[ZEUS]

I woke up at the sound of light knocking. My head was pounding in pain, the loose shorts and nightshirt were both soaked in sweat. I squinted in the darkness, my dry eyes hurting a bit at the action. I haven't been taking the news well I'd gone from panicking, to fidgeting, to crying myself to sleep.

I heard the light knocking again, only this time followed by spots bark. I checked the alarm clock by my side table and frowned — Twelve minutes past nine. Who in the world was here at this time? Not even the press would—

I heard Spots bark loudly again as the knocking continued. I sighed, getting up from my bed. I might just have to open the forsaken door.

Climbing down the stairs and then walking into the sitting room, I turned on the lights, conscious of my steps in case I tripped on Spots. Walking into the hallway, I found Spots by the glass door barking his heart away. Sensing my presence the dog turned, sticking out its tongue before turning back to the door, the unclear figure standing behind it.

"Who's there?" I asked, undoing the bolts, my hand still holding on the key on the lock.

"Zeus, open up, it's Julian. What happened to the spare key under the mat?" I heard Julian's voice say from the other end. My mind froze at first. Had he found out? Was he here to call quits, say it was over?

"Zeus..." Julian trailed before I finally turned the key on the lock. It's over I thought looking down on Julian's face. His features were twisted in confusion — concern. My mouth parted but no words came out. I wanted to tell him I didn't mean to keep it from him, that I loved him, that everything was okay...

"Julian I—"

"You don't have to say anything." he interrupted taking my hand. My eyes moved from his face to our hands, observing the clear contrast of my sun-kissed skin to his pale one. I looked back at him with the mentality of a child awaiting punishment.

"You should have told me," Julian said, tracing the length of my hand with his fingers.

"I—"

"How could you suffer in silence and not tell me?" He asked, his voice still calm. My eyes widened, that's what he was mad about? He wasn't going to ask me questions about my past, how much I made?

"You're not mad?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course I'm mad. Look at you, it's like you've been silently dying—"

"No. I mean you're not mad I didn't tell you, about my past, about who I really am?" I asked, looking down at him.

"Of course not, it's your choice to tell me not mine, and you didn't lie to me about anything, you just didn't tell me everything," Julian croaked. I blinked realizing his eyes were cloudy.

"Julian—"

"Look at you Zeus, how did you expect to get through this alone?" Julian asked, crying freely now. He closed the space between us and hugged me tightly before dropping his head on my shoulder. My eyes started to water too, Julian was crying, and it was for me.

"You're not going to look at me differently are you?" I asked, pulling him at arm's length, just staring at the man my heart yearned for.

"Why would you even ask? Of course not, I got to know Zeus..." Julian trailed brushing my hair away from my shoulder. I looked down at his hand, it wasn't exactly small or delicate, just enough to make my heart churn.

"Not the head of some top industry," Julian finished, a weak smile forming on his face. Spots was walking around us, whining in confusion.

"Are you staying?" I asked looking over his shoulder at the darkness outside, only dimly lit by the few street lights.

"I'm never leaving again," Julian muttered. I looked down at him in confusion. What did he mean by never leaving?

"That's if you don't want me to leave," Julian said, looking away from me.

"I don't understand..." I trailed, turning his face back to mine with my hand. I looked down at Julian who diverted his eyes away from mine.

"I left Linda... I... If you don't want me to stay here I'll just..."

"I left Linda..."

That was all it took to pull Julian into a kiss. He stiffened at first then relaxed, whimpering lightly as I continually dipped my tongue into his mouth.

It was then I realized the world worked in funny ways. It took a whole legal disaster to send Julian running my way. I think I'm becoming sadistic since a tiny part of me was grateful this whole shit happened.

*

Not long after we just lay on my bed and talked, talked about everything really; to my parents, my past life and what exactly I'd been up to in France.

He'd asked me why I took another name, and I told him the truth; the truth about my parents, the truth about Augustus and Diablo, how my parents had fudged my own death how I had no choice.

