Chapter 131 I’m Yours
Athena lay still, her mind racing as Byron’s words echoed in her ears. “I’m yours.” The phrase sent a strange shiver down her spine. She had heard it before, but it always felt like something hollow, a repetition of empty promises he never truly meant to keep. No matter how many times he said it, it never felt real.
The warmth of his body against hers, the way he clung to her like a lifeline—it should have felt comforting. But instead, it felt like a trap, a chain she couldn’t break free from. His touch was tender, his voice soft, but the weight of his past actions still lingered between them. Athena had given so much of herself to him, yet every time she started to believe in something better, he would pull her back into the cycle of uncertainty.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to suppress the bitterness rising within her. She wanted to push him away, to distance herself from everything he represented. But there, in that quiet moment, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. His vulnerability, his genuine need, was hard to ignore.
Athena felt the weight of his gaze, even in the darkness. His hands, warm and reassuring, still rested on her stomach, and she could hear the faint sound of his breathing—shallow, as if he were drifting in and out of sleep.
“You’re not asleep,” Byron’s voice broke through the silence once more, quieter this time, as though he were still unsure of himself.
Athena didn’t respond, pretending to be asleep, hoping he would just let the moment pass.
But Byron wasn’t done yet. He seemed determined to break down every wall she’d built, even in his half-conscious state. “Thea,” he whispered, his breath tickling the back of her neck. “I know I’ve been a mess. But if I could make things right, would you let me?”
Her chest tightened. He was asking for something that, deep down, Athena wanted to believe. She wanted to believe that things could change. She wanted to believe that the man in her arms could be someone worthy of her trust. But the truth was, she was too scared to let go of the guard she had built around her heart.
“I don’t know,” she whispered back, barely audible. The words were raw, and they held a truth she wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself.
Byron didn’t say anything at first. For a moment, it seemed like he might have fallen asleep. But then his voice, soft but persistent, broke through again. “I won’t give up, Thea. Not until you believe me.”
Athena sighed, her heart aching with a mix of longing and frustration. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But the scars of their past, the betrayals, the unspoken things between them—they were too heavy.
Was she really ready to trust him again?
Athena didn’t have an answer. She only knew that for now, she couldn’t escape. Not physically. Not emotionally. And for a brief moment, the idea of giving in, of letting herself fall into his arms, felt like the easiest option.
But was it the right one?
For the rest of the night, they lay in silence, with Byron’s arms still wrapped around her. Athena’s thoughts swirled, a mixture of desire, fear, and the ever-present ache of longing. As she drifted into an uneasy sleep, one thing was clear—this wasn’t over. Not yet.