𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐓, 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝₁

𝐱𝐱. 𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

The short walk to Sam's condo feels like a lifetime to Athena. From the second she closes the sliding door and Amelia grabs her hand, it has felt like a lifetime.

The hand that Amelia is grasping, burns.

Athena begins to overthink. Are her hands too sweaty? Is she shaking? What did she look like right now?

She couldn't even imagine—just thankful that it was dark outside in the moment.

Sam never turned the outside lights on because no one was supposed to be entered the house after the sun had set. Until now, when the two women barged in on the get-together.

"Hello, men," Amelia smiled as she shut the door, her hand still enclosed around Athena's.

"Why are you here?" Sheldon grumbled.

Amelia let go of the other girls' hand as they found separate seats around the circle table. Amelia between Pete and Cooper, and Athena between Sam and Sheldon.

"Uteruses next door be crazy," Amelia pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Any objections?"

"Why are you looking at Cooper?" Sheldon observes. "W— why is she looking at Cooper?"

Cooper opens his mouth to explain, but Amelia beats him to it, "Cooper told me to stay away from him. Which is all I'm going to say, because for once.."

"You are filtering," Cooper looks at her.

"I am filtering," Amelia looks back at him, the look gleaming in her eye.

Athena grimaces at the two, shamelessly flirting.

Any other time, this wouldn't have even fazed her. But this time, for some unknown reason, it's gnawing away at her. And she hates it.

The look Amelia has on her face, the smirk tugging at her lips, even the way her body is positioned towards Cooper.. she hates it.

And he has a girlfriend, for gods sake! A grieving girlfriend. Whom happens to be Athena's best friend.

But who knows, maybe they are meant to be. Amelia and Cooper, that is.

But god, Athena really hoped not. For the sake of her heart and her crush.

"Ah," One of the men says.

"You got money?" Pete looks at Amelia and then to Athena, who hasn't spoken since she was pulled through the door.

"Hard cash," Amelia places a five on the table.

"Here," Athena smiles cockily as she slips a ten on the table, which was all she had on her at the time.

Cooper sighs, "Welcome to the game."

Amelia lays back, taking over conversation, "So what are we talking about— chicks, boobs.. chicks and their boobs?"

Athena bites her lip to help from laughing, which doesn't go unnoticed by Amelia.

Amelia beams after realizing Athena thinks she's funny, but dips her head so the men don't question the wide smile on her face.

"We were talking about cigars," Pete points his statement towards Amelia.

"You guys and your cigars," Athena rolls her eyes.

"But," Pete holds his finger up, now looking towards Athena. "before that, we were talking about babies."

"What?" Amelia looks up with a disgusted look on her face.

"Addison wants a baby," Sheldon fills the women in.

"Which isn't surprising," Pete shrugs. "The way she took to Lucas."