ATHENA

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to take a proper breath and decide what

relieved me with an update.

Sloane is stable now.

Still unconscious, but stable.

And I''ll do whatever it takes to make sure she walks again, even if I have to give her my own damn legs.

The door creaks open.

I nce up.

Alex steps in and pauses mid-step when he sees me awake. I guess he wasn''t expecting that.

"Why do you look shocked? Where were you hoping I''d die?" I mock, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

"You''re awake?" he says softly, ignoring the insult I just hit him with.

Alexander King? Having a soft voice?

It''s strange. All my life, Alex''s voice has been clipped and cold.

Not this.

I nod once, my throat dry, feeling like I''ve swallowed sandpaper.

He walks toward the side of the bed, carefully lowering himself into the chair like he''s afraid he''ll break me just by existing.

In his hands is a paper bag and a takeout cup.

"I brought you some tea," he says, lifting it slightly. "Lemon and ginger. Just how you like it."

Just how I like it?

When did Alex ever notice something like that?

I don''t reach for it. I don''t move. I''d rather eat dirt than take anything from him, much less food..

"Athena, I know you hate me," he continues, his voice barely above a whisper, "but you need to eat something."

Hate?

Hate?

Oh what I feel for him goes beyond hate, I fucking despise him.

I snap.

The rage, the grief, the exhaustion, it all boils over.

"What the fuck are you doing, Alex?" My voice cuts through the room like a de. "What is this? We work together to punish your little bitch of an ex, and now we''re what? Besties?"

"Athena-"

"NO!" I shout. "I hate you! I hate everything you represent!"

He flinches like I pped him.

I lean forward, my voice shaking but clear. "I''ll tolerate you for one reason only, my son. The same son you used me of killing, in front of your entire family, like I was some monster!"

Tears blur my vision, but I won''t let them fall. I won''t break in front of him.

He will never see me cry again.

Not in this life.

"Now get the fuck out."

He doesn''t move at first. His eyes stay on me, full of something I can''t read, remorse, maybe. Regret. But this is Alex we''re talking about. He doesn''t feel

remorse.

"I said get the fuck out, Alex," I snarl, my voice cracking like ss.

"Athena, I-"

"I SAID GET OUT!" I yell, my breathboured, and my chest heaving.

After all he has done, he thinks walking in here with a stupid cup of lemon tea will wipe it away?

Three nurses rush in and assess the situation.

"Mr. King, I think it''s best you leave. You''re going to stress the patient even more."

She says, and I almostugh at the look he gives me.fn6b33 ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?/fn6b33

Those eyes! I hate them.

Finally, he nods, sets the untouched tea on the bedside table, and stands.

Before he leaves, he hesitates at the door.

"If I could go back and undo it all, I would," he says quietly. "But I can''t. So I''ll earn

my way back, even if you never look at me the same way again.”

And then he walks out.

The door clicks shut.

And I copse back onto the bed, the tears finally spilling as I stare at the cup he left behind.

Lemon and ginger.

Just how I like it.

Bullshit.

Just as I press the back of my hand to my eyes, the door opens again.

I''m about to snap when my words are caught in my throat, my eyesnd on whiskey brown eyes.

Zayan.

He doesn''t say anything at first, he releases a sigh of relief as he strides over to me, cups the back of my head gently, and ces a kiss right at the top like I''m made of porcin.

His voice rumbles low and angry, the words vibrating against my skin.

"I''m so mad at you." He growls, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye. "You said you''d be safe, Athena. Fuck, do you know how I almost lost my mind when I saw the gun aimed at you and fired right on live televesion?"

His tone is full of rage and fear, tangled into something I can''t seem to understand.