OCEAN VILLAGE

39. white blood🌺

—Athena—
-i'm ready to fall, so tired of it all-
-oh wonder-

I read down the pages, my eyes watering and throat closing over.

He lives in New York, he moved back to Manhattan, he has a girlfriend, which i'm happy about, i'm glad he's not miserable like i was.

I carry on reading, my hands shaking slightly. I have his home address, his work address, even his office address.

His phone number, his email, his work email.

I flip the page, his profession coming up and then i stop and stare.

He works for the FBI.

Did Kai know? Did they all know? Surely Kairi would have told me if they did. I'll ask him about it later.

I carry on reading, he's a criminal psychologist for the FBI, works with different divisions to help profile criminals.

Him and his girlfriend have been dating two years, she's younger by a lot, her names Hayley and she also works for the FBI but she's an undercover officer.

They live together in a house, scrap that, a mansion in Manhattan, it has its own driving circle.

I flick the next page, reading about Mom for a while.

Dad didn't leave.

They got a divorce because mom cheated on him with her boss. They fought for custody, moms hours aren't as long as dads were whenever he was a therapist, she won custody.

Dad didn't leave. Mom just said that so we wouldn't find out the truth and resent her.

There was so much going on whenever i was thirteen. Atlas, Rhea and I were all kept in the dark about it. He wasn't allowed any contact until we turned eighteen.

So why hasn't he called yet?

I flip the page again, he doesn't go by Arieta anymore, but by his middle name, Arion. Then more about his job, i start crying. He did so well for himself after everything, he seems happy, he has a well-paying job, a beautiful girlfriend and a nice house.

But why didn't he reach out?

I pick my phone up and type his address into google, it's a two hour drive from where we live. Even if it is cold, i'm willing to walk to Manhattan to show up on his doorstep, or i could order an uber. I could take the subway for once?

I don't even know what i'm going to do.

My hands shake as i call Atlas, sniffling, i hold the phone to my ear. "Little sister." He chuckles, "What can i do for you?"

"I found dad." I say quietly, "Don't tell Rhea or mom, just... Kairi did a background check on him and gave it me for Christmas..."

The other line goes silent, "He hasn't called in five years-"

"He didn't leave." I clear my throat, "I have the divorce papers in my hand. Mom and dad got a divorce, she won custody."

"Don't lie to me, Athena."

"I'm not lying, Atlas. Everything is here."

He takes a breath, "Do you... What... Are you going to go and see him?"

"He lives in Manhattan." It's not that far away, he grew up in Manhattan whenever he moved from Greece, he took us there as much as he could.

"Thena that's far, can you wait until i get back?"