CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: ATHENA

Leo and Austin left the next day after Sophia attended to all of his injuries and gave him painkillers; she also threatened to add more bruises if he didn't listen and rest. Austin seemed terrified of my aunt, despite the fact that she was much smaller than him at the time.

I was about to return to my room when Sophia called me into hers. When I came in, she was sitting on her bed."So, I finally got to meet Leo and he's very attractive, but who is the other guy?" Sophia inquired, her gaze piqued; I don't blame her; anyone else in their right mind would ask if their ward had brought a bloodied and bruised teenager to their home and requested that they treat him.

"Do you remember a few years ago when a guy from my school was sent to jail for protecting a little girl from a known paedophile, yeah Austin, he was the guy, he just got out a few days ago," I explained, and recognition flashed across her face.

"So, what happened to him yesterday?"she asked.

"He is staying with his mother and her new boyfriend, apparently they got married and he found out today, I don't know what happened but the guy beat him up and you know what happened next,"

"Wow, that young man has been through a lot, I could see he was uncomfortable with the way you guys were doting on him, he is not used to people caring about him," Sophia said, and I was surprised she knew so much about him after only meeting him for the first time.

"He's still getting used to the whole friendship thing, but the funny thing is that he's a natural at it but doesn't realize it."

"Before I forget, Stephen mentioned that you went to the hospital today to see a young boy. Who was he?" Sophia asked, and I was starting to wonder when she would because I was sure Stephen would have told her, he tells her everything, and I mean everything.

"Leo's little brother was badly hurt by James' little brother Zack and his friends, those little bastards put that poor kid in the hospital Sofia, can you believe that?" I explained, and I felt myself becoming upset; those little imbeciles need to be locked up, regardless of their age.

"How do Leo and his parents react?" "Leo is the one raising him; I don't know about his parents," I told Sophia and she smiled.

"He looked like he was most responsible of the three of you, and now I know why; your friends are welcome to visit at any time, and I'd love to meet his younger brother as well."

"How do you know we are friends Sophia, I might just be helping them out".

"Honey, you've never brought anyone home before, and the look on your face when you asked for my help said it all."

"I believe we are friends but I don't want to get ahead of myself because when they were unaware of the bullying at school, they protected me from Dylan and his friend and when I eventually told them, they were furious."

"Because they are good boys, honey, no sane person would sit idle when they hear what the boys have put you through, and I'm glad you finally have friends to keep you safe." Sophia said with a smile pulling me in for a hug.

"Me too, Sophia, me too,"

"Perhaps we can all get together for dinner sometime; you can ask the boys; I'm free this Saturday."

"Okay I will ask them after we come back from New York".

"He already told you about the birthday; I'm curious why he wants us there," Sophia wondered aloud.

"I think he just wants us to meet his new girlfriend," I explained, smiling at her irritated expression. She may act as if he bothers her all the time, but she adores him and would go to any length to protect him.

"That old geezer has been married twice; can he just stick with one woman?" Sophia huffed, in frustration.

"I don't think it'll ever happen with uncle Jerry, but one can hope," I said, causing Sophia and me to burst out laughing. Uncle Jerry was a shameless flirt, he'd been married twice before, and he was only in his early thirties. I went into my room after dinner to pack some things for our trip before going to bed, but I received a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: "Hey Athena"

Me: "Sorry who is this"

Leo: "Its Leo, Austin says hi"

Me:"How is he, is he feeling better now?"

Leo: "He does, and he says you should thank Sophia for looking after him; he really appreciates it."

Me: "It's no problem; she was happy to do it; were you able to see Shane today?"

Leo: "No, the doctor said he needed rest and that we could come see him tomorrow; what time should we come pick you up?"

Me: "I forgot to tell you guys that I won't be here for the next two days because I'm going to see my uncle in New York."

Leo:"Oh, Shane and Austin will miss you."

Me:"How about you, Leo? Will you miss me?"

I'm not even sure why I asked that question; I was about to delete it when I noticed that he had already read the message and was about to reply; the three dots were loading before his reply came through.

Leo: "I'm going to miss you the most, Athena, going to bed now, talk to you tomorrow, goodbye Princessa"

I smiled at his message, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, I was falling for him and I couldn't stop myself because I like it

Me:"I'm going to miss you as well, Leo,"

He sent a smiley face and two hearts and went offline after I told him I'd miss him, so I went back to packing for tomorrow. I didn't enjoy traveling, but Uncle Jerry insisted on us coming, so I had no choice.

