Lena's part became so long that I had to make it a lone chapter! I like writing them all in the same chapter though. Oh well.
Lena didn't see anyone around when she came to the grove that night, but she didn't want the same thing to happen that happened before. Kostos had already seen her naked once. However, she wanted so badly to swim. "You know what?" Lena said to herself. "Who gives." She pulled off her shorts and her shirt, but left on her underwear and her camo. Stepping one foot into the cool blue water, Lena felt the memories flooding in. "It's amazing what you can remember by just sticking your foot in water." Someone said sarcastically. Lena jumped, and turned around. "Crap Kostos. What are you doing? You know you can't scare people like that in the middle of the night." Kostos laughed. "This time I'm not lying. I actually did come down here to swim…but I can see you beat me to it." He looked up and down Lena's body. Lena noticed this, and she grabbed her shorts quickly. "Pervert." Again, Kostos laughed. "Obviously you want something to happen Lena. Why else would you come to the grove and swim, when you know very well, that this is my favorite place on the island?" Lena wasn't going to deny it. "Whatever Kostos. I've lost my desire to swim. I'm just going to back home." Kostos shrugged his bare shoulders and started towards the water. Lena turned to go, but couldn't bring herself to walk. "No wait Kostos. I need to talk to you." He stopped. "Are you sure…?" "Yes, I'm sure." Kostos came out of the water to stand in front of Lena. "I'll just set out my towel for us to sit on." He grabbed it and spread it out. Lena sat down and faced the water. Kostos did the same.
"Kostos…today after…after…the incident, Effie and I decided to not come back down here. Really that I shouldn't come back down here…but here I am. I'm sitting in the same predicament that I was trying to stay out of in the first place. I'm sitting here with you. Out of all the people in the world…I'm sitting with you! That would have been fine two years ago…or even last summer…before your mistake, but it's not fine now. I don't know…I'm just confused as to why I'm here." Kostos picked up some sand and let it sift through his fingers. "I can not tell you the reason you keep coming back." "No!" Lena yelled as loud as she possibly could in the late hours of the night. "I know you can't tell me! I think that there are two reasons as to why we can't let it all go." Like he knew what she was going to say, he blurted out an answer. "Me. For starters. I hurt you…in one of the worst ways. And I never backed out of anything we did. And then there's you. You never hurt me… it's harder to let it down, when everyday you have to question as to why I did those horrible things. I never meant to hurt you Lena! It just happened!" He was on his knees in front of her now. Lena didn't back away from him. "Those things just don't happen! Someone has to be willing to back out of it! I thought you were man enough to do that Kostos! But no! Mariana was having your baby! Your baby! Like hell, those things don't happen." Kostos sat back on his heels. Lena sat forward, so that they were still a few inches from each other's face, and they didn't have to broadcast it to the whole island. "I can forgive you for that. Seeing as how you did the honorable thing, and you were going to marry her. But Kostos…I can never forgive you for what you did to me. You didn't do the honorable thing in that situation. I thought that I was your girlfriend. I thought that things were going to work out, seeing as how we were so in love with each other. Then the letters stopped coming. The phone calls didn't come anymore. And, at my Bapi's funeral, you introduce me to your pregnant girlfriend! I felt horrible." Lena lowered her voice, and tone. "Kostos, I loved you." Kostos could see the tears forming in Lena's eyes. Reaching up, with the back of his hand, he wiped away the few that were on her cheek. Lena curled up into a ball. "You were right that day here in the grove…you are a bastard. Pardon my language." Kostos smiled. "I know…I deserved all of this." He wiped the other side of her cheek. She uncurled herself. "I'm dating Paul now. Carmen's stepbrother. It's been almost a year…I'd like it to go on for many more." She smiled. Kostos had to smile with her. "I'm happy for you." "But," Lena started. "I need to finish off what I should have started two summers ago in this very same spot. I need to know that whatever happens this summer…we will only be friends. I need your friendship. I need you in my life again." "I don't know if that's possible Lena…When I look into your eyes I see the passion you have for me. I know you see the passion in my eyes." Kostos stated.
Lena stood up and brushed off the back of her legs and butt. She ran her hand over Kostos' hair, and leaned down to kiss him on his cheek. "I need you to try." With that she was gone. Kostos stayed out for a while longer before he got back up to swim.