CHAPTER 353: SAD LONGING

"What’s your deal with Herbert? Why is he so... docile, around you?" Ewan asked Athena, immediately they entered the car which would convey them home.

Aiden had snagged another ride, not wanting to be caught at a cross-fire, with the couple’s unstable state. He cherished his peace of mind so much that he had chosen to unwind somewhere else, while passing up on the chance to mock Ewan.

Athena was amused by Ewan’s question meanwhile. She relaxed deeper into her seat, signaling Rodney with her eyes, to start the ride back home for a much needed rest. The new driver obeyed immediately.

She shut her eyes, inhaling deeply. She had successfully relegated her duties to her subordinates, and taken a few days off—Herbert had actually made it compulsory, not agreeing to let her come in the next day for work.

’You need to take your time, and rest. You might be smart, but you are still a human in a very mortal body. I can’t have my best doctor falling sick or developing an affinity for the Grey disease.’

It hadn’t mattered that she was nowhere near the Grey virus precursor; the old man just wanted her to rest.

"So, you are ignoring me now? That’s not fair. Is it some nationwide secret?" Ewan wouldn’t give up; and when he noticed that they had the attention of Rodney, he wound up the partition which separated the driver’s section from the passenger’s seat, successfully muting Rodney out.

He still wasn’t comfortable with the male who looked at Athena like she was more than his boss. Maybe he should tell the male that she had a husband and children to keep him off. Maybe enlist the help of the children.

A soft smile touched his lips. Surely that would work. He would just have to make sure Athena wasn’t aware of it.

With that plan instated, he relaxed into his seat, unaware that Athena’s eyes were now open, watching him smiling softly, while wondering what could be going through his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. She held back a snicker when he jerked as if being caught while stealing. She watched him shrug, and narrowed her eyes.

Whatever he was thinking was winding up her curiosity levels. But she knew, from the flitting emotion in his eyes, that he wouldn’t be talking about it.

"If you tell me what you were thinking about, I will tell you about my deal with Herbert..." she promised, sitting up.

But no way was Ewan going to reveal what he had been thinking. It was downright embarrassing for him. So, he shrugged his shoulders again.

"Not interested."

That only served to drive Athena’s curiosity to the wall.

What could he be thinking? She wondered for the umpteenth time. Something that could rival the secrets she had with Herbert. Maybe another woman?

The thought dropped a stone in her heart, and she turned away from Ewan to the window.

Even though, to the best of her knowledge, there was no woman in the picture, it didn’t help her body from reacting to the thought of there being a woman.

Her heart sizzled with an ache she couldn’t understand.

What to do then, when there arose a woman in the picture? She hoped not.

Tightening her fists, she berated herself the next second.

For months, she hadn’t cared much when he paraded with Fiona from one end of the city to the other, so why was she bothered now?

Was it because of the truth of their past? Was it because of the discovery that he had never loved Fiona, not even for one day?

Her heart skipped when she felt his presence closer. What now?

"What are you doing?!" she shrieked, unable to help the nervousness seeping into her voice, when she risked a turn and met his face closer to hers.

"Just checking if you were asleep..."

Asleep indeed! When he had just turned her promise down!

The effrontery! The audacity! The...

Her mind went blank when she realized she had been biting her lips, that Ewan was staring at her lips.

"You..."

A touch of his lips on hers, soft, undemanding, drove the words of premature anger away from her mind, together with any consciousness of her surroundings.

But he didn’t go further, as she imagined alongside the drifting. He rather withdrew, just a little, to meet her eyes clouded with a mix of want and confusion, frustration too.

"Don’t stay angry with me..."

"I am not..."

Another touch of his lips on hers, cutting off her words, making her more hot and bothered.

"For every lie, you get a kiss."

Athena’s eyes widened at such audacity. How did they arrive here?

"Ewan, you are encroaching into my space," she whispered through the haze of want threatening to consume her, oozing both within her and from Ewan.

"And is that not okay?" he trailed his index finger lightly across her cheek, stopping by her jaw.

Athena swallowed, knowing that her next answer would determine if Ewan would infiltrate past the confines of her lips with those wicked lips of his.

Was that what she wanted?

She was appalled to realize that she indeed wanted it, that she needed to know how he tasted, after these so many years.

She exhaled.

She wasn’t a cheater; she hated people who did it, and she would rather stifle her emotions than be caught doing it.

It’s enough that it was playing out in her mind. That was enough of the disrespect to Antonio.

"I am with Antonio, Ewan. I would appreciate it if you respect that."

She watched with a sad concealed longing, with a blank countenance, as Ewan’s face underwent a cold transformation, even as he nodded stiffly and pushed away from her.

"I am sorry. It must be the drugs Kent had given me. I apologize for making you feel like that. And I wish you and Antonio well." He reported like a news anchor, without looking at her, right before he turned off the soundproof and winded down the partition.

Ewan held back a sigh of relief when he saw they were almost at the Thorne’s mansion. Relief that gave way to furious anger when he saw the car waiting by the gate.

Antonio.

He inhaled deeply for control, again and again, senses attuned to Athena watching him, when the car came to a stop.

Without so much as a word, he got out of the car and started toward the gate.

"Ewan!" Antonio called out to him, stopping his hurried movement.

"Have you seen..."

A pause in the conversation; Ewan realized that Antonio had seen Athena, and must be thinking about a lot of things— theories, and whatnots.

Before, he would have leveraged it to make matters worse, but now...

"We are just coming from the hospital... a slight accident happened while we tried to apprehend Morgan and his cohorts." He explained, not wanting Athena to bear any brunt at all.

She, after all, needed rest; not suspicions or questioning.

He watched, resignedly, as Antonio hurried over to Athena, touching her tenderly, asking after her health and injuries.

Accepting his fate with both hands, he turned and entered through the gate.

"Father!" Kathleen’s shout as Ewan got to the porch was enough to bring a wide smile to his lips.

He squatted and opened his arms wide to welcome her into his embrace.

"Kathy..." He whispered, kissing her hair, eyes shut to soak in this miracle of having his own children; it never got old, this feeling.

"Where’s mommy?" she asked, still in his arms.

"She is outside with your godfather." He answered, letting go of a tiny amount of his resentment for Antonio.

In his absence, the latter had done well by his children and his wife.

"Uncle Zane?"

Ewan smiled, remembering that the twins had a lot of godfathers and mothers. "No. Uncle Antonio."

A pause.

"Where’s Nathaniel?" he asked, pulling away from the hug gently, his eyes scanning the entire porch.

"He is in the study with great grandfather." Kathy replied, holding his hand when he stood to his full height. "Come, I will show you."

Without hesitation, Ewan allowed her to lead him into the house, past the hallways, up the stairs, and down the singular upstairs hallway, to the study of old Mr. Thorne.

And true to his daughter’s words, the boy was with the old man. They were playing a chess game, with the old man smiling tenderly over the head of his great-grandson, who was zealous to win.

"Old Man, I am sure Nathaniel will give you a run for your money," Ewan started, stepping into the room with a smile.

Old Mr. Thorne laughed. "You don’t need to tell me. He will be a legend in the next few years. Come see his moves... I don’t know who is more daring, him or his sister..."

Ewan accepted the invitation without much ado, settling on the floor near his son, who was yet to acknowledge his presence.

But Ewan wasn’t fazed. Nathaniel was just like him. Primly focused when time called for it.

So, he sat, a willing spectator, with Kathleen sitting on his thighs, both cheering silently for the little boy to win.

And this was the spectacle Athena walked in to see, after agreeing to a date night with Antonio the next day.