Chapter 5

SPOV

"The wedding is so beautiful," Amelia said with a sigh, resting her head against my shoulder as we watched the waves lap the shore.

The party was going strong behind us, the sounds of the band filling the otherwise quiet night air. It was exactly what I had expected it to be when Elena announced she was getting married. We had left the small church and returned to the house I'd grown up in, only it was like nothing I had ever seen. There were thousands of lights illuminating the tables set up for dinner, strung from a concoction of invisible wire running from the house to the low wall that acted as a barrier to the beach traffic. The sun was slowly sinking, casting shadows across the make shift dance floor that was empty for the moment.

"Elena," she continued, looking up at me, "is so beautiful."

"She is," I admitted. I had never seen my baby sister look the way she had today – so happy and radiant, leaping into the new life she'd chosen with no fear. She was so young to get married; too young I had thought when she first told me. I had tried to tell her to wait until she was older – there was no rush when you were twenty-two years old. She had quickly dismissed my protests. She had found the other part of her in Dimitri, and did not see a reason to wait.

I looked down at the woman at my side, wondering what would happen from here. She was like a whirlwind that had entered my life, turning everything I had thought upside down. I had known after our first date that my instincts had been right. I wanted her, and I wanted her forever. She was vibrant, enigmatic, and she pulled me into her orbit with one smile. I was compelled to be around her, unable to stop myself if I wanted to, not that I wanted to.

"Not as beautiful as you," I added, brushing my lips across her temple.

She shook her head, her laughter filling my senses. "You do not have to say that. I do not need your words of flattery. I'm a sure thing tonight."

"Good to hear," I responded with a chuckle, "but that's not why I said it. It is true. All the eyes were on the bride, but my eyes were on you."

"Oh," she said, looking down at where our hands linked. "Well, thank you." Her tone was dismissive, as if she wasn't sure of the proper response.

"When are you leaving?" I asked, needing to know the answer. I could not avoid it anymore.

"Ready to get rid of me that quick?" she asked flippantly.

"No," I shook my head. "Of course not."

"I thought we agreed not to talk about this," she said, twisting her fingers in mine.

"We can't avoid it forever," I responded quietly.

"Can't we pretend that we can go on like this? Can't we leave it up to the fates?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "We did that last time. This was their answer."

She was quiet, nuzzling her head into the crook of my arm. I could give her the time she needed to respond.

"Next week," she said, finally.

"Next week?"

She nodded. "I am supposed to go home next week. What about you? When are you supposed to be back in Athens?"

"Next week," I responded.

"Oh," she said. "Well, then that's perfect."

Perfect? How was that perfect? How was I supposed to leave this woman in seven days when we'd just found each other again?

"I mean," she continued. "We both are supposed to leave in a week. Neither of us will be left here alone with the memories."

I looked away from her. I had been left before; I had been the one that had to live in the place where we had been together. I hadn't liked being on the island much after that, only coming when I had to, even after all these years. I would not be here now, if not for my sister's wedding.

She broke the silence, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Can we not talk about this now? We are here, on this beautiful night under the stars. It is a night for romance, not a night for sadness."

"Alright. We do not need to talk about this now." I wanted to talk about it now. I did not like uncertainty. Or maybe it was certain, and I didn't want to admit it. Maybe she would leave on a plane for America and I would never see her again. The thought made me sick to my stomach. Would she be able to go back to the life she had left as if nothing had happened? Would I be able to return to Athens and resume my normal routine? Would she go back and begin to see someone else? Would I? I couldn't imagine dating the girls in Athens now that I had another taste of the one girl who could capture my heart.

"Tell me about your life in America," I asked, not wanting to return to the festivities quite yet.

She looked up at me and shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything." Everything. "Tell me about this roommate of yours."

"Sookie?"

"Yes, Sookie. What kind of name is that anyway? Is it common?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "No. Not common at all. It's a nickname, but it suits her. Gosh, I can't imagine calling her Susannah. It sounds so prim and proper. And Susie?" Her body shook. "She's not a blonde sorority girl, though I guess she fills the blonde part. And, well she is quite perky, but no."

"You are good friends?"

