god is my savior, my redemption, mine.

She watched him blankly as he pressed his head against the altar, unmoving. Alexis had no reason to believe in god, and sometimes, she didn't understand why others did either. After all, god had never given her a reason to believe. God had done nothing for her, and therefore, she refused to blindly follow him.

She watches her light blue nails, which glint in the sunlight. Her straightened hair falls down her back perfectly. She's the epitome of a perfect girl. But nothing is ever as it looks. Her internal turmoil is something nobody could possibly predict. Or see. Because on the outside, she looks held together. Calm. Composed.

The boy, pressing his against the altar, had already placed all his faith in god. And it wasn't only because his father was a priest. It was because he truly believed in god and everything he stood for.

He'd always believed that some higher spirit existed and that religion was an important part of life. He didn't understand why people choose not to believe in a higher spirit- it made it easier for him to place his faith in something, somewhere.

Jesus, who was on a golden cross, was in the front of the church, and behind him, was a mosaic, giving a clear view into the sparkling blue sea that surrounded one of the many islands in Greece.

Staring at the pews in the church, the girl, Alexis, slowly walked towards the boy as not to disturb him. She stops right beside him, tucking a piece of brown hair behind her ear. She's silent as she observes him.

She wonders what it would feel like to succumb to another human being. She never has. Her life mostly revolves around her, and her wants.

The boy, Adonis, finally looks up, and when he stares at her, his glance is full of curiosity. He will never understand her inner workings and her thoughts, but he may as well try. And even if Alexis's so scared that she refuses to trust anyone- to open up to anyone, he still sees the beauty in her.

But he also sees the darkness. And he knows that someday, that darkness will push him away. But he bides his time as well as he can. He holds onto every single moment he has with her because he's scared it'll be the very last. Alexis, who has now spotted his gaze, offers a sultry smile. She sees his actions as nothing more than adoration, as she always does.

She's blind to his inner workings. She thinks he's too dumb to understand what the end of the summer holds for them, but he knows. He knows she'll leave. She's flighty, and judging by how difficult it was for her to trust him in the first place, she has trust issues he'll never understand.

He blinks out of his reverie, slowly getting to his feet, giving his lord, his savior, his redemption, another brief look. He finally turns to her, his gaze scanning her face. He's never met someone quite like her. She believes everything in the world revolves around her, and she hates it when things don't go her way. He knows what kind of girl she is- she feels powerless unless she knows that she's in absolute control.

She doesn't know what to do about his riveting gaze, so she tucks her hair behind her ear, silent. If this was anywhere else, she would have told him to stop staring at her, but even if she doesn't have many morals, she has enough respect to understand this is not the place and time.

So she stays silent, thoughts running through her head. She didn't even want to come here, in fact, she'd be blindfolded and brought, but in retrospect, if he'd told her, she wouldn't have come.

Alexis has always hated places of worship- as she's always known that religion does nothing but create more borders between people.

The war between Christians and Muslims centuries ago is a clear example of that. And the label of a terrorist that is slapped on Muslims all over the world is another clear example. Religion does nothing but divide. And from what she has seen, the world can't take many more of these divisions.

And without it, life would be better for everyone.

No matter who she ends up with, no matter who tries to convince her, the lord is not someone who has ever seemed to want to play things in her favor or even attempt to help other people, therefore, she doesn't believe in him.

Adonis finally blinks out of his reverie, holding up a hand towards her. She accepts it gratefully, glad he's finally done examining her. Hand in hand, they walk out of the church, passing the pews slowly. She trails her hand over the ebony pews, glad she won't be coming back anytime soon.

She respects Adonis, but she will always put herself first. She won't do anything she isn't comfortable with. She plays by her rules, and her rules only.

"How did you like it?" Adonis asks boldly, and he raises an eyebrow. He has no idea what to expect. He knows she doesn't worship, but he honestly wants to know what she has to say. Maybe she'll surprise him.

"I didn't like it" Alexis responds bluntly, and she doesn't look the slightest bit sorry when Adonis's face crumples. He quickly paints on a smile, but he knows he shouldn't have expected more. Even if Alexis cares about him, she's blunt. She doesn't cut corners, which he is glad for.

