But Cupid Says 'No' (GxG)

.17.

Axel swims around the community pool as I sit with Brooke. Someone nearby asks Axel how he got a scar across his arms. Before he could make up a story and boast about it, I interrupt.

"You ditched your bodyguard again, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Axel grins. "You know me so well, Roubear."

"Don't call me that!"

"Okay, Roubear."

"How did you you kick another poor soul from their job, Rivers?" I ask, pulling my hair in a pony.

"You se this scar?" Axel asks, narrowing his eyes and grinning even wider. "The poor soul did this."

"What?" I ask in Italian, and then then remember that Axel doesn't speak Italian. "I mean, what?"

"It was Axel's plan actually," Brooke says, filling her nails. "This fucker impersonated a thief and broke into his own room through the window. The bodyguard thought him to be a threat, attacked him."

"And then?"

"And then he blackmailed him into resigning."

"Which is very fucking generous of me," Axel intervenes. "If I had reported him, he would have lost his job."

"But he did lose his job."

"Yeah, but only as bodyguard. He can be somebody else's bodyguard now. Good riddance."

Brooke and I shake our heads as we Axel keeps giggling like a drunkard. I look at my phone to check the time.

"Shit," I mutter under my breathe. "I had told Shiv I'll be back soon. I've been here with you guys for hours."

"Why are you so invested in Shiv?" Brooke asks. "Is is because he's Gray's brother?"

I scoff. "I just. Love him. He's my baby."

"And why is your baby a sixteen year old?"

"What else do you want me to do? Go and adopt an infant?"

Brooke shakes her head in disappointment, probably because she will loose her chance to be a godmother.

"I gotta go. Don't misse too much."

And with that, I walk away. On reaching his room, I unlock the door and call his name. He doesn't reply.

"Shiv?"

No response.

I call him a little bit louder and–

"Come to the pool!"

I cross the main room and go into the pool area. There, Shiv stands inside the cerulean water. He takes a sip from a bottle of water, grimaces and then looks at me.

"This water doesn't taste good. Can you bring me another bottle?"

"Water doesn't has a taste."

"It does," he argues. "And it tastes..not good."

I sigh and take the bottle from his hands. I pull one out from the freezer and give it to him.

"You need to stop drinking water water swims," I tell him. He shrugs and continues drinking.

"So," I start again. "Where's Gray?"

"In the meeting. With people."

"No. I mean, when she's gonna come back?"

"Why are you even missing her, Rou?" He asks me sceptically. "Are you done ignoring her?"

"I wasn't ignoring her. I was just hiding from her."