CHAPTER EIGHT
Athena gasped sharply as she stood up. Her hand clutched her chest as her body began to shake uncontrollably. Her breaths came in short, choking gasps as if the air had been stolen from her lungs.
"No…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "No… not again…"
She stumbled back, her hands trembling so violently she couldn't even close the box again.
Oliver saw her collapse and his heart stopped. He rushed forward in a panic, his arms reaching to grab her, to pull her into him, but before he could…
"Stay away from me!" Athena screamed, her voice raw, her hands pushing against his chest.
Oliver froze, his eyes wide, his chest twisting painfully at the sight of her breaking down right in front of him.
Athena's whole body shook as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't stop the images, couldn't stop the suffocating vision of her father drowning in blood. She pressed her palms against her temples as if trying to block it all out, but the vision only grew sharper, more merciless.
Her sobs tore through the silence of the room, echoing painfully.
Oliver clenched his fists, torn between respecting her words and wanting to protect her. His voice came out broken. "Athena…"
But she didn't hear him. Or maybe she did, but the pain in her chest was louder. Her entire body was trembling, her breathing shallow, her eyes wide and lost.
And Oliver could only stand there, helpless, watching the girl he wanted to protect more than anything in this world shatter into pieces right in front of him.
"Athena…" Oliver called again, his voice low, careful, like if he spoke too loud she would shatter completely.
But she only shook her head violently, her palms pressing harder against her temples. "Stay away! Don't touch me! Don't…" Her words cracked mid-sentence, breaking into another sob.
Oliver's chest tightened so much it hurt. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. His hands hovered in the air, trembling.
Her breathing grew faster, harsher, her shoulders shaking. She slid down against the side of the box until she was half kneeling, her whole body trembling as if the memory itself was choking her alive.
"Make it stop…" she whispered through her tears, her voice breaking in the most fragile way. "Please… make it stop…"
That was it. Oliver's heart snapped. He couldn't hold back anymore.
He moved forward quickly, ignoring her weak push against his chest this time. He caught her wrists gently but firmly, pulling them away from her head. "Athena, look at me," he said, his voice rough, demanding but soft at the same time.
She resisted, shaking her head, tears falling fast down her cheeks. "No, don't…"
"I said look at me!" Oliver's voice cracked, full of desperation. His grip wasn't painful, but it was unshakable. He forced her eyes up to meet his.
And when she did, her blue eyes were drowning in pain.
Oliver froze, breath stolen from him, then slowly, carefully, he wrapped his arms around her small trembling frame and pulled her into his chest.
Athena fought at first, weakly pushing, her fists hitting his chest, her voice muffled against him. "Let me go… let me go…" But her strength faded with each word.
Oliver tightened his hold, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other locking her against his chest as if he could protect her from everything, including her own memories and whatever she wanted to put an end to.
"Shh… I've got you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm not letting go. Not this time. Cry if you want, scream if you want, but I'm not moving away from you."
Athena's fists went limp. Her body sagged against him, her forehead pressing into his chest. And then the dam broke.
Her sobs tore out of her, raw and painful. Her whole body shook as she clung to his shirt, her tears soaking into him.
Oliver closed his eyes, his chin resting on her hair as his own chest ached. He rubbed slow circles on her back, whispering into her ear again and again. "It's okay. You're safe. I'm here."
He felt her trembling slowly lessen, but the sound of her broken cries still pierced him. Every tear she shed felt like it was cutting straight into his own heart.
When her sobs grew softer, Oliver loosened his hold just enough to tilt her face up. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her lashes wet, her lips trembling.
Oliver held her shoulder to make both of them stand up, facing each other.
Oliver swallowed hard, brushing a tear away with his thumb. His voice dropped to a whisper. " it's okay, no more years."
Athena stared at him, her lips parting, her chest still rising and falling quickly. For a moment, something unspoken passed between them, a connection deeper than words.
And then, unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn't careful. It wasn't planned. It was desperate, trembling, her lips crashing against his as if he was the only anchor she had left in a storm.
Oliver's entire body went rigid. His eyes widened, his chest hammering violently. He hadn't expected this, not now, not like this.
But when her lips pressed harder, shaky and wet with tears, something in him snapped.
A low groan escaped his throat as his hand slid up to cup the back of her head, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. His other arm tightened around her waist, crushing her trembling body against his, like he needed to remind her she wasn't alone.
Athena gasped softly against his lips, her fingers fisting tighter into his shirt. Her whole body was trembling, not just from fear anymore, but from the storm of emotions that was spilling into the kiss.
It was messy, tears still running down her cheeks, her breathing unsteady but it was real. Every broken piece of her, every locked-away pain, was poured into that kiss.
Oliver kissed her back like he was drinking her in, like he was terrified that if he let go, she would disappear. He tasted the salt of her tears, felt the soft desperation of her mouth moving against his, and it tore something deep inside him.
When they finally broke apart, both gasping for air, Athena's forehead dropped against his, her lashes fluttering closed.
Her voice was shaky, barely more than a whisper. "I… I don't know why I did that…"
Oliver swallowed hard, his thumb brushing her damp cheek. He pressed his forehead harder against hers, his own breathing rough. "Because you needed to… and because I needed it too."
Silence lingered between them, heavy and intimate.
But Athena didn't stop there. She kissed him again, harder this time, her lips trembling but hungry, as if she was clinging to the only warmth left in her world.
A small whimper escaped her throat as she tilted her head, pressing her mouth fully to his.
Oliver groaned deep in his chest, his resolve shattering. His hand slid from her back to her waist, gripping her tighter, while the other cupped her jaw, tilting her face up so he could kiss her the way he wanted.
And then he did.
His lips crushed hers, firm and demanding, answering her desperation with his own. The kiss grew deeper, hotter, the air between them charged and heavy. Their mouths moved in sync, lips parting, breaths mingling, the taste of tears still sharp but fading into something else, something burning.
Athena gasped when his tongue brushed hers, and Oliver felt his whole body ignite. She responded without hesitation, kissing him back fiercely, almost desperately, her small hands sliding up his chest to clutch at his shoulders.
Her body pressed flush against his, soft curves molding into the hard planes of his chest. Oliver tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her closer, like he needed every inch of her against him.
The kiss turned rougher, deeper. Athena tilted up on her toes to meet him, her lips parting wider, and Oliver took all of her, devouring her, tasting her like he'd been starving and she was the only thing that could satisfy him.
Their breaths came ragged, mingling hot between desperate kisses that broke only for a second before finding each other again.
"Athena…" Oliver groaned against her mouth, his voice low, strained, filled with everything he couldn't say.
She only answered by kissing him harder, her hands sliding up to the back of his neck, pulling him down to her. Her lips trembled, but her kiss was fierce, pouring all her pain, her need, her longing into him.
Oliver felt his knees weaken. He kissed her back like he had no choice, like she was oxygen, and he'd die if he stopped.
When he finally broke away, it was only to drag his lips along her jaw, down to the side of her neck, breathing her in. Athena gasped sharply, her fingers curling tighter in his hair, her body shivering against him.
Her voice was broken, whispering against his ear. "Don't let go… please."
Oliver's chest clenched so tight it hurt. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered back, rough and breathless, "Never."
And then he kissed her again, harder than before, deep and consuming, both of them drowning in the desperate heat that neither of them could resist.