It doesn't surprise him anymore so he simply accepts that it is a part of her and the bitter person she will always be. He can't bring himself to care that the girl he's falling for will break his heart. And at this point, it isn't if she'll break it- it's when. Because he knows it'll happen.

Alexis hates being put on the spot, especially when he should already know the answer. She's been very verbal about her opinions relating to religion, and she stands by them, even now.

A smile on her face, she stares at the door which he is currently pushing open. Being in here, it'd made her feel uneasy- as if she was powerless, and she hated that feeling. As if she didn't have a choice. She always hated that feeling. Ever since she was a child, she'd needed to be in control of every single thing that happened in her life.

It was something she absolutely required. And once she was out those doors, something broke inside of her. She was free again. The light breeze carried over them, and the paper in Adonis's hand blew away. She watched in amusement as he followed it down the rugged coastline the church was located at, but time and time again, it seemed to slip his grip.

When it finally drifted over the cliff's edge, Adonis didn't spare it a second look, instead turning back to her. But she notices the disappointment in his face before he places a smile on his face.

"Was it important?" she asks inquisitively, placing her hand on his. He accepts it gratefully, and he embraces her. He's silent, but she is too. She doesn't even know what the paper said- this had been the first time she'd seen it. But she could tell, deep inside her, that it meant something to him. The expression that had flitted across his face seconds ago was crystal-clear proof of that.

"Yes" he responds simply, and she stares at him, she wants to know more, but she knows asking will only push him away. Pushing him away is the very last thing she wants to do. She knows she'll push him away eventually, and she wants to bide her time.

She lays against his chest, listening to his heartbeat over and over again like a melody. Seconds later, she tilts her head upwards, towards the top of the trail leading towards the cliff's edge.

Adonis's father, dressed in a simple white robe and sandals is slowly making his way down the cliff. Adonis watches his father without moving, allowing Alexis to rest on his chest.

Ever since he was young, Adonis's father had put worship first- even before his only son, the only reminder of his wife he still had. After Adonis's mother had passed away, Adonis had slowly watched as his father grew more distant and distant, spending more and more time at the altar and less and less time at home with his son.

And when they finally realized what they had created- an immeasurable gap between themselves, they had tried over and over again to fix it. But it wasn't meant to be. They were still on speaking terms, but Adonis's father played almost no role in his life. He didn't set any rules- he knew he had no right to with his absence as a father figure.

Adonis hated his father for that- the distance, the fact that he had never ever had a parental figure to tell him what was right and what was wrong. Luckily, he'd figured out things by himself, but it hadn't been easy. It'd taken time, and he'd made mistakes. But in his opinion, he'd come out okay.

He'd sought solace in god too, as his father had, and he found it comforting. In the past few months, he'd learned to forgive his father, and with religion as the olive branch, they managed to mend a few bridges.

But things would never be perfect. Adonis knew that. And he knew his father regretted his actions but it was far too late for apologies. He'd already graduated high school . Adonis was about to go off into the real world and then his father would not be something he often looked back at. Or remembered.

She laid against his chest, and he could hear her calm breathing as he kept his eyes on his frail father. His father had only turned 41 this year but could easily pass for a 55 year-old man because of his graying hair and the lines of stress surrounding his face. His trauma had aged him relatively faster. Adonis's mother's death had taken a huge toll on him. Adonis doesn't remember his mother. Not as much as he should. But somehow, he misses her everyday.

His father finally reached them, his sandals touching the ground mere feet away from them and his cane supporting his balance. He looked up at Adonis, a slight smile on his face.

"I thought that was you," his father says calmly "I'm surprised to find you here this early" his voice is raspy, and he sounds exhausted. Adonis knows his father constantly pushes himself beyond his limits.

Adonis matchesthe smile his father is currently sporting, "I wanted silence to worship. It helps me sort through my thoughts. A lot easier that way" this is the truth. The mass is loud, and often, he can't think clearly.

Alexis watches this exchange curiously. Adonis hasn't told her much about his father, only the fact that they barely get along. And she's tried to ask for more details, but time and time again, he refuses to tell her anything more. It's a sensitive topic, but she knows he barely spends time with his father.

