Please stop pressuring me to write. I'm on holiday and I really want focus on myself and come back as a better person and have fun.
ATHENA RUSSO:
I hate this. I hate acting nice. I hate acting kind and sweet. I just want to rip someone's head off.
I stare at the wall, bored.
Everyone's dressed up fancy and here I am in some jeans and a hoodie. I mean I don't care and I'm sure everyone in this room doesn't as well but it would've been nice to at least know the dress code.
Nonna is talking to the very loud kids. The rest are doing god knows what.
I just want to go home. I sigh, trying so hard not to show the irritation on my face.
Nonna glances at me, confused. "Is something wrong dear?" She asks me.
I shake my head. "No just getting tired," I lie, yawning.
"Sit down, my dear, and get some rest."
"I'll sit down in a minute."
She nods and continues talking to the kids about how to use a gun.
Why do I have a feeling someone is approaching me? I close my eyes and hear footsteps coming toward me. Those footsteps don't match any of my family's footsteps.
Who the fuck is walking toward me?
A large rough hand is placed on my shoulder and I feel this guy breathe because of how close he is.
"So you're Athena? You being kidnapped for five years and looking this beautiful surprises me."
I look at this peculiar man and slowly raise my hand and take his hand off my shoulder then I look away, ignoring him.
"Right... Anyways, maybe we should get drinks sometime? I would love to get to... Know you," he slowly says in my ear. He then quickly adds, "And we won't need to tell your fiancé about this if you want."
Quickly, I send a blow to the side of his neck which causes him to fall to the ground. He might die but that's not my problem.
"Ew," I mutter, "I need to take a shower now."
I step over the weird man and walk to the doors. Just as I am about to open it, it's already being opened. And Hades stands in the doorway, smiling at me.
So do I jump off of a cliff, a building, or a bridge?
Hold on.
I slowly examine this man and furrow my eyebrows. He's not in a suit that can't be possible. He's always in a suit.
Why the fuck is he wearing a hoodie and sweatpants? Why does he look like a normal person?
And he lied.
He told me he would see me on our wedding day which is two weeks away now. Why am I seeing him now?
Before I know it, Nonna, Katie, and Gianna are dragging him into the room and asking multiple questions without giving him a chance to speak.
"Do you love Athena?" Nonna seriously asks.
Katie nudges Nonna, giving her that look. "Of course he does! Everyone loves her! But do you?"
Hades opens his mouth but Gianna cuts him off, "Hades, do you want kids?"
"Oh my god!" Katie gasps, "Their kids would look so adorable!"
Hades's eyes widen, "Wait? What?"
"How did you propose?" Nonna asks.
Wait. What? Do they actually think we're in love? Hades shoots a quick scared glance at me. I give him a confused look.
What is going on here?
"I bet it was so romantic! Right Hades?"
They all look at him waiting for his answer. I'm even waiting for his answer.
"No!" Stefano shouts, slowly getting up from the floor, "Please! No!"
"Yes. It was romantic," Hades smirks, "I proposed under a gazebo by a lake. I've even got a photo of it."
"A photo of what?" I ask, slowly clenching my fists.
Lorenz clears his throat, "Let's talk about this another—
Nonna raises her hand, silencing him. "No. I want to see it. Show me the photo," she demands.
Hades grins at me as he pulls out his phone and shows them a photo, "This was a few minutes before I proposed."
I push past them and snatch Hades's phone and look at the photo.
Oh, I remember this place. At the Americans' ball, he and I met outside by the lake.
It's a photo of us talking. I'm giving him a weird look while he's looking at me with a smile.
Hades chuckles. "She was so suspicious of me. You can see her being weirded out by me because I was telling how much I love her," he explains.
Nonna, Katie, and Gianna all squeal, jumping around together.
I snap my eyes to Hades's and he quickly looks away. He's making this marriage thing seem real, isn't he? I take a deep breath and hand his phone back.
"No!" Stefano shouts again, his voice filled with pain, "Athena marry me! Not him!"
We all ignore him. Well except for my cousins who drag him out of the room.
"Wait how did you guys meet?" Katie asks.
The room falls silent.
I turn around and smile a little, "In a strip club. Walked in on him with another—"
Hades laughs and kisses my cheek, "Baby, those types of jokes aren't appropriate. There are kids here."
I freeze. Did he just—
"We met at a park by a fountain. We just sat down and watched the moon and then we kept meeting up there. We kept things very private. I didn't know who she was at the time if I did I would've told you guys she was back."
How is he lying so effortlessly? And with a smile on his face.
I stare at Lorenzo who is looking at me, guilt in his eyes. Is he in this as well?
I swear to god—
"That is so romantic!"
"I think I might cry."
The rest of the men in the room look around, unsure what to do or say. They just stand there listening.
