Bab 340: Tear-streaked letter
Jos wiped away the droplets of tears causing the ink of the letter she'd just finished to smudge. She thought hard about crushing it and adding it to the pile of crumpled paper beside her. Her eye moved over the scattered pile. The words hadn't come easier regardless of how many times she'd written and rewritten them. Her tear-filled eyes studied the blurred lines for the third time. All rewriting it so many times had accomplished was drawing out more emotions that she herself didn't quite understand at the moment. Her hands tightened around the letter, crinkling the corners as another wave of sobs dredged up from deep inside. {How can I explain in a simple letter all the things I'm feeling right now if I don't even fully understand myself... How do you properly tell the person you love most... you want... you have to leave them...} More tears flooded her eyes and splattered on the paper as she thought back to what Poseidon had said to her in his office earlier. {I would have never known our breakup caused him so much pain the last time... Wouldn't have been able to believe it could have, had it not been for knowing what actually happened that night as I do now... but it still doesn't change the fact I can't stay now... It would only be torture for the both of us if I do stay...}
A heavy sigh from the bedroom door startled her and pulled her from her depressive thoughts.
Poseidon stepped into the room as he slid his phone back into his pocket. His frustration and anger subsided as he took in her tear-streaked face and damp letter. He held his hand out to her and helped her up from the floor where she'd been sitting. He nodded toward the packed luggage she'd been using as a writing desk. "Are you sure about this? There's still time to at least talk to him before we leave."
Jos shook her head. "No, I have to go... If I wait, I may not have the strength to leave..."
Poseidon brushed away her tears with the pads of his thumbs but frowned when more came flowing down. "It would be so much easier for me to understand all this if you'd just speak to me, child. Can you not at least tell me what this is all about?" He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her face up to meet his. "I promise, if you'll just try to explain this to me I'll do my best to help... and I'll stop questioning your decision to leave." He watched in concern as she pulled her face away from him and rested her head against his chest. His brows furrowed when she only cried more as she clung to the front of his shirt. "If this is about the Nyx or Zeus issues-"
Jos shook her head rapidly against his chest. "It's not that."
Poseidon's brows tented as he stared in confusion down at the top head. "I'm sorry, dear, I'm at a loss as to what could possibly have you this worked up that you're willing to walk away from Areion without a word..."
Tears flooded Jos's eyes. "I'm not pregnant... and he was happy about it... so, so happy..." her words trailed off as more sobs poured from her.
"I see..." Poseidon muffled a surprised gasp as understanding dawned. He quickly pulled her in an awkward hug and patted her back in hopes of soothing her even slightly. "And this happened-"
"Just moments before I came to your office..." She sobbed.
"I see... I apologize for being so harsh with you earlier..." He thought back to the teasing he'd walked in on several weeks back. He'd all but forgotten about it during all the tedious hours of work he'd been forced into recently. A frown curved his lips as he recalled Arei's words from that morning. "My son can be a real insensitive dumbass from time to time... but I'm sure if you'd just give him a chance to understand your feelings on all this the two of you could work it out."
Jos shook her head. "I need time away for now... I've not had time to fully process anything that has happened over the past year and a half. I've gone from the still unresolved mess with Russ to the mess with Xavier straight to a mess with Arei... I NEED time to process everything and decide if any of it is even what I want anymore... If it's what I ever wanted..." Her brows furrowed. "I... I've never taken the time to figure out what I've wanted... I've always just gone along with others' plans for my life... I've never truly been free to decide... Though I understand I'll still not be completely free..."
Poseidon let out a heavy sigh as he gave her back a couple more light pats before releasing her. "Then grab your bags. If we are to leave before he returns, we should get going..." He waited for her to gather the last of her things before holding his hand out for her once again. In a flash, they were standing inside a strange living room. "We're here." Poseidon called causing a crashing noise to sound from another room.
Chary poked her head around the corner. "Oh... um..." An embarrassed smile curved her lips. "To be honest, I didn't really expect you to show up..." She disappeared back around the corner for a few minutes, whispering something that Jos nor Poseidon could make out. She was knotting the drawstrings of a robe as she stepped around the corner into the living room. Her eyes studied Jos as she made her way over to the sofa. "So... you've decided to join our team?" A wicked smile lit her features. "This should be interesting. What has father told you?"
Poseidon ran his hand through his usually well-groomed hair. "I've yet to tell her anything outside the basics. I thought it best that you and Scylla fill her in." He let out a huffed breath. His eyes studied Jos's tear-streaked face for several long seconds before he pulled her into a tight hug. "Something to aid you in your thought process." He whispered in her ear as he flicked his wrist behind her back. He slowly released his hold on her, gently guiding her around the stack of journals on the floor. He smiled at her as her questioning eyes moved from the books to him. "I know you recognize them... I thought maybe if you read through them on your own without having him hovering over your shoulder as you did..." He shrugged. "Who knows... you may just find the answers to these questions you've been asking yourself... It may not be the answers you want, but it will be the answers you need." He placed a light kiss on her forehead before nodding to Chary. "Now if you ladies don't mind, I shall return home to deal with my soon to be disgruntled son... I bid you a good night, girls..." He sent them a weak smile as he vanished.
