ATHENA

"Is he asleep?" Alex asks, his voice low and surprisingly gentle.

I nod, brushing Rayen''s hair back onest time before zipping up the side of his tent.

"Out like a light. Thanks to all the singing we did!" I throw him a pointed look.

But instead of responding, he smiles, and I swear I feel my ovaries shift.

It should be illegal for your enemy to look this good!

The fake forest around us is finally quiet. A few kids are still whispering in their tents, giggling under their fairy light strings, but for the most part, the fantasy campsite is winding down.

The parents, ording to the schedule, are supposed to sleep in nearby guest rooms so the kids could feel independent but still stay safe.

I straighten and stretch my back, wincing slightly.

"Where am I sleeping?"

"We need to check the list," Alex replies, pulling out his phone and scrolling through something.

"Please don''t tell me you''re the one who made the list."

He gives me that maddening look, the one where he pretends to be innocent but already knows he''s done something outrageous.

"I delegated."

"To who? Satan?"

"Close enough."

I groan.

"Well?" I press, crossing my arms as he looks at me with a serious face. But he

can''t fool me, I can see his eyes dancing in excitement.

"You''re in Room 207." He says.fn8598 Find the newest release on Find★Novel/fn8598

“And you?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"207."

I hold my mouth to keep myself fromughing too hard as we walk out.

"My ears are ying tricks on me. Can you believe I heard you say 207 twice?"

He nods once. "That''s what I said, baby."

I halt. Ignoring the tter in my chest after he has called me baby. The stupid pet name I hate.

"As in... 207...the same room?"

His smile deepens. "Exactly that."

I blink.

"That''s not how room assignments work."

"Well, technically, it''s a double. Two beds. One room. Very practical."

"Practical?!" My voice pitches higher than I''d like. "There are at least fifty rooms in this hotel."

"Fifty-two," he corrects, far too rxed for someone I''m about to kill. "But Anna thought it would be best if all parents stayed closest to each other in case of an emergency."

"Who the hell is Anna?"I mutter, folding my arms tighter.

"Rayen''s teacher?"

"Her name is Mary. My God!"

"I tend to forget names easily." He ces his hands in his pockets while fixing that stupid gaze on me.

I hate that he smells and looks so good even after the kids y around with his face and his white shirt is covered in paint.

I narrow my eyes. "You nned this."

He puts a hand over his heart, all mock innocence. "Athena, I would never."

I roll my eyes so hard I''m worried they might stick. "I''ll just talk to the staff and ask for another room."

"Already full," he says smoothly. "There was a mix-up with a wedding party. We''re lucky we even have this one left."

I blink again. "Alex, I was married to you for three years. Your hotels never host weddings. You always said they''re too messy!"

"Business strategy changed, my love" he says, leaning in just slightly, "So, here we are."

I take a step back, but he follows, his tone gentler now, lower. "I won''t make you ufortable. You''ll have your space. I''ll sleep on the floor if ites to that."

"Dramatic much?"

"I''m serious." "He lowers his voice,

and something in it twists in my chest

know you don''t trust me

know I''ve hurt you. But being ear you, even if it''s just in silence, even if you barely look at me, feels better than being anywhere else.  s

I freeze.

"I''m not trying to trick you, Athena," he continues softly. "I just want a chance to prove that I still care. That

I love you, and I desperately want to

be yout man. "n

be your man. to whatever shape or

form."

s

Damn him.

The worst part is... he means it. His voice, his eyes, even the slight furrow in his brow they''re all real. There''s no smugness in this version of him. Just... sincerity. And that makes it harder to fight.

"I can take the bed near the window," he says, Stepping aside as if offering me the choice. "And I''ll even give you the extra pillows. No snoring. No weird breathing. No taking unless you want to."  s

I sigh, looking at the hallway like salvation might appear around the corner.

It doesn''t.

Instead, I look back at him. At his tired, glitter-streaked face. At the man who once ruined me and the man who might still own pieces of me, even if I never say it out

loud.

"One word," I say, holding up a finger, "and I''m switching with a janitor and

sleeping in a fucking supply closet."

His grin is slow and boyish.

"I''ll take that risk."

I shake my head and walk past him.

"Let''s go before I change my mind."

He follows silently, just close enough that I can feel his warmth behind me. And

when we finally reach the door to 207, I hear him whisper, just loud enough for me

to catch it,

"Thank you."

And stupid me...

...I actually smile.

I think these are side effects to those damn pain killers.