My phone rings and I quickly excuse myself and leave the room. As I answer the call, I go into another empty room.
"Yes?"
"What the hell is going on?!" Artemis shouts. "You're getting married!"
How the hell did she get my number? I really don't need this right now.
I look around and sigh, "I'll call you back later, okay? I'm really busy right now."
"You've cut me and Noah off for weeks. I'm getting worried."
"Well, can you worry another time? I told you I'm busy."
She goes silent and I can practically feel her hurt through the phone. "Right. Call me back when you're free," she says and hangs up.
"You're a shit friend."
I turn around and glare at Hades. "And you're a shit person," I sneer. "Lying about we're in love? That wasn't part of the contract at all. I never signed up for this," I calmly say, trying to keep my anger hidden from him.
Hades sighs, placing his hands in his pockets. "Yes, I know. It's just easier to make it seem like this marriage was out of love."
"Who knows about this contract?"
"Me. You. Your brothers. And my parents," he answers. His voice is void of any emotion. His eyes are dull and empty.
He doesn't scare me but if anyone else were to see him like this they would probably piss themselves.
Awkwardly, I clear my throat, "Right. So we're just going to pretend like we are in love, forever?"
He rolls his eyes at me and shrugs. "You know you are living with me after the wedding, right?"
I let out an irritated sigh. "I've read the contract a billion times, I know everything."
He stares at me for a moment and then nods. He takes a step forward but my phone rings and I quickly answer it, turning around. "Yes?"
I faintly hear him getting closer, making me hold my breath.
"It's me. Ivan. The recruits are ready. The deals have been revoked and the new ones have been accepted. We're going to receive the shipments in a few hours," Ivan informs me as if he's reading this off a piece of paper.
I keep my eyes trained on the floor, feeling his aura a few steps away from me.
"Anything else?" I quietly ask Ivan, biting my lip.
"I've finished your paperwork for you," he tells me, "And I've got a woman here with um... wedding dress options for you for when you get back."
Hades is literally behind me, slowly and gently running his hand up and down my arm. Wasn't he looking at me as of he couldn't give two fucks earlier? Why the hell is he touching me like that?
My shoulders tense and I take a small step away from him, hoping he will get the hint. "Thank you. I'll be back soon then," I mumble and then hang up. I immediately turn back around and look up at Hades.
"Why are you looking at me like that," he asks, tilting his head at me.
"Because I hate you," I snap. I walk towards the door and reach for the door handle but Hades stops me.
"I understand you're angry with me but I swear I didn't mean for it—"
"To go this way? Hades I couldn't give two shits about which way this marriage goes. Once we get married I don't want to see you."
He frowns. "But we're going to live together. You're going to see me."
"Then we will ignore each other," I tell him as if it's obvious.
He stares at me, confused. "Where is this coming from?"
I push past him and walk out of the room and go into the living room where everyone is and tell everyone I'm leaving.
They all come up to me and hug me, begging me to stay for a little longer.
"Please stay! Please," Bella begs, holding onto my leg.
I smile, "I'll see you very soon. Okay?"
She narrows her eyes at me, "How a room is very soon."
"My wedding is in a few weeks, I'll see you there. You can be my flower girl."
"Hey! What about me!" Alessia yells, stomping her foot. I chuckle, "You can be one too." They both grin and run off.
Hades comes into the room and stands beside me with an annoyed expression on his face.
I look at my brothers who watch me, frowning. I sigh and open my arms for them.
Ares is the first one to run to me and hugs me, nearly knocking me onto the floor.
"I can't believe you're actually marrying this guy," Ares whispers in my ear. I force a smile, "Me too." Ares opens his mouth to say something but Dom pushes him out of the way.
"Ena."
"Dommy."
He glares at Hades before saying, "Good luck with your marriage, I guess."
I playfully roll my eyes at him, "Yeah I'll see you soon."
Elijah and Lorenzo quickly say goodbye and hug me. I wait for Marcello to hug me but he's nowhere to be seen.
Hm. That's weird.
I look at Dante and motion for him to wait outside for me. He nods and leaves the room. I say even more goodbyes to my family and finally get to leave. Hades follows behind me as I leave the room.
Dante waits for me and I drag him into a room with no Hades around.
"Why haven't you told them?" I ask straight away, not giving him a moment to process anything.
He looks at the ground and shrugs, "Too much is going on, Athena. I want to see if I can fix it and if I can't, I'll tell them."
I frown. "What did the doctors say?"
He nervously bites his lip. "They said that I might..." He doesn't finish his sentence and I don't need him to because I already know what it means.
"I knew something was wrong, Athena, I just didn't know what it was," he whispers.
"Hey, it's okay," I reassure him, "We will fix this. You'll be okay."
He shakes his head, his eyes starting to water, "I don't think I will be."