Chapter 35 Breaking my heart
ATHENA
The man.
no, the stranger doesn’t answer me right away. His Jaw lightens, the flicker of something dark passing through his green eyes before he masks his expression into something unreadable.
Just how much have I forgotten?
I watch him as I wait for him to say something, but he just watches me, and I move back even further, pulling the blanket to my
chest as we remain in silence.
1 shift uncomfortably, my body still aching, my mind swimming through thick fog. The beeping of the machines around me fills the air, but my ears focus on the sound of my own breathing–shaky, uneven.
Afraid.
He knows me.
But I don’t know him.
And that terrifies me more than the memory of drowning.
His grip on my arm is firm but careful, like he’s afraid I’ll shatter.
I don’t understand why.
“You were in an accident,” he finally says, his voice deep and low. You nearly drowned.”
From how my body feels, it doesn’t feel anywhere near what he’s saying, but I don’t tell him that. I just press my lips into a thin line and wait for him to continue speaking.
When he doesn’t, I feel my frustration starting to build.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
I swallow hard, my throat dry. “How do you know that?”
“I know.” Is his one word response.
Hot and the monologue type?
“Did you save me?” I ask, wondering if that’s the reason why he’s here.
A
Something flashes in his expression again, but he doesn’t answer. Instead, he ‘reaches for a glass of water on the bedside table and brings it toward me.
“Drink.”
I hesitate.
I don’t know him.
And yet, the way he says it, like it’s not a suggestion, like he expects me to listen.
I would tell him not to command me, but I take the cup anyway. My fingers tremble slightly as I bring it to my lips, the cool water soothing my dry throat.
His gaze never leaves me.
He’s watching me too closely.
Like he’s waiting.
Like he’s testing me,
I lower the cup, licking the water off my lips.
“What else?”
His eyes narrow slightly.
“What do you remember?”
The question makes my stomach twist. I want to answer. I want to tell him something, anything, but when I reach for a memory, I come up blank.
My heart pounds.
“I…” My voice drops. “I don’t know.”
The air shifts.
His jaw clenches, his hands balling into fists before he exhales sharply.
I flinch.
Not because I think he’ll hurt me, but because the reaction is so strong. Like my answer is the last thing he wanted to hear.
His next words are quiet. “Do you know who I am?”
The way he asks, it makes my skin prickle.
I shake my head slowly.
A muscle ticks in his jaw. “Not even my name?”
I swallow. “No.”
Silence.
Then, he exhales again, running a hand through his blonde hair, his frustration barely concealed.
“It’s Alex,” he says finally, his voice even but firm. “I’m Alex.”
I stare at him, searching for anything familiar.
Nothing.
“I don’t…” My throat tightens. “I don’t remember you.”
Something dark passes through his eyes, but this time, he doesn’t hide it.
For the first time, I realize he’s not just a stranger.
He’s someone who expected me to remember him.
And I didn’t.
Alex.
The name means nothing to me,
but the way he says it like it should make something uneasy settle in my stomach.
I don’t understand why my chest aches when I look at him, why the tension between us feels so heavy, filled with… something I
can’t name.
Before I can say anything else, the door swings open.
2/4
The woman who steps inside has stunning long, wavy blonde hair the same piercing green eyes as Alex, delicate features that should make her look soft but don’t. There’s something bold about her, something fierce that screams don’t fuck with me.
She isn’t alone.
The man beside her is older, but there’s no mistaking the resemblance. Strong Jaw, even though he has black hair and brown eyes, he has the same commanding presence as Alex, only his feel heavier, like he’s used to people listening to him without question.
It doesn’t take a genius to know they’re family.
His eyes soften when they fall on me but I don’t know what to do se1 fidget with my fingers.
The woman’s face twists with something more, is it shock, relief, or pain, I really can’t tell.
“Athena! Oh my baby!”
The next thing I know, she’s rushing toward me, and before I can process it, her arms are around me.
Pain explodes through my ribs.
I whimper, body stiffening at the sudden pressure.
“Mum,” Alex growls, “You’re hurting her.”
She gasps, jerking back instantly. “I’m so sorry! Oh my God, did I hurt you?”
Tears spill down her cheeks as she cups my face gently, her hands warm, comforting.
“I’m so glad you’re safe. Oh my God, my heart shattered in fear.” She pulls me into another hug but this one is softer.
“How are you feeling?” The man she came with asks.
“Uhmm…. Much better.” I respond. Not knowing what else I can say.
“We are glad you’re better.” He says and I give him a small smile.
“This is my Mum and Dad,” Alex says, and I almost shout, I knew
His mum watches me, her eyes still teary and I wonder why his mother would shed tears for me.
Ugh this blank memory is annoying as hell.
For a moment, I wait for her to get angry that I can’t remember them or to question me but she doesn’t.
“Oh my Athena! All will be well my princess!” She instead pulls me into a hug and it baffles me.
As she’s hugging me, I lock eyes with Alex, he hasn’t stopped watching me and it’s making me feel uncomfortable.
He eventually drops his gaze and hardens his face as he turns to his father,
“We need to talk.”
They share a silent exchange and walk out together.
His mum pulls back and says something, but my mind is on the man that just walked out and the look he had in his eyes.
I don’t know why but somehow it breaks my
heart.
