OCEAN VILLAGE

78. let me down slowly 🌺

—Athena—
-could you find a way to let me down slowly, a little sympathy i hope you can show me-
-alec benjamin-

**Before the breakup**

"Where'd you grow up?" I ask Juliette, sipping on the water.

"Hawai'i." She rubs her lips together again, seems like the fiftieth time she's done that. "Chicago?"

"New York." I correct her, "My dad is Greek though, cool right?"

"That is cool, have you ever been to Greece?" She smiles.

"Once when i was a child." I look down at her boobs out of habit because they're really nice. "You have a nice body."

"I..." She laughs a little, "You're funny."

"That wasn't to make fun of you." I look up, "Genuinely, you're body is beautiful. And your legs! They're so long. Did you play volleyball?"

"I did, yeah." She smiles, "Did you play any sports?"

"Oh, no. Definitely not." I laugh, "I am going to the gym regularly now."

"You're not like the others." Her smile drops a little, she looks down at her cup of coffee.

I raise an eyebrow, "Others who?"

She looks back up to me, "He really didn't tell you?"

I shake my head, "Tell me what?"

She gets up and walks around the island, sitting beside me. "Athena." Kairi whines, "Baby come back."

"Hush, baby." I look at Juliette, she looks sad.

"Baby." He whines again.

"Oh my god you clingy piece of ass." Ace groans, "Stop being such a crybaby."

Juliette and I both laugh at Ace, "Fuck off Da Rosa." Kairi grunts, "Athena." He whines again.

"Oh my god Kairi." Maya stands up, "Pregnancy headaches are the worst, shut up."

"Sorry." He mumbles, "Athena come back-"

"Shut up." I groan slightly, a slight roll to the eyes as well.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He stands up, beginning to walk over.

"Hamada, i'm trying to make friends. Go be clingy and annoy someone else elsewhere." I let him place a soft kiss on my cheek, "Go."

He mimicked me and grabs a bottle of beer from the fridge, walking back to the couch and turning the TV on.

"Sorry." I say to Juliette, "What didn't he tell me?"

She looks behind her, no one was paying attention and that only made my curiosity worse. She looks back, "We grew up together."

"You and Kai?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She wipes her eyes, it was a stressed wipe, she was strsssing out about something.

"What was he like as a boy?" I whisper, slouching so she could whisper back but then sit up tall once his phone starts ringing.

"Fucks sake." He groans loudly, "Gotta call a meeting, emergency one. Wake Khalil just in case." He says to Ace who nods his head but makes no means getting up.

Kairi looks at me and then his eyes flick to Juliette and then back to me, "Fucks sake." He mumbles, walking down the stairs.

"I'm the ex-wife." She spits out.