Chary tilted her head as Jos continued to stand in the same spot for some time after Poseidon had left. She patted the couch beside her. "Have a seat. Do you need anything?"
Jos shook her head as she stared at the place Chary had patted. "If it's alright... I think I'd rather go on to bed tonight..."
Chary arched a brow. "It's still early. Are you not curious at all about what it is we do?"
"I have an idea..." Jos answered as she gripped the handle of her luggage tighter.
Chary nodded as she pushed up from the couch. "Alright, this way. If you want to talk about... other things... I'm here to listen..."
Jos shook her head. "Not tonight... I'm talked out already." She lifted the small stack of journals, balancing them in her arms as she tugged the luggage alongside her and followed Chary.
A sad smile curved Chary's lips as she shook her head. "My brother must have really fucked up this time..." She nodded down to the books. "Would you like a hand with those?"
"It's alright... but thank you..."
Chary watched as Jos dragged herself along the hallway beside her. "If... there's something else you'd like to talk about, I'm all ears..." Her eyes fell to the stack of books in Jos's arms once again.
Jos only grunted in response. Once Chary pulled a door open for her, she walked inside. "Thank you, good night."
"Night... We'll be up for a while still if you'd like to veg out in front of the TV. Just so you know." Chary released her hold on the door and backed slowly away giving Jos time to reconsider turning in at only eight pm.
Jos shook her head as she moved to shut the door. "Thank you, though."
Jos released her grip on the luggage and sat the stack of journals beside the bags. She leaned against the door for a few seconds before letting her body slide down its length until she was sitting on the floor. Her eyes instinctively moved to the stack of worn books. As her hand began to reach for the top leatherbound volume, she stopped herself. Jerking her hand away from them like they could burn, she pulled her knees up against her chest and rested her chin on them. Tears began to stream down her cheeks once again as she thought back to the many dreams she'd had over the past few weeks. Who could have guessed seeing Arei happy while holding the pregnancy test could have brought her as much, if not more, pain than all the dreams of him being angry and upset? Were the answers she needed just within the leather bindings beside her? Would the questions she was too afraid to ask him be written in his small, neat script? She shook her head in answer to her own wondering thoughts as she forced her attention away from the stack once again.
Her eyes moved over the scantly furnished room. A bed, nightstand, and dresser were the only thing in it. The curtains were pulled back and the blinds were cracked to let in the lingering rays of the setting sun. The more she focused the more she could hear. Waves crashed in the distance and seagulls cawed loudly just outside the window. She pressed herself up from the floor and walked over to peek outside. It accrued to her as the rays of the sun reflected off the waves and clouds from behind the building, she was in that she hadn't even bothered to ask where they were. Were they still near Athens and Greece? Were they even still in Europe?" She lifted her phone to check her GPS location only to see several missed calls and texts from Arei. She let out a long sigh as she powered off her phone and set it on the nightstand. She sat on the edge of the bed, but her eyes kept moving back to the phone. She shook her head and flopped backward onto the bed, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. She stayed that way for several long moments, but nothing happened.
With a disgruntled huff, she pushed up from the bed and made her way toward the door, stopping as she pulled it open to cast the phone one last stare. "No... I'm not dealing with it tonight..."
She traced her steps back down the hall to the living room, finding Chary curled up on the couch and a kiddy pool on the floor beside her. Jos tilted her head as she came farther into the room. "Um... I uh... I couldn't sleep after all... Mind if I join you?"
Chary glanced over her shoulder; a handful of popcorn raised halfway to her mouth. "Not at all come on in." She nodded toward the TV. "We only just started it. Here I can start it over if you'd like."
Jos forced a smile as she nodded to Scylla and curled up at the other end of the couch.
Scylla smiled back as she flapped her tail in the shallow water. "Overlook my current digs... It's still too much effort for me to maintain full human form. I try to preserve it for work."
Jos nodded. "I understand, don't worry."
Soon the tension Jos had been holding in every pore of her body began to fade. It was easy being around Chary and Scylla. They seemed to understand without pushing her for conversation or completely ignoring her either. It made her want to open up to them... but not tonight... Tonight she would simply enjoy the peace that being with them provided.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Jacquia_comics
Jacquia_comics Because I'm an asshole, I suggest listening to 'Listen to your heart' remixed by Dave Winkler.
Also sorry for the late upload. The ac went out in my car and house... it was a miserable weekend... (I live in Florida)
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone