"Athena! Athena! Are you okay?!!"
Athena’s response was to jerk from side to side on the bed, whimpering, tears rolling down her face contorted with anguish and immense sorrow.
For a brief moment, Gianna contemplated calling Aiden, but he had left an hour ago to attend to his business. Feeling helpless, she watched her friend in distress, wondering what could possibly trouble her this much.
What nightmare could have strung Athena up like this, rendering her unable to wake up from such torment?
Inhaling deeply, Gianna joined Athena on the bed, trying to hug her close, but Athena struck her hand out, connecting sharply with Gianna’s neck.
The sharp cry of pain that erupted from Gianna’s lips was what finally pulled Athena from her hellish dreams. She sprang up smartly, as if released from a coiled spring, her breaths rapid and shallow, the throes of fear still etched on her features.
"Gianna! Gianna! Are you okay?!" She exclaimed, looking around frantically, her gaze wild and unfocused, ignoring the sweat and tears cascading down her face in torrents.
Her frantic search slowed as she finally comprehended her surroundings: she was in her room, not in the damp, nightmarish cell where Morgan had imprisoned her and Scarlet.
The nightmares had returned, haunting her again.
But hadn’t she expected this when she lay down, after Susan had finally left the room a few hours ago? Hadn’t she known it would return the moment she clutched the pillow tightly and whispered softly to herself, to sleep and dream well?
Her throat felt constricted, thoughts pausing as she noticed Gianna on the floor, hands at her neck, gritting her teeth in pain.
"Oh no, no, no..." She cursed loudly, her heart sinking. She wiped the tears from her eyes haphazardly before hurriedly jumping down from the bed, rushing to her friend.
"Gianna, I’m so sorry," She muttered repeatedly, desperately grabbing Gianna and pulling her against her side. "I’m really, truly sorry. It wasn’t intentional."
But Gianna only stared up at her, as if trying to peel away the layers of Athena’s guarded existence. Last night, she had glimpsed another layer of her friend, and now this morning... she had no idea that Athena even had nightmares, for God’s sake! Crazy ones at that!
Gianna sighed tiredly, her brow furrowing slightly, keeping her gaze locked on Athena as the latter left her momentarily to grab a pain relief balm and some tablets from her work bag, moving with an urgency that only heightened her concern.
"Here, take this," Athena urged, handing the tablets to Gianna. "It’s chewable, and I promise it isn’t bitter."
Gianna paused, taking note of Athena’s downcast and miserable face, sighed again, and then reluctantly accepted the medicine. After clamping her teeth together as she chewed through the tablets, she winced when Athena began massaging the balm into and around her neck.
"I’m so sorry..." Athena continued to mutter, guilt piling on her already heavy conscience, especially when she saw Gianna’s face contort with discomfort with each stroke of her hands.
She mentally chastised herself for being overly optimistic, for believing that she could confront her fears without any repercussions. Perhaps she should have taken a sleeping pill, rather than hold onto the hope that she wouldn’t be tormented by nightmares again, especially after having endured such a long reprieve.
"Stop saying sorry, Athena. I’m fine. I’d rather you tell me what’s going on," Gianna urged, cutting through Athena’s spiraling thoughts.
"I didn’t know you had nightmares—another thing you kept from me, just like the mission part of you last night. What is going on, best friend?" Gianna turned to Athena, pausing her massaging motions, her eyes full of concern.
The words Ewan had thrown at Athena when she wanted to know who Spider was lingered on the tip of Athena’s tongue like bitter ash, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say them. She felt physically drained, her spirit battered from both the memories and the emotions swirling around her.
In a moment of vulnerability, she pushed away from Gianna and sat on the floor beside her friend, the weight of her thoughts pressing down heavily.
"What was the nightmare about, Athena? It seemed very serious..." Gianna asked, her voice soft, encouraging.
Athena folded her lips in, wondering if she was truly ready to speak about this matter that she had kept hidden from Susan for the sake of the latter’s mental well-being.
"Athena..."
"I just don’t know how to start the story," Athena muttered, as memories surged into her mind, leaving her powerless against the relentless onslaught.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife The Twins Are Not Yours