Immediately, I sat up and moved next to her, taking her into my arms.
“Did I do something?” I asked, her face in my hands and my eyes searching her trembling ones. I furrowed my brows, confused because, a second ago, she had been into everything that I was saying. Maybe I’d pushed her too far. “Did I say something? What’s wrong, Athena? Talk to me, please. Why are you crying?”
What was going on? I’d thought that was how she wanted me to treat her in the bedroom. I thought that she wanted me to be a little rough, claim her mouth and pussy. Her body seemed to want it. At least, that was how she had made it seem …
Instead of answering me, Athena cried harder, her shoulders bucking forward.
Maybe it was the way that I had eaten her out. Had she not liked it?
God, why am I so bad at it?
“Did I hurt you?” I whispered, searching her body for any marks that I might’ve left. I jumped out of bed and headed for the door. “I’m going to get you some water, start the kettle for some tea. I …”
I stared at her for a couple of seconds, then hurried out into the hall to get her some water because I had no idea what was going on. Nothing like this had ever happened before to me during or after sex. And to see those tears fall from her eyes … possibly because of me …
Fuck, what have I done?
After starting the kettle on the stovetop, I filled a glass of water and hurried back to the bedroom, my heart racing. Athena had sat up, her legs hanging off the side of her bed, the blankets wrapped around her shoulders, hunched over.
I should’ve taken more time with her before flipping on my phone and starting that stream. Maybe she felt like I’d pressured her into doing it. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to be on camera. I could’ve ruined her law career before she even started it.
Once I reached her, I held out the water for her, but she didn’t take it. So, I set it on the nightstand and crouched in front of her. Wet tear trails decorated her face, but no more tears were leaving her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered.
She stared at me and shook her head, as if to tell me she didn’t want to talk.
But I wasn’t having it.
“Did Derek say something to you?” I asked, trying to stay calm, but Athena had been acting weird ever since she had gotten home, and I smelled his cologne all over her. He had to have something to do with this.
She shook her head again, but the tears began once more.
Athena pulled the blankets up to her chin and stared at me through watery eyes, not saying a word. I waited and waited and waited, so she knew I wasn’t going anywhere until I knew she was okay.
“Don’t you have to work?” she whispered.
“No.”
“Yes, you do.”
I set my hands on her knees and shook my head. “No, I’m not leaving you.”
“But—”
“Tell me what he said.”
“He didn’t say anything. This … this isn’t about him.”
After blowing out a low and controlled breath—because she was lying to me again—I sat beside her on the bed and cupped her chin in my hands, desperate for her to tell me what was going on. “Talk to me, Athie. What’s wrong?”
She opened and closed her mouth, lips quivering. “Do you think I walk weirdly?”
“No,” I said, furrowing my brows. “What would you walk weird from?”
“My accident.”
“Your accident?” I repeated.
