Last day in Barcelona

Athena's pov

I don't know how to express myself but I feel lost. Why am I in the middle of the woods? Where is everybody else? Where am I? the questions kept rummaging in my head. Everything seemed serene in the woods.

Wait, these are the woods where I had been stuck for two whole days. I ran and ran, and continued running until it took me somewhere. My ears were in utmost pain. I screamed and put my hands on my ears.

The flashbacks of Katherine and Paden leaving me in the woods came into my mind.

That day they lied to me. They fabricated a lie about going on a picnic. They lied to me about everything. I thought it was a new beginning but they faked it. Why did they fake it? I was just 15 back then. Running through the woods, trying to find an exit. Still, there was no avail.

They pushed me out of the car. They pushed me down the slope where I got injured awfully. Screaming for help, wasn't worth it. Nobody heard my scream. There was blood all over me

I want this memory to stop. Why couldn't it just stop? I didn't want to remember the past again. I never want to remember the past again.

Was I that unlovable? Was I that easy to throw? Will anyone ever love me? Will anyone be afraid to lose me? Was I asking for a lot? I just needed love.

I thought the only person who loved me was grandma but she betrayed me in the end as well. Will I ever get the chance to trust someone with my whole heart or will they just leave like the others? The scars present in my emotions were more than enough. I didn't want them to leave. I kept screaming for them to stay but they didn't. they didn't. They just walked off my life like it was nothing to them.

"Athena wake up! Athena, why are you screaming? Please wake up"

I squinted my eyes and I could see the troubled look on Asher's face. When I got aware of my surrounding, I noticed that I slept on Asher's lap. There was a blanket on my body. Before I could take a glance everywhere, I hugged him.

It was a petrifying dream again. I perpetually wondered when will they stop. I was indeed agitated but I didn't let him go. These nightmares could leave my mind alone. They just wouldn't go. I was sick and tired of this. I felt like crying my eyes out but I couldn't.

The silence broke out when someone coughed from behind. When I looked behind, alexander and ruby were standing still.

It was indeed maladroit of me. I quickly left Asher and hurried upstairs.

"Athena stop. Athena, I said stop" he said loudly standing at the bottom of the staircase. He just looked me dead in the eyes, waiting for me to say something. I didn't utter a single word and just folded my arms. He came closer and closer and closer. He took both of my hands and tried to smile.

"it's okay to have nightmares dear. Don't cry please"

"You don't understand Asher. You just don't. Katherine and Paden made hell for me. Unforgettable hell. It ruined my childhood. I couldn't ever live as a normal child" I exclaimed while tears filled up my eyes. I tried to let go of my hand from his but he wouldn't budge.

"My p-parents a-abandoned me, my grandmother just lied to me. My aunt and uncle hated me. I-I have no f-family Asher"

"You have us. Why don't you consider us as a family?" I looked behind to see lily. She just immediately looked down.

"It doesn't matter if we are blood-related or not. Family is when you trust and love each other, no matter what"

I tried to smile at her response but the tears wouldn't stop. She came close to me and hugged me.

"Do you mean it?" I asked her while we hugged each other. She felt like family.

"of course I do Athena, you are my future sister-in-law"

She had to make a sarcastic comment. I just simply sighed at her response. I felt someone hug me from behind. Asher?

"Group hug!"

Liam. Oh my gosh.

"Can I talk to her now?" a deep voice came all of a sudden.

"Yes, you may brother" both of them then went down.

"I didn't want to talk about it"

"You heard the answer of lily, it was more than enough. You have a family now. Us?"

I gave him a confused look.

"I mean, you can trust us. You have people who care about you now Athena. You can always talk to me love. I will always be there by your side."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me Asher"

"Now can we brush our teeth?"

I rolled my eyes and was trying to go upstairs when he picked me up again and took me to our bedroom's restroom. Wait. Wait. Wait. Did I just say "Our" bedroom? I meant his bedroom not "ours".

"Come on now, go outside. I need to shower." He had opened his mouth to say something but I still pushed him out of the bathroom.

"I'm showering, we will talk later"

"But your clothes-"

Oh shit, I forgot to take my clothes. I didn't have any clothes though.

"I will ask lily to lend me the clothes don't worry. Later we can buy you new clothes"

When I was going to say no, he just rushed out of the bedroom. I was exhausted by all of this travelling. No wonder what's next.

"Here take the clothes"