"Oh," his father responds simply, and then, he approaches his son, glancing briefly at Alexis. She gets the feeling his father doesn't care much for her. "Will I see you at home for dinner tonight?"

"Most likely" he lies with a smile. He knows most likely, he'll spend the evening with Alexis, completely ignoring his father's wishes. His father often invites other guests to dinner, usually church members, to discuss various news topics or a sin that they have committed. Adonis knows even if he goes, he and his father will barely interact.

He doesn't see the point of this so he simply offers his father a last smile before his father continues on his way towards the chapel a few feet away.

"Come on" Alexis beckons before he even has a chance to recover from the incident. She doesn't want to let him think about it, because Adonis overthinks everything once given the chance. She races down the coastline, and he follows, as the wind blows against his face. Her gorgeous dirty blonde hair flies out behind her.

She knows that distracting him from his thoughts is the best thing she can do, so she does it without hesitation.

He's finally caught up to her when they reach a quaint little cafe which serves the best meals Adonis has ever had in his life. Not to mention he's barely ever had home-cooked meals, as his father is a terrible, terrible cook. When he was younger, he'd often feed himself at this cafe, which was a mere minutes away from his house.

The owner of the cafe- his aunt, was his primary caregiver. She spent more time with him than his father ever had, and she was by far the most caring person she had ever met. To his surprise however, upon first sight of Alexis, his aunt had hated her. Absolutely detested. She'd said that girls like Alexis, girls that carried themselves the way Alexis did, could be nothing but trouble.

In a way, his aunt was right. And he knew it. Alexis was trouble. And he knew this wouldn't end the way he wanted it to, and he also knew Alexis was bound to leave. Girls like Alexis- they bored quickly, and if you didn't interest them anymore, they'd be on the next flight out.

He wasn't ready to lose her, but he knew he eventually would. He'd deal with that when he came. Adonis had been through his fair share of heartbreaks, and he hated himself for falling for the one girl that would be sure to break his heart.

He finally approached the cafe door, gesturing for Alexis to make her way inside, and she did, head held high, her signature smirk ever present on her face.

And in that moment, he knew exactly what his aunt meant. Her smirk, her head always held high- it made people think that she looked down upon them. As if they were lesser then her. And that throws people off. Some people are amazed by her, but others, who can see past the charm, see her for her.

Alexis hates Adonis's aunt, even if she will never tell him that. His aunt clearly despises her, and she knows it. She doesn't know why but Adonis's aunt is thrown off by her. Some people can't handle her nature. While his aunt often greets him, and hugs him every time he comes, she has never offered Alexis even a smile.

And Alexis hated feeling unimportant- as if her presence didn't matter. Because her presence would always, always matter. More than that, it was the blatant disregard. To her, it was rude.

As soon as she entered, Adonis's aunt, the current waitress, cast wary eyes on her, but as soon as she spotted her darling nephew, she smiled, the smile reaching her gorgeous sea-blue eyes that Adonis had clearly inherited. The woman was fit, and she looked much too young for her age. She wrapped an arm around Adonis, ignoring Alexis completely, to the point where Alexis rolled her eyes in disbelief.

This woman could not make her dislike any more obvious at this point. But Alexis is used to making enemies- used to people hating her.

Adonis's aunt was by far his favorite family member and as she wrapped her arms around her, he returned the gesture. His aunt looked much too young for her age- she could easily pass for a 30 year-old women, even though she was nearing her 50's. Unlike his father, she had not overworked herself. She had allowed herself to enjoy life, and she made it a habit to follow a routine which kept her fit, happy, and healthy.

He respected his aunt more than anyone, and often in the morning, he would jog a couple miles with her before beginning his day with her delicious food. His father and his aunt had a very close bond, but they often had one point of conflict- him.

His aunt finally releases her grasp on him, offering Alexis a nod, as she always does.

"How are you? It feels like I haven't seen you in forever. It's as if you never make time for your favorite aunt anymore" his aunt complains, as she leads them to their table. She places two menus on the table, and then gestures for them to sit.

