Oliver's throat went dry. His gaze betrayed him, dipping to the rise and fall of her chest. Every soft breath she took made the fabric stretch and relax. His pulse quickened, and for a few dangerous seconds, he simply watched, forgetting the words he had prepared.
"I don't want to change school," Athena's voice came out quiet, breaking the spell.
Oliver blinked hard, his jaw tightening as he forced his eyes back up to her face. He swallowed, heat rushing through him, guilt crawling under his skin.
She turned her head slightly on the pillow, eyes finding his. "Are you even listening to me?"
That snapped him out of it. He coughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck as if to cover up. "Yes I'm listening. You were saying?"
She didn't notice anything strange. Her gaze softened as she looked back at the ceiling. "I said I don't want to change my school. It's tiring."
Oliver frowned, shaking his head. His voice was firm but gentle. "You shouldn't worry about that. You won't be alone there. I'll be with you. Always. You won't feel lonely, not even once."
Athena sighed, then slowly pushed herself up from the bed. The blanket fell to her lap. The sudden motion made her chest bounce slightly, and Oliver's eyes caught it instinctively. He cursed himself silently, dragging his gaze back to her face, but not before the image sealed itself into his mind.
Her voice trembled but was steady enough. "I don't want to go anywhere. The devil you know is better than the angel you don't know. At least here, I already know who's hurting me. If I change schools, it could be worse. They could kill me next time."
The words stabbed into Oliver's heart. His chest tightened so badly it almost hurt. He leaned closer without realizing, his large hand reaching for hers. He took her small fingers into his warm palm, his thumb brushing softly over her skin.
"No," he said firmly, his voice low but filled with emotion. "I won't let that happen. Not ever again. Do you hear me, Athena? I won't let anyone touch you like that again." He exhaled slowly, his eyes holding hers. "From now on, you'll stay with me. At my place. You'll be safe. And when you're older, when you finish school, you'll have the right to choose whether to keep living with me or not. Isn't that better? Isn't that freedom?"
Athena blinked, her lashes fluttering. For a moment, she just looked at him, their hands still joined, the warmth between them too much to ignore.
Then she gave a small, bitter laugh. "Let me guess. Mom probably agreed before you even finished saying it."
Oliver's lips pressed together. "Athena…"
"She's eager to get rid of me." Her voice was calm, but her eyes carried a deep, painful truth. "That's the reality, isn't it?"
Oliver gave her a look, one that tried to deny it, but his silence said more than words.
"What? Am I lying?" she asked, tilting her head, her lips curving in a sharp smile.
Instead of answering, Oliver let out a faint chuckle. He shook his head, turning away for a second, then looked back at her. His grin widened, though his eyes softened at her.
"You know…" he said, his voice low and teasing now, "I really want to get angry at you for talking like that. But you're just too cute. Too damn adorable to yell at."
Athena blinked, then smiled faintly, the tension in her chest easing. "Maybe that's my charm."
Oliver laughed under his breath, the sound rough but warm. His eyes lingered on her longer than they should have, tracing her face, her soft hair, the curve of her lips, and for one dangerous second, her chest again before he dragged his gaze away.
And in that quiet, heavy moment, he couldn't tell anymore if he was protecting her… or being undone by her.
Oliver leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he sighed deeply. "Athena…" his voice was low, but firm, carrying that older-brother-like scolding tone he often used on her. "You shouldn't talk to your mother like that. I don't care what happens, she's still your mother."
Athena's lips curved into a small frown, her eyes flicking away from him as she hugged her knees closer. "Then maybe you should scold her too," she muttered under her breath, "for talking to me like that first."
Oliver pressed his thumb and index finger against the space between his brows, as if he was fighting the urge to argue further. He let out a sharp breath before saying, "Athena…" His tone softened just a little, carrying a mix of frustration and worry. "I know. I know she's wrong for the way she talks down on you, but that doesn't give you the right to throw words at her like that. She's still your mother."
Her jaw tightened as she stubbornly looked to the side, refusing to meet his gaze. "So, what? you're going to scold me too now?" Her voice carried that mix of defiance and hurt, like she was bracing herself for him to turn on her as well.
Oliver's face eased immediately. His hard gaze softened, and the lines on his forehead disappeared as he tilted his head slightly. "No," he said firmly, his voice gentler now. "I'm not going to scold you. I could never scold you, Athena. Never."
Her chest rose slowly, and her eyes darted back to his face. For a moment, their eyes locked for two seconds, heavy silence where neither of them moved. The air between them felt charged, almost too much. Athena was the first to break, her lashes lowering as she turned her face away quickly, as if running from the weight of his stare.
Oliver cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension that had just settled between them. He leaned forward a bit, his tone shifting back to that calm, reassuring one. "Get ready. Tomorrow is the beginning of another new life for you. And I want you to walk into it strong."
He stood up slowly from the edge of her bed, straightening his shirt as he did. His lips curved into a small smile as he looked at her one last time. "Good night, Athena," he said softly.
Athena finally glanced back at him, her frown gone now. Instead, a small smile tugged at her lips, gentle but warm. She lifted her hand in a lazy wave. "Good night, Oliver."
He gave her a nod before turning and walking out, the door clicking softly shut behind him, leaving Athena sitting there, her smile lingering as her chest rose and fell quietly in the silence of the room.
The next day came faster than Athena wished. She dragged her traveling bag out of her room, the smaller bag sitting neatly on top as the wheels clicked against the floor. Her steps were heavy, like each one carried a weight she couldn't shake off.
Oliver was already waiting for her in the living room, dressed neatly, phone in his hand as though he had been trying to distract himself. The moment he spotted her, his expression softened. He quickly stood up, walking over to her with that small smile full of warmth.
"Good morning," he muttered gently as he reached for her bag, easily taking it from her grip.
Athena returned the smile faintly and whispered, "Good morning." Her voice was quiet, almost swallowed by the silence around them.
Her eyes drifted away from him, slowly scanning the house,every corner, every wall, every little thing she grew up seeing. The familiar space suddenly felt like a stranger, like it was slipping away from her forever. Her chest tightened, and before she knew it, tears were welling in her eyes. She blinked hard, forcing them back, quickly turning her face away so Oliver wouldn't notice. But Oliver noticed everything.
Athena cleared her throat, her voice shaky as she asked the question she already knew the answer to. "Where's Mom?"
Oliver froze. His fingers tightened on the handle of her bag. For a brief second, guilt crossed his face before he forced himself to breathe and answer. "She… had a lot of things to do at the office," he said carefully, his words stitched together like an excuse he desperately wanted her to believe. "She couldn't make it."
Athena let out a dry laugh, her lips curling without humor. She nodded once, slowly, as if she had expected it all along. The silence between them grew heavy before she whispered softly, "Do you know where Mom kept Dad's belongings?" Her voice cracked at the end, her breath shaky, her shoulders trembling.
Oliver's chest ached painfully. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to give her the truth. But Jianna had been strict with him, don't say a word about that man, don't even let his name exist in this house. Oliver's throat tightened as he looked at Athena's glassy blue eyes.
"Ple…ase," she breathed, her voice breaking. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him, fragile but stubborn at the same time.
Oliver let out a long sigh, his heart twisting. "Athena…" he said her name gently, pleadingly, as if saying it would somehow calm her.
But she didn't back down. Instead, she stepped closer to him, so close that the small distance between them vanished. Her chest brushed against his lightly, unintentionally, but enough to make his breath hitch. He froze on the spot, his eyes darting to hers.