And I was going to help him, whether he wanted me to or not.
Because that was what the universe did.
It brought people together who needed each other.
Even if they didn’t know it yet.
Chapter Fifteen
Julien
My office was my sanctuary.
Minimalist. Organized. Everything in its place. My desk faced the window, natural light, optimal for concentration. My diplomas were arranged in perfect chronological order on the left wall. My bookshelf was organized by subject, then alphabetically by author.
Even my pens were sorted by color in a custom organizer.
It was the one place in the world where I had complete control.
Or ithadbeen.
Until I’d made the catastrophic mistake of bringing Athena inside.
“Oh my Goddess, Julien, this office isso you,” she said the moment I closed the door behind us. “I mean, look at this. Everything is so precise and organized and there’s this energy in here that’s just... it’s very structured, very controlled, but also there’s this underlying current of something else, something deeper, like you’ve built all these walls, but the foundation is actually—”
“Athena.”
“And your desk! It’s facing the window, which is perfect for natural light and also for contemplation, and I read once that the direction your desk faces can affect your productivity and your connection to the universe, and I think yours is facing... letme think... east? Or maybe northeast? Which would make sense because that’s the direction of new beginnings and intellectual pursuits, and you’re a neurosurgeon, so obviously your intellect is—”
“Athena, I need—”
“And these diplomas! Oh my Goddess, you have so many diplomas. Yale, Johns Hopkins, Harvard. Julien, you went toHarvard? That’s incredible. I mean, I knew you were smart, obviously. You’re a neurosurgeon, but seeing it all here on the wall, it’s just...it’s very impressive. Very you. Very precise and accomplished.”
“Athena—”
“And is that aplant?” She’d spotted the small succulent on my windowsill. A gift from Vivian that I had been too polite to throw away. “You have a plant! That’s so sweet. I didn’t think you’d be a plant person, but succulents are very low-maintenance, which makes sense for your lifestyle, and they’re also very grounding, very Earth energy, which you probably need given how much you live in your head—”
“Athena, please.”
“And your bookshelf! Can I look at your books? I promise I’ll put them back exactly where they were. Oh, you haveGray’s Anatomy... the medical one, not the TV show, obviously, and all these neurology textbooks, and... wait, is thatThe Alchemist? Julien, do you read Paulo Coelho? That’s so—”
“I need you to stop talking.”
My words came out sharper than I had intended.
She turned to look at me, her eyes wide and bright, and there was no hurt in them, just curiosity, just warmth, just that infuriating certainty that everything was exactly as it should be.
“Sorry,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. “I know I ramble when I’m excited. It’s just... your office is amazing, and you’re amazing, and I’m just so happy to be here with you, and—”
“Athena.” I closed my eyes and counted to five. “I need five minutes. Just five minutes of silence. Can you give me that?”
“Of course!” She nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely. Five minutes of silence. I can do that. I’m very good at being quiet when I need to be. Well, notverygood, but I can try, and—”
“That’s not silence.”
“Right. Sorry. Starting now.” She mimed zipping her lips.
I took a deep breath.