"I had breakfast here two days ago" he deadpans, amused by his aunt's constant antics.

"I know, I know," she says in that motherly voice of hers "but you must spend more time with your dear aunt before she's gone".

"Alright, alright. Let's not forget that you aren't going anywhere anyways" he says, grabbing her pen from where its tucked with her book for taking orders. She gestures for him to hand the pen back with an amused look so he does so, placing it in her hand.

"I'll come back in a few minutes for your orders, I have other customers to attend to" she says, sparing her nephew a glance before she's gone. Adonis stares around at the interior of the cafe- gorgeous flowers everywhere and splashes of color cover the walls. On the far side, there's a door leading to the kitchen, and lining the inside of the cafe is a cute bar, with all the essential wines and beers which are usually only served in the evening.

Alexis stares at the menu. She doesn't pick it up, she already knows what she wishes to order. The exact same thing she has already ordered several times.

"Are you okay?" Adonis asks, noticing the annoyed look on her face instantly. He knows Alexis can feel his aunt's dislike, it would be impossible not to.

She smiles back at him, but now, it's forced. She wants to know exactly why his aunt detests her. She's put up with this treatment for several weeks, never asking a question out of respect to Adonis.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe I should try something new?" she asks curiously, fibbing to cover up for her slip. She knows better than to allow herself to seem weak,

"The cheese pie with the plain yoghurt is really good" he offers, and she nods as his aunt arrives, pulling her book out as she stares at him, waiting for him to list his order.

"So we'll take a cheese pie, yoghurt, and a quinoa breakfast bowl along with two of your traditional strawberry drinks" he says, and his aunt lists it down quickly, immediately leaving to go serve other people.

As always, in the morning, the cafe is busy. Soon the entire mass will reside here after they're done praying. He prefers to leave before that, he hates being referred to as his father's son, and when people say he looks like his father, that annoys him even more. People simply say that for the sake of it, when he knows very, very well he looks like his mother.

"So, what's the plan for today?" she asks curiously, placing her chin in her hand as she gazes straight at him. Crete never fails to amaze her- day after day she finds something new she loves about the gorgeous island.

In the past few weeks, he's taken her to multiple historical sites, gorgeous cafes and places to eat, and they've spent multiple days by the very beach that her father owns. He'd purchased it two years ago, and the house placed on the beach was gorgeous- equipped with a gym and a library along with a kitchen perfect for whatever baking she wanted to do.

All this culture- it amazes her, she loves the ambiance of the city, the people, and most of all, Adonis.

"I was thinking that maybe you could meet my friends today," Adonis suggests, staring at her to gauge her reaction. He never knows what her reaction will be, and he's always careful around her. He watches his words "They really want to meet you" he adds last-minute, as she fiddles with the straw besides her.

"I would love to" she says, and she hopes her voice is genuine. It's not that she doesn't want to meet them- she just doesn't know if they'll take a liking to her as Adonis as. Some people know her true intentions from the start.

She finds it hard to believe someone as intelligent as Adonis doesn't see past her good side and refuses to acknowledge the bad. She wishes she could tell him all about Destroy- the joy it brings it her to play the game, the adrenaline rush, the sense of achievement, but she knows he'll see her a psychopath. Playing with other people's feelings is not a game to him, but it is to her. And it's a game she's been playing since her freshman year.

He stares at her- it seems as if this idea was one of the better ones, as her mood seems to have improved significantly.

"Where are we going with them?" she asks now, attempting to make conversation. The events of the morning has ruined her mood significantly, but she refuses to let it show.

"Does the Venetian Harbor sound good to you?" he offers, and she nods, so he pulls out his phone, sending a quick text to his friend group. He puts his phone away, and realizes his aunt is right beside them. She has their dishes in her hand, and she places it on the table delicately.

"Enjoy" she tells him, and she's off, as the mass has just arrived- to Adonis's complete dismay. His father is at the front, and his father hugs his aunt before continuing to his signature seat near the front of the cafe.

"Your father is here" Alexis notes, and Adonis nods, but turns his gaze back to his food.

They eat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.