“Don’t be mad at her.” She looks up at me, and my breath is stolen at the sight of her stare.
“I’m not. I’m actually grateful that she was there for you. She kept you safe. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. But Athena,Ican help you now. If you want an apartment, I will get you one. I can give you a monthly allowance, enough for you to have everything you want. You can do whatever makes you happy. I just want the chance to make it up to you, to make things right, even if you have to leave. I want to know you’re ok,” I say, hardly taking a breath to pause.
She shakes her head. “I don’t want an apartment.”
My heart sinks.
“Let me help you, though. I never meant to hurt you. I made a stupid decision, and I regret it. I can’t even explain to you how much I regret it. Let me at least help you. I know money doesn’t solve things. It doesn’t make what I did right. But I can make your life easier, you know. I was only trying to keep you safe. But in hindsight, keeping a secret like that from you… I understand why you left. I understand why you can’t stay with me,” I say tensely.
Reaching out, I take her hand, pushing the cuff of her long sleeve back so that I can wrap my fingers between hers. “I’m so sorry, Athena. I truly am.”
“I appreciate your apology. And I can see that you meant it. But you are misunderstanding me when I say I don’t want you to help me get an apartment.”
“Oh, is there some other way I can help you?” I ask, confused.
“Yes, I was thinking maybe you would clear some space in your bedroom closets, so I don’t have to keep my stuff in the spare room anymore, and we could… we could share the one room?”
My eyes shoot wide in shock.
“You want to move back in?” I blurt out.
She giggles at my reaction. “Yes, I would like to move back in,” she says.
I grab her other hand and tug her closer.
Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her tightly against me, wondering how the hell I got this lucky. Her body melts against mine, and relief washes over me like a tidal wave, drowning me in happiness. I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe this is really happening.
I pull her away from me and take her face in my hand, tilting it up toward me.
“I will never mess up like that again. I swear it. I’ll never be that stupid,” I assure her.
She grins and bites her lip.
I press my lips against hers, and for the first time in days, my body feels alive again. It feels whole and complete.
She threads her arms around my waist and hugs me tightly, burying her face against my chest.
“I have fallen in love with you, Adrian,” she says, muffled against my shirt.
“You have?” I ask, hoping that I heard her right.
She looks up, grinning. “I very much have,” she says.
I stroke my fingers over her cheek. “I am very much in love with you, kitten,” I grin at her.
She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me again.
My heart explodes in my chest.
In this moment, everything is perfect.
Chapter 24 - Athena
His face says it all.
His eyes are shining, and his lips are curved into the widest smile ever. He hasn’t stopped grinning at me. And he hasn’t let go of me either.
He wanted to whisk me out of the warehouse straight away, but there were a few things he needed to attend to before he did.
