HER || 18+ (Monsters #2) || Sequel to THEM

58 - Squish

. . .

Olivia Woods

"Hi, Gio."

"Hello, Livy." Giovanni stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dark trousers. His dark brown hair was open, tucked behind his ears. His green eyes looked down at me. "How are you?"

"I'm fine..." I knew I didn't look fine. "Do you want to come inside?"

"Sure."

He walked into the apartment as if he owned it. Mom's apartment was beautiful. Everything was a mixture of off-white and maroon. My artistic side was very happy with how the apartment looked.

Giovanni glanced at Ivan, who was sitting in the corner of the living room. Ivan nodded at Giovanni. Giovanni nodded back.

They didn't free me of Ivan. And I didn't fight on that very much. Ivan made me feel safe.

"They didn't tell me shit," Giovanni said to me as he lowered himself onto a couch. "I found Xerxes beating the shit out of a punching bag, Zavier locked in his room and Ashton aggressively reading an alarmingly thick book."

"We...broke up."

His eyebrows raised. "Broke up?" He repeated. "Didn't know that was a possibility. Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

He tilted his head. "So, what?" He asked. "You're just done with each other?"

"Yes." I lowered myself onto a chair, putting a blanket on my lap. "We are."

He looked at me, blankly. "What is Ivan doing here, then?"

"They wouldn't let me leave without him."

"He is spying for them."

"I know."

"That pendant has a tracker."

"I know. My every piece of jewelry has a tracker at this point."

He chuckled humourlessly. "This doesn't seem like a breakup to me."

"You don't even know relationships."

"I don't. I don't see the point. I like fucking people without them making a fuss about it. But I thought the point of a breakup was pushing someone out of your life. What do you think, Ivan?"

"I agree."

I shot him a look.

"See, Ivan aggress."

"He just doesn't want to say his actual opinion because that will require him to say more than two words."

Giovanni chuckled. "Whose apartment is this?"

"Mom's."

"How many people have access to this?"

"Mom, me, and Daisy."

"Who is Daisy?"

"She is my friend."

"What about that guy...looks like a banana. What was his name?"

"Declan," Ivan said.

I shot him another look. He seemed to have too many words today.

"Yes," Giovanni said. "Does he have access?"

"Of course, not."

"Good." He stood up. "Do you still wish to not talk about the breakup?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He fished his hand inside the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a flash. "Whiskey?"

I grabbed it wordlessly. "Thank you."