Chapter 15

"What?" TB shouted, "you can t be serious." Athena looked at him, "I am, TB, listen," she glanced at Sean, "I know you have good plans for me and I know you want to make me better but…there is no use. I m fine here, I have been since I was born and also, this is my home, I have a lot of memories in this house, those with my parents, there are dear to me. I can t just get up one day, pack my things and throw away everything. I belong here, and I will like to stay here." "Oh," TB looked at Sean who hadn t said anything since Athena made her declaration. "Sean, please understand, there is no use tutoring me to become better and all that, Frank has broken up with me, I understand that now and what better way to get over him than to be where I will never see him? Frank hates this place, although during the time we were together, he never mentions it but I know, just like I know that nothing will bring him back here, ever. So, I will prefer to stay here, I will get over him sooner here than the city where I will constantly run into him. Listen, I appreciate everything you want to do for me, I really do, but it s not worth it, I am not worth the time and effort. I don t belong in the city, I don t belong in your world. You said so yourself, remember? You don t want me to be involved in your world. What better way to end everything than now? I will be okay, I promise." "Um…" TB was at lost for words, he kept looking from Athena to Sean who surprisingly, was still quiet, "are you really sure about this? I mean, why would you want to stay here? I mean, when you can have a better life in the city, with us. You will get to meet celebrities, live like one, have everything to your beck and call and let s not forget, Sean promised to help you get back with Frank. Three months of training and you are good to go, you get to be with him again and have the life you dreamed of." Athena tucked her hair behind her ear, "all those sound tempting, TB, really they do but what if Frank really means it, what if he really doesn t want me and I will end up embarrassing myself again?" she heaved a sigh, "I don t want to take the risk." "Oh, honey, he will want you, that is a certain." Athena smiled, "thank you, TB," she looked at Sean, "Sean…" Sean turned around and walked out of the room without a backward glance, Smith followed him immediately and TB bit his lower lip softly, he sighed and glanced at Athena, "well then, take care of yourself." Athena sighed and nodded, "thank you and thank him for me." TB smiled and sighed, "I will miss you, I mean, I really will," he walked up to her and hugged her tightly, "if you change your mind, you know where to find us and you are always welcome," he released her from the hug, "now I have to go before he leaves me here, he can be crazy sometimes," he rolled his eyes, "bye At, try to call or write or something," he smiled. Athena nodded, "bye TB." "Bye bye, girl," he waved to her and left the house. Athena heaved a sigh and wiped away the tear that fell down on her cheek, it s not like she didn t want a better life but she didn t want the situation whereby after Sean had spent so much to make her better and Frank still didn t want her, it will not only be embarrassing to her but it would hurt her soul and she would forever be indebted to him. She walked to the couch and slumped on it, she hates that she had to part like this with Sean but she hoped that with time, he would understand her reason. It is for the best this way. *** Three days later, Athena returned from work late in the night, she was so tired and worn out that all she could think of was her bed and falling on it, but she reminded herself that she must take a bath before sleeping. Getting into the house, she heaved a deep breath and flipped on the light switch only to receive the shock of her life when she saw the man sitting on the couch with his leg crossed on the other and watching her with his beautiful hazel eyes. "Sean," she breathed when she caught her breath, she placed her hand on her chest to calm herself, "you scared me." "How was work?" He asked indifferently. Athena left the door to remove her coat, she dropped it on the table and turned