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My jaw clenches with my tight nod.
At the top of the stairs, we turn left and stop at the third door on the right. With the curtains open, the room is bright and sunny. The walls are a soft yellow and the ceiling is white, both adding to the brightness. A single bed with a nightstand is against one wall and a rocking chair sits by the window. Opposite the bed is a simple dresser. On top of it is a bouquet of flowers I had delivered a few days ago. The flowers are a constant. Every week, a fresh bouquet is delivered to replace the old one. It’s to give Athena something pretty to look at when she’s in her room.
I walk past Katherine and enter the room. On the bed, Athena sits with her legs drawn up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. She appears to be thinking about something unpleasant, judging by her somber expression.
I partially close the door behind me, giving us some privacy. Athena’s head slowly turns toward me as I approach the bed. The haunted look in her eyes sends chills down my spine.
“Athena.” I keep my voice light. Taking her cold hand into mine, I sit next to her on the bed. Some of the darkness that coats my world lightens when relief flashes in her eyes at my touch. “How are you feeling today?”
As she gazes at our hands, her lips curve down slightly. “Lonely,” she whispers, the single word carrying a note of immense sadness.
“You know you aren’t alone, right?” I ask gently. “You’ve got me. And there are other people who care about you.”
Her head lifts again and her eyes meet mine. “I miss them.”
My heart thumps heavily in my chest. “Who, Athena?”
“My family.”
If I were standing, my legs would fucking buckle at her reply. The words come out with utter despair.
The tragic loss of her family years ago left Athena broken. The pain that shadows her is the reason I’m here whenever she needs me. She reminds me of Cat on the rare occasions she allows herself to remember.
What Athena doesn’t realize, what she won’t admit to herself, is that she has me. I’m her family now. She’ll have me for as long as she exists.
My eyes are drawn to the white bandages on her wrist. Athena came to The Grove after she threatened to cut her veins to stop the pain of her loss. My first encounter with her was the day she was admitted. She followed through with her threat two days later, sawing through her wrists with a plastic butter knife she had stolen from the kitchen. It left behind jagged scars. Since then, her wrists are always covered with gauze. Seeing the evidence of her helplessness in dealing with her pain always manages to hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer.
Rather than respond to her whispered words, I move an inch closer to her, afraid of setting her off. Apart from my hand, I don’t let any other part of me touch her.
“Your family loved you, and I know they miss you just as much. I bet right now, they’re looking down at you, wishing they could be here.”
Her eyes hold hope. “You really think so?”
A smile forms on my lips, even though contentment is the last thing I feel right now. “I do.”
“You don’t think they hate me?”
My molars grind, and it takes almost more effort than I have to keep from yanking the woman into my arms.
“No, Athena.” My voice comes out hoarse, forcing me to clear my throat. “They don’t hate you.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
When she smiles, it seems like the sun peeks out from behind a dark cloud, bathing the room in brilliant light. It’s amazing to witness the transformation from a broken woman to one who is looking at me with sparkles in her eyes. I don’t get to see many of Athena’s smiles, but on the rare occasion that I do, all I can do is stare. The woman is utterly gorgeous.
Before I freak her out by my stupefied expression, I drop my eyes from her. “Want to go for a walk outside?”
“Okay.”
I get up from the bed, letting her hand go for a moment. The instant our connection is broken, a frown appears between her eyes.
“Hey,” I murmur and her eyes lift. “I’m right here.”
Her tongue slips out to run along the edge of her lips, and her head dips into a nod.
I’m not sure why Athena has attached herself to me. Perhaps she feels the same deep connection with me as I do with her. Maybe she senses that, in a way, I’m broken too. Regardless of the reason, I’m glad she chose me. There is no one else I trust to treat her with the same care I do. Athena is special in so many ways, and no one but me will ever see that.
