All Grown Up (Sequel To WDE)

14.

Zeus' Pov

"Arranged marriage?"

"Yeah, neither of us want that," Adam says. "My brothers arranged it because ... they're just fucking idiots. They use the women then send them off to be married. They sort of sex traffic. Maya wasn't used though."

"Why don't you want to marry?" I ask.

"I marry for love. My brothers don't seem to get that."

Maya gets up. "I can come another time."

"Stay," I say.

"I have to clean," she says.

I let her go as Adam sits in a ball.

Maya is so beautiful with bright eyes and thick hair. I wonder why Adam doesn't like her. Maybe his brothers pushed him to lose all sight of her beauty.

Abraham walks in. "You have three months to live. If your supposed father can't bring up a million dollars, then you die." He mumbles something to Aamir.

I sit up and Aamir smacks Adam.

"Get your wife!" He says.

Maya hides and cleans. I watch as a dark skinned girl walked by. She glances and smiles at me. I'm lost in her trance.

I snap back to see Abraham in my face. "I'm watching you."

They leave and Adam is praying again. I sigh and Maya leaves.

"You okay?" I ask when Adam is done.

"Yeah. I thanked Allah for sparing you."

"Thanks."

He lays down and I follow suit.

-

Adonis' Pov

If someone would've told me roughly 17 years ago that'd I'd be in Jamaica, I'd be cool with it. If they said I'd be married I'd be fine. If they added I'll have two kids, that would've been the dream. This is my nightmare.

I fell for Ares because he was strong and stable, I fell for him because stability is something I never had in my life prior to meeting him. Between my parents arguing and separating , death in the family, and ultimately moving to Lexington by the time I was ten left a lot desired. I was lost trying to study and focus on getting scholarships because I didn't want my parents, who were already struggling as is, to pay for my college tuition. I hated it. I hated not being able to do what other kids do or have that handout given. I hated not having the clothes that people talked about it being out of the loop. On top of that, I wasn't the stereotypical hood rat in my city and to take that and move to a predominantly white area made me an outcast on both spectrums. Meaning that neither blacks or whites accepted me. To one I was too bougie to be around and the other ... well, I never felt really comfortable because I wanted acceptance from my people. I liked being a tomboy - playing in mud, running barefoot, reading comic books, playing with G.I. Joe, wrestling male cousins, watching Samurai Jack or Dragon Ball Z or Ed, Edd, & Eddy, or just playing video games. The other girls were into nails and getting their hair did and boys. I mostly played by myself.

I was also in GT classes at a young age . People thought that I thought I was too good for anybody and smarter. I guess I was forced to mature much quicker by trauma. I eventually came into myself, and the type of things I was hated for were cool. Even being plus sized with body positivity. I was forced to hate my body when I was comfortable, now I'm uncomfortable while people love it. Go figure.

When I met Ares, he seemed to know what he wanted. He wasn't the typical frat boy. He wasn't a dumb athlete or nerd. He was smart and respectful of women, despite his past. He was ahead of his time and mature. I fell in love with his stability and sense of self because he was everything that I lacked. He is honest with me, about everything. I love his parenting and how he bounced back from his countless surgeries and hours in rehab. He fell in love with my flaws and sensitivity. I was everything he lacked.

To see him hurt about the army, which I once thought he loved, hurt me. He loves Zeus so much. He tried to his best to make him see eye to eye , but I guess that never happened.

I love Jamaica but this isn't home. Home is where Ares is. Not here.

I cover my belly in my two piece suit, still self conscious without him here and walk into the ocean. Bring back my boys.