Ares

Chapter 23 || Wait A Minute!

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"Some things don't work. Some things are bound to be. Some things, they hurt. And they tear apart me."
— Wait A Minute!, Willow Smith

Sydney sighed again, cranky from another slow day at Daisy-Chains combined with her best friends unwillingness to listen to reason. "Grace, you've made it this far, why ruin it now?"

"It's been almost two days, that's why."

She threw her hands out. "So?"

"So, one text message isn't going to hurt. This is bullshit, Sydney, and you know it!"

Sydney's arms fell back to her sides, defeat settling. "I know it is, sweetie," she said warmly, lunging for Grace's phone.

Grace squealed and spun on her heels, keeping the cell just out of Sydney's reach. "Sydney," she cried, accidentally hitting the call button next to Ares's name. Sydney tried snatching it again while Grace ran circles around the island table.

"Nice one, Sydney," she whispered, pressing the phone to her ear and hearing it ring. "You made me accidentally call him."

Sydney laughed, giving up her pursuit. "I made you call him? Just hang up!"

Grace pressed a finger to her lips, blood pumping through her arteries. "No," she hissed. "He'll know it's me."

"So what?" Sydney whispered back. "What if she answers?"

"She won't."

"Hello?"

Grace froze, her features falling to her trainers with her heart. "Put Ares on," she said flatly, triggering a frown to slide down Sydney's face. Grace had to remind herself to keep breathing in the staggered silence that followed.

"He's mine now, Grace."

Ares yelled something in the background.

Grace's lungs clawed at shaky breaths. She set her jaw and raised her volume. "Put Ares on, Aphrodite."

Aphrodite snickered into the cell phone. "Oh trust me, girlie, Ares is on Aphrodite! All night l..."

There was a brief shuffle like Aphrodite had dropped the phone and Grace nearly hung up.

"I'm sorry about that," Ares panted into the line. "I'm here."

"Ares," Grace murmured, using all of her strength on that one word.

"Get back," Ares shouted away from the phone. "I'm not playing, Aphrodite!" Aphrodite said something Grace couldn't understand and Ares's heavy breathing quickly returned. "Jesus Christ, this shit is driving me crazy."

"I haven't heard from you in two days! Why haven't you called?"

Sydney crossed her arms, eager for the answer.

There was another pause with no further words exchanged between him and Aphrodite. "I'm sorry, but it's complicated," he replied, exhaling a weary breath across the hundreds of miles stretching between them. "Did Daisy-Chains get its license back yet?"

"Does that mean you married her?"

His hesitation spoke volumes. Razors tore at her gut as she struggled to maintain her composure.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said calmly. "Did Daisy-Chains get their license back yet?"

She nodded softly, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Yes."