"The best. She is unlike anyone I have ever met. She is beautiful, and intelligent. She got a job at Dad's publishing house and has worked her way up the ranks. Dad says she's a shining star in the organization." She smiled ruefully, as if recalling a memory. "And she's sweet, and kind; she's nurturing and caring; she is beyond proper. She keeps me in line."

"Do you need to be kept in line, then?" I asked with a laugh. I could imagine that she probably did if her behavior on the first night was any indication. She hadn't exactly been showing much restraint with Adrian, or the other string of men that were waiting on her hand and foot. No, I could definitely imagine Amelia getting herself into trouble.

"Oh yes," Amelia said, nodding against me. "I have a bad habit of collecting strays."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm forever bringing home project men."

"Project men?"

"Guys that need a little work before they're ready to be out in public."

"Am I one of your 'project men'?" I asked with a laugh.

"You?" she asked. "No. No, you're perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about you. I know Sookie would approve of you, and she is not exactly easy to please when it comes to men."

"Picky, is she?"

"Well, not exactly. She's just had some bad experiences, but I think she'll know when she meets the right one. Sometimes it just works out like that. In the meantime, we have each other, and Pam."

I sat up at the familiar name. "Pam?"

"Yep," she said with a nod. "Pam Northman. She's Sookie's oldest friend, and after a bit of a bumpy start, we became good friends too."

"Is this the Pam that you told me about?"

"What? Oh!" she laughed. "That first night. Yes, that's the one. My first foray into women."

I swallowed, feeling like someone had shoved a gym sock down my throat. "First?"

"Yes. Well, the only one that counted at least. Really," she said thoughtfully, "she's the only person other than you that has ever mattered."

"And she still matters?"

"Of course. Oh, but not like that. She was insatiable. I couldn't keep up with her."

"I can't imagine," I said, recalling the way Amelia was in bed. If she couldn't keep up with this Pam, then I don't know who could.

"Yeah, me either. But...enough about Pam. What about you? What is your life like in Athens?"

I looked up into the sky, taking a moment before answering her. "I live in an apartment Dad owns. It is in a quiet neighborhood, surrounded by old, wealthy people."

"Sounds thrilling," she said, drolly. "Do you have a roommate at least? Someone to remind you that you're young when your neighbors are swilling brandy and smoking cigars?"

"No. Not anymore."

"That sounds ominous," she chuckled. "And juicy; and like something I need to know more about."

"It's nothing," I said. It was something, but not something she needed to know about. "It was a long time ago."

"How long?" she persisted.

"Six months." Six months since I'd last seen her; six months since she'd told me she was moving to Paris with the Englishman she'd been seeing. It would have ended anyway; I hadn't even wanted her to move in, only she had been without a place to stay. She was young, an American exchange student who had stayed past her visa. She, in many ways, reminded me of Amelia, which was one of the reasons I had put up with her for as long as I did.

"Six months isn't a long time," Amelia said, standing up and looking down at me. "Ten years is a long time; six months is the blink of an eye. What happened to him?"

"Her," I corrected. I felt a smug sense of satisfaction when I saw her jaw drop; she had apparently not thought it was that kind of a roommate.

"Girlfriend?" she asked. I nodded. "Oh, wow. A live in girlfriend?"

"Kind of," I said, grabbing her hands. "She had no place to stay, and I didn't want her to go back home. She only lived there for a month."

"What happened?" she asked, stepping closer and running a hand through my hair.

I relayed the events of the relationship – how we'd met on a beach in Santorini; how she'd been studying in Athens; and finally how she had left me.

"An American?" she asked. I nodded. "And a student?" I nodded again. "My, Stav, you certainly have a type don't you?"

I shrugged, standing up. "What can I say? I was an impressionable youth."

"Are you going to stay down there all night, or are you going to join the party?" Elena's voice called from behind us. I turned my head to watch her walk across the space between us, her voluminous white dress fluttering in the wind.

"You can't monopolize her all night," she said, coming to a stop and looping her arm through Amelia's.

"Don't you think you should be paying attention to your new husband, Elena?" I asked.

She shrugged, smiling at Amelia. "It's my wedding, and that means I get to do whatever I want."

Amelia looked between us and smiled, pulling away from me. "It is her night." She leaned down and pressed a kiss on my cheek. "You can have me all to yourself later."

.

