Chapter 62

"It s a good thing I waited, you would have been stranded," Leo said to Athena.
"He didn t even let me say what I want to say," she said, turning back to look at the door.
Leo shrugged, "let s go, we will come back tomorrow," he opened the door to get into the car.
Athena shook her head, "I m not leaving, I need to talk to him."
"Are you going to do that from outside here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "there is a storm coming, I would like to be home before it starts."
"You can go, Leo, I am not leaving here until I talked to Sean, we really need to let go of our fears. I need to speak to him."
"I am not against that, Athena, but the problem is, you are outside and he is inside."
"I will find a way," she said and started going around the house, she had seen the bedroom window was open when she was inside, she was sure she could fit in through it. At the back of the house, she saw the window and a smile graced her lips, she gulped, praying that she won t get hurt, but if getting hurts means talking to him, then she would gladly do it. She prepared herself and poked in her head into the bedroom, there was no sign of Sean and she was grateful for that. Then balancing her hands on the window, she pushed herself up but she didn t place her hands well and ended up falling into the house, catching herself with her arm.
She sat up on the floor and rubbed her arm, sucking in a deep breath to endure the pain, then she got up to search for Sean. She first checked in the bathroom and was surprised at how beautiful it looked, she knew then that Sean must have had that included when he bought the house, because it looked newer than the house itself. She left the bedroom and stopped short when she saw him walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of what looked like cereal.
He was shocked when he saw her and seeing her in front of the bedroom, he knew she must have climbed in through the window, "since when did you become a criminal that climbs in through windows?"
"Since you threw me out and refused to talk to me," she replied stubbornly.
Sean sighed, he walked closer to the couch and placed the plate on it, then folding his arms on his chest, he said, "I m listening."
Athena heaved a deep breath, "first of all," she closed her eyes, "I want to thank you for rushing into that fire to save me after I have given up hope. I had thought I would die that day and then you had come and seeing you gave me hope, maybe there is a chance I could live again, maybe it s not my time to die, maybe…" she sighed, her eyes still shut tightly, "maybe I m being given another chance to correct my mistakes and change my decisions. Because during the time I was in the fire, I prayed for one thing. I prayed that if I could just have one minute, or even a second to do what I should have done, to say what I want to say with no fear of what the outcome would be. I had prayed for just a nanosecond to see you, and if I m going to die, to let it off my system. I realized that I would never forgive myself even in my death if I should die without saying it, without letting you know and I regretted so badly for not saying it with all the opportunities I have had before. I regretted it and I wished and prayed that if I could just see you, if I could just have a moment with you, that I won t hesitate to tell you, to let you know."
She paused, biting her lip as she sucked in a deep breath and let it out through the mouth, she refused to open her eyes, with the fear of seeing the look in his and losing her courage but one thing was for certain, she had prayed for a chance to tell him, and she was granted that prayer, she is not going to let it pass her by, no matter what his response would be, at least she would know she tried and she told him but he just didn t want her. "All my life, I had thought Frank was the one for me, I have believed it and lived with it. But then everything happened, and then I met you and you showed me that there is a lot in me than I believed, you showed me that just because Frank rejected me doesn t mean that I can t be with another. But you have also promised to help me get him back and I have put all my hope in it.
But even though I was looking forward to reconciling with him, I couldn t deny the fact that something was different, and that difference was in my heart. Every day, you train me to make me better, to make me up to his standard but, even though you were doing that, you were taking something from me, you weren t just changing me physically, you were changing me emotionally, and soon, I stopped looking forward to reconciling with him, rather, I started looking forward to something else. Even though it seemed impossible in my mind, I couldn t stop myself from hoping on it, wishing on it. It was a big battle within me, what I want and what I need. And just when I have decided to give in, you have pushed me away, you made me believe that my wish can never come to pass and also the urge to fulfill my mother s wish made it hard to think straight, so I decided to just let go, to go ahead with the reason that brought me to you.
But even though I said that and I left, it has been hell without you, all I have wanted was to go back to you, every day I lay in the bed, wondering what you would be doing, if you are thinking about me as well," she paused and sniffled, then let out a deep breath through the mouth. Her hands were in tights fists and her eyes shut tightly, "then I have spent that time in that fire and I realized that if I am asked my greatest regret, I knew it was dying without telling you how I truly feel, without knowing if you feel the same or if I was right by leaving. But then I had survived, and you were the one that helped me survive, I knew I have to do the right thing and I am going to say this whether you want to hear it or not. It s okay if you don t feel the same way, I will understand but at least I got to tell you and also let you know that Frank is the last man I want to be with in this world."
She sniffled, tears threatening to seep through her lashes, her fists tightening more, "I m going to say it now and if you still want me to leave, I will but I will only do that when I m sure you are completely healed and back on your feet. Then…" she felt a finger on her lips and then she felt him curl his fingers under her chin and lift her face up. His sudden closeness shocked her and she had to open her eyes to see his. And for the first time, she saw all his emotions in his eyes and his vulnerability shocked her to the bones.
Sean traced her lips with his thumb, "with your ramblings, I should say I already know what you want to say but you are delaying and I couldn t wait for you to say it any longer," he chuckled softly. "When I agreed to help you get Frank back, I never expected one thing. I never expected you to steal my heart." He traced her face with his fingertips, the house was quiet that the only thing that could be heard where the sound of their breathing and their heart beats. "What am I saying? I m saying that I love you, Athena."
Tears trailed down Athena s cheeks, she couldn t believe she heard what she did, her lips trembled with her sobs and happiness. "I had wanted to tell you, to woo you over but then you had met up with Frank without telling me and I had seen a picture of both of you hugging, that alone put me off and the last thing I want is holding you against your wish or you staying with me out of gratitude. So I had decided to let you go, but in all my life, it was the hardest decision I have ever made and then hearing you were in that fire, I knew I would never forgive myself if anything happens to you, especially if you have to leave without hearing about my feelings for you. I had thought…"
Athena had shut him up by slamming her lips on his; all it took was a second for him to give in and deepened the kiss. Each of them wanting to convey their feelings to each other with the kiss, they didn t stop until they were both breathless. She looked deep into his hazel eyes, her eyes clouded with tears of happiness, "I love you too, Sean."