There was no form of judgment on his face just pit,  and an expression I couldn't quite put my thumb on. He asked what I was going to do. I had been honest with him, told him I wasn't sure. That I'd got in contact with a good Lawyer from France. Julian had frowned asking me if he even knew English. He did, it was pretty impressive too. He was flying in this Sunday, told me he was asking for an appeal before anyone could act and put me behind bars.

I'd asked him about Linda. He'd said he'd been married to a mad woman and he was filing for Divorce by the end of next week. I couldn't help smiling, curling up closer to him.

He suggested moving his stuff soon but he didn't know where to put it. I'd told him this wasn't exactly the only place I owned, wasn't exactly my home too.

"Of course its home, I really can't imagine you anywhere else," Julian had said in-between a yawn. I smiled partly because he looked cute yawned and that he was right. This place had truly become home.

"So, you're my boss..." Julian said, a smile playing on his lips.

"No wonder I never got a query for late submissions," Julian said, making my face heat up. He teased me for a while, asking me how much of a raise he would get if he manages to turn me on — he didn't need to try, the idea alone was all it took.

Then we fell silent and talked about nothing, just lay next to each other, frequently dozing off in the night's breeze, and quite, making small talk that lasted for only seconds because there was nothing better, nothing better than having my purpose in life laying right next to me.

[LINDA]

He really left. I was still trying to digest the reality as I rocked on my bed, my knees held by my hands, my hair a wild mess.

The fucker really left! I thought, biting harshly into my lip, the metallic taste of blood staining my tongue.

I'm going to kill that fucker... No, his bastard boyfriend! I thought, rocking even faster. There was something strange about not knowing Julian belonged to me, that he wasn't wrapped around my finger depending on me.

I let him fucking play volleyball and this is how he repays me? I asked myself blinking back tears I didn't know I was holding. I clawed at my bear tights; drawing blood — it didn't matter, my fucking property was on the loose!

Damn him! I thought, getting off the bed bleeding tights and lips.

Damn the fucking pretty boy! I thought, knocking down things from the table and clawing at the curtains. I looked over at our shared cupboards; his side mocking me with his neatly hung up clothes.

I screamed tearing them down, breaking hangers piling his stupid property in a pile. Throwing the last bit of his clothing in the pile I thought of gasoline. Gasoline — I need gas. as I ran towards my room door for the kitchen something overcame me and I paused.  

Don't be a fool, Linda. You'll burn the house down.

Groaning I turned back to the pile.

You don't really hate Julian, its Zeus you hate.

I reminded myself, walking toward the pile. I sat on the floor, picking up one of Julian's blazers. I pulled it around myself, inhaling his scent. I closed my eyes, thinking back to the blond, blue-eyed obedient Julian I meet in high school — back to the precious goody-goody, I had fallen in love with.

It's your fault, Linda. You didn't monitor him properly.

I sighed, agreeing with myself. It really was my fault. If only I'd paid better attention.

I shook my head to get rid of any regrets. All that mattered was now, and how I was going to get Julian back.

Think Linda, think. I scolded, biting my fingernails, then it came to me. I had to do it the old fashioned way, I had to be pregnant. What other way was there to hold a man than by his responsibility, but how to go about it...

I narrowed my eyes in thought, checked off every possible aid in my head, and then I smiled. The Amanda fool could give me a hand with a positive pregnancy test.

Getting up from the floor, Julian's jacket still around me I headed for the study table and searched my purse for my phone. The lack of curtains let the dim light of dawn pour in. Finding it I looked up Amanda on my contact list and dialed her number.

"Hello...?" I heard her trail from the other end as she picked the call. I smiled at the apparent terror in her voice. God, I love being me.

"Well hello, there's something I want you to help me with," I softly said into the phone. Although my lip was throbbing from the cut, and my thighs were stinging from my scratches. I didn't care because all my attention was on getting Julian back.