156 All thats left unsaid (1/2)

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.”

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.