Then, the following day, Sophia and I took a taxi to the airport because Uncle Jerry had paid for our flights there and back, saving us from having to drive to New York. When the plane took off, I checked my unread messages and found two: one from Leo and the other from an unidentified number. I started by reading Leo's texts.

Leo: "Good morning, Princessa".

Me: "Good morning, Leo"

He responded immediately, and I checked the time; it was 5 a.m.; wasn't he supposed to be sleeping?

Leo: "How was your night, Princessa?"

Me: "Short, aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

Leo: "I couldn't sleep because all I could think about was Shane."

Me: "He's going to be fine, Leo, you know that?"

Leo: "I do, but that doesn't change the fact that he was hurt on my watch."

Me: "It's not your fault, Leo; there's no way you could have known he was going to get hurt."

Leo: "I keep telling myself that, but my head refuses to accept it, but enough about me. Are you guys driving to New York or flying?

Me: "By air, we're on the plane; Sophia is sleeping right now; she doesn't like flying."

Leo: "Tell her I said hello when she wakes up; I'm going to try to get back to sleep; talk to you later, Princessa."

Me: "Bye, Leo, try taking some warm milk, it might help you get back to sleep."

Leo: "Thank you, Princessa; I'll give it a try.

He then went offline, and I was going through my phone, remembering that I still had one text to answer; when I opened it, I knew exactly who it was, and a smile appeared on my face.

I was about to respond when the guy in the seat across the aisle started talking to me. I'd noticed him staring at me for a while but ignored him, but he still kept staring at me which creeped me out, seriously why do people stare for no particular reason.

"Please don't talk to me," I said quietly as he leaned in, smiled warmly, and said, "Hi, I'm Theo, nice to meet you."

"Athena, same here," I politely replied, not interested in continuing the conversation, because I couldn't shake the feeling that his intentions were not entirely innocent.

"Well, Athena, you have a lovely name, but that's to be expected given that the owner is also gorgeous." Theo kept making small talk, his words laced with flirtatious hints.

"Thank you," I said, trying to keep my responses brief. Maybe he'd lose interest, but Theo persisted, unfazed by my lack of interest.

"No need to thank me, just stating the obvious, why are you going to New York ifi may ask?"

"Family gathering," I explained.

"I see, so can I have your phone number so I can get to know you better, Athena?" Theo questioned, his eyes gleaming.

I was getting annoyed with this guy, so I channeled my annoyance and told him I didn't want to give him my number. "I'm sorry, Theo, but I'm not interested in giving you my number, sorry," I explained, hoping he'd get the hint and back off.

But Theo didn't care that I had already said no. He leaned in closer, his smile deepening. "Come on, don't be like that, playing hard to get isn't sexy" he said. "I know you sense the chemistry between us."

'What fucking chemistry, I have more chemistry with food than with him,' I thought to myself, frowning.

I felt my cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment. I didn't want to make a scene on the plane, but Theo was making me extremely uncomfortable. Some guys just don't take no for an answer.

Just then, an older man sitting across the aisle spoke up. "Excuse me, young man," he said firmly. "This lady has already stated that she is not interested. Please respect her wishes and leave her alone."

Theo reacted angrily to the older man's interruption, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He eventually gave up and stopped bothering me, but I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

"I appreciate your concern, sir," I replied, grateful for his assistance.

The older man nodded, content that Theo had backed down. "Of course, dear," he replied.

I smiled at the older man, feeling safe and secure for some reason as he smiled back, then returned to what he was doing before. So I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes, attempting to unwind after the ordeal with Theo.

After a while, I opened my eyes and felt restless, so I looked over at the older man to try and strike up a conversation with him, primarily because I wanted to learn more about my helper.

"Thank you again," I said. "I'm not sure he would have stopped if you hadn't intervened."

The older man smiled warmly. "There's no need to thank me," he said. "I couldn't just sit there and watch that young man bother you like that. Even if you don't need my assistance, it's important to look out for one another."

"My name is Athena, and it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." I said

"My name is Silas Anderson, and it's a pleasure to meet you, young lady." He said, with a small smile, While we were talking, he reminded me of someone, but I can't remember who or if it was all in my head, so I simply ignored it.

"What brings you to New York, Mr. Anderson?" When I asked, his smile faded and was replaced by a sad expression.

"I'm looking for my son; we got separated a long time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir; I hope you find him."

"Thank you, Athena; that's very kind of you."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'd love to meet you; you're a good man, Mr Anderson."

"I hope so as well; well, I need to get back to work, but if he bothers you again, just give me a wave, Athena."

"I will, Sir, and thank you." I said as I watched him return to his work before realizing I hadn't responded to Austin's text. It's best if I reply quickly before he gets worried.