wondered the new room, instead, he kept his eyes trained on her features as she took everything in for the first time. "This is my favorite part." He whispered against her ear.
She forced her eyes away from the many treasures of the room. "What part?" she asked, her eyes darting around to see something special that he could be referring to. As she turned her attention back to him, his lips fell on hers. She ran one of the hands wrapped around his neck into his hair as the other hand moved to his face to trace the scruff of his sharp jaw.
He broke the kiss with a chuckle, "You..." He answered. When her confused wide eyes searched his, he elaborated. "You are always my favorite part. Seeing the wonder and excitement light your entire body every time you see something new, that is my favorite. There will never be anything more amazing than seeing your face light up." He kissed the tip of her nose. "I never want to see that wonder leave your bright eyes."
She didn't understand her need to do so, but she nodded her head anyways.
He smiled down at her before kissing her soft lips again. "I almost hate leaving here tomorrow, but it's time..." He let out a heavy sigh as he set her feet carefully on the floor. He ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek. "And I have to say I'm both equally parts excited and terrified for what's to come."
She cupped her hand over his on her cheek and nuzzled her face into his palm. "What do you mean terrified? What's there to be terrified over?"
He smiled, a bit of melancholy weighing down the corners of his lips. "I guess I'm afraid that once you know the real me, your feelings for me will change." He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to her forehead. "It would kill me to ever see those beautiful eyes of your dull because of something I've done... or haven't done..."
His sadness washed over her in a wave, all words and logic fleeing. She flung herself against him, her eyes slightly misty at the level of torment that was weighing in his voice. "My feelings would never change." She argued. "You are the person I want."
He bent so that their eyes could be level as he cupped both sides of her face. "And you are the person I love." He kissed her more passionately this time relishing in the feeling of her tiny fingers teasing feather light over his neck and tangling in his hair. He let his own hands trail down the silk fabric of her dress until they rounded the mounds of her bottom. He bent lower and scooped her up forcing her legs around his waist as he supported her backside.
She let out a surprised giggle. "What are you doing?!" She called out with a playful snort.
His eyes twinkled with mischief, "Well I was trying to be romantic until my adorable partner began giggling and snorting like a piglet." He chuckled as she wiggled her nose in mock irritation.
"I did not snort!" She protested slapping his wide chest playfully.
"Oh yes you did, and I bet you will again." He said as he pressed her back against the wall and began tickling her.
She let out an unladylike snort as she tried to control her hysterical laughing. She wiggled wildly against him as she tried to fight for freedom of his grip. She'd managed to slide down past the belt of his trousers, when she froze in place and held his gaze. "You... you're... hard." She said in surprise.
He laughed as he wrapped his arms back around her. "I am... It was all your wiggling." He teased.
Her eyes widened and held his, "Does... does this mean you're finally willing to... with me?"