I stood against the house, watching the festivities unfold in front of me on the dance floor. I spotted Amelia standing across the way in deep conversation with the bride. She looked up, as if aware that my gaze was upon her, and smiled, wiggling her fingers in greeting. Despite her concerns, she had fit in just as if she were family. I hadn't been the only one in love with Amelia Carmichael all those years ago. Elena had idolized her, looked up to her, had even begged our mother to trade me for her.

"That is the girl," a warbled voice said from my side. I tore my eyes away from Amelia and Elena, turning my attention to the small, old woman at my side.

"Yes Giagia," I said. "That's Amelia."

"She is the one, no?" she asked, looking at me as if she could see into my soul.

"The one?" I asked.

"Don't be stupid Stavros," she said, swatting my arm. "She is the one you will marry."

"No." I chuckled, shaking my head. "I don't know." I shrugged. "I only found her a few days ago."

"She is the one from before?" she asked. "The one you cried for?"

"I did not cry," I said, with a laugh. I had moped about sure, but I hadn't cried; at least not in front of anyone.

"Pfft," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Your soul cried when she left. Now she is back."

"Yes," I nodded, solemnly. "Now she is back." But for how long? Could she go back to her life so easily? Could I?

"And you are happy?"

I looked across the crowd at the woman in question and nodded. "Yes. I am happy."

"You marry her?"

"What? No. I mean, I don't know," I replied. "Not now."

"Why not?"

"We have barely started."

"Stavros," she said, shaking her head. "Your souls know each other. You know each other for a long time. What do you mean by barely started?"

"It's been four days."

"Four days; four decades. Time, it does not matter. The gods have split us in halves, and each of us is always looking for his other half. She is your half, no?"

"I don't know." I chuckled, wrapping my arm around the diminutive woman who I had always turned to for advice. She believed in things I didn't – or at least hadn't – believed in. She threw her destiny to the fates above, trusted in a higher power to take care of her. The logical part of me could not believe in those types of things, but there was little else that could explain how Amelia and I still fit after all this time.

"Do not think too much Stavros. This is not a time for you to take your time. The fates have smiled upon you again," she said. "You cannot deny the fates twice."

She patted me on my arm gently before pushing me towards the dance floor. "Go. Get her."

I took two steps forward, turning back to smile at the woman who had guided me through so many of life's uncertainties. Maybe she was right, maybe I needed to leave my logic behind and see where the night took us.

Amelia looked up from her conversation, her smile reaching into her eyes when she spotted me walking towards her. She excused herself, stepping around Elena and meeting me halfway.

"I missed you," she said, reaching out and clasping my hands. "I know it's only been thirty minutes, but I missed you."

"I-"

"Funny," she interrupted. "Isn't it? Maybe there's something about weddings. That must be it. Your sister," she continued, tugging me towards the dance floor where they were playing a slow song, "is charming. I could not imagine twelve year old Elena turning into such a beautiful, accomplished woman. You must be proud."

I followed her lead, wrapping my arms around her as we danced to the traditional music. "I am," I said, nodding.

"And your family!" she exclaimed. "I have never felt so welcome anywhere in my life. I do not know why I was so worried, how I could forget what your family was like. It is like I never left."

"In many ways, it is," I said, resting my chin on top of her head. "It feels the same. As if time had just stopped and we resumed where we left off."

She sighed, and I felt her nod against my chest. "It is."

We stayed, clasped together in silence. A million thoughts were running through my mind, all about the woman I held in my arms. What if Giagia was right? What if Amelia was my other half? Could I let myself go enough to find out? What would happen if I did, and she left anyway?

"What are we going to do this week?" Amelia asked, pulling me out of my reverie. "I mean," she tipped her head up to look at me. "We have a full week to do whatever we want. What do you want to do?"

I leaned down, brushing a kiss across her lips. Maybe it was time for me to take a leap, to go after what I truly wanted, no matter the consequences. Maybe it would last a week; maybe a year. I did not know, and for once, it did not matter. I knew that I needed to see where it could go.

It would take some convincing. Amelia was not the type of woman that was used to following directions. It would need to be her idea, or at least I had to make it seem that way.

"I want to be with you," I said. I could convince her to stay, or hell, I could go with her. Whatever it took . "Wherever we go, whatever we do, it does not matter as long as I am with you."

She smiled up at me, pulling my lips down to meet hers in a gentle kiss. "Me too."