Chapter 27 Dreaming of Romy
As Byron held Athena in his arms, everything seemed to change in that moment. He could feel her tension, her exhaustion, and the quiet resignation in her body. She spoke softly, almost as if she was talking to herself, not him.
“Mr. Crawford,” Athena said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Byron responded with a hum, burying his face in the curve of her neck, breathing in the familiar scent of her. He could sense the weight of her words but didn’t respond right away, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.
Athena’s voice broke the silence again, this time steady and calm, though the vulnerability behind her words was unmistakable. “I’m tired. I just want to live a peaceful and ordinary life. Please let me go.”
She didn’t shout. There was no anger, no hysteria. Just a simple, painful request. Byron instinctively tightened his grip around her waist.
“I’m not Freya,” Athena continued. “The looks you like are all acted out, but now I’m tired. I don’t want to be Freya’s substitute anymore. I want to be myself.”
Byron’s chest tightened at her words, but he didn’t know how to respond. Instead, he murmured, “Stop talking. Don’t you want to rest?”
He gently pressed a hand to her mouth, signaling her to be quiet. “Sleep,” he said, his voice soft, but there was a command in it.
Athena didn’t understand Byron’s mixed signals. He didn’t love her. He had a new substitute for her now. So why was he still holding onto her? Had she performed too well in the past? Was that the reason he couldn’t let go?
She let out a self-deprecating laugh, but there was no humor in it. She closed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
But the nightmare came anyway. Or perhaps, it wasn’t truly a nightmare. It was more like a painful memory from the past, one she had long buried. In the dream, she found herself back at the day her grandmother, Romy, was being cremated. A few neighbors had gathered, and Athena, dressed in a black dress, stood among them.
The loss didn’t hit her the way it might for others. Romy had been suffering for years, and Athena had become numb to it. They had spent so much money on treatments, but nothing had worked. Athena had thought Romy was finally at peace.
But as Romy’s body was about to be pushed into the incinerator, a surge of pain overwhelmed Athena. Fear gripped her heart, and she found herself desperate to pull Romy back from the flames. The neighbors tried to hold her back as she knelt outside, screaming in terror.
“Grandma…” Athena cried out, her voice full of desperation. “Grandma… Grandma!”
Her heart raced, and then she heard a voice—familiar, comforting, but distant.
“Thea…”
Athena’s eyes fluttered open, and the nightmare began to fade as the reality around her came into focus.
Byron’s face slowly came into view, worry etched across his features. “Do you have a nightmare?” he asked softly, his voice full of concern.
Athena’s breathing was still erratic, and she gasped for air, trying to calm her racing heart. She blinked, her vision slowly sharpening as Byron gently wiped away the tears that had begun to gather at the corners of her eyes.
“I’m fine,” Athena murmured, looking away to avoid his gaze.
Byron opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the doorbell rang.
Athena, still shaken, pushed Byron away gently. “Give way,” she said, trying to get up.
Byron, however, was not ready to let go. “Who is it? Your boyfriend?” His voice was low, tinged with jealousy.
Athena rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated. “Byron…”
Before she could finish, Byron leaned down and bit her neck softly, a teasing gesture that left a mark on her skin.
“You’re crazy!” Athena shouted, pushing him away in surprise. She quickly got out of bed from the other side, trying to hide the evidence of Byron’s actions.
She opened the door to find Gabe standing there, looking anxious and worried.
“Athena, are you asleep? I couldn’t get through to you, and you didn’t open the door for so long. I was so worried!” Gabe exclaimed, his relief obvious. “It’s good you’re fine. Otherwise, I would’ve called the police!”
“I fell asleep,” Athena replied, still not fully recovered from the nightmare. She was about to close the door when Gabe’s eyes darted past her, looking into the room.
“What are you doing here?” Athena asked, clearly uncomfortable with his sudden appearance.
Gabe smiled brightly, his love for her evident. “Look at the time. It’s dinner time! You didn’t eat much at lunch, and I know you don’t like meat. Let’s go eat some vegetables tonight.”
Before Athena could protest, Gabe peeked past her again, his attention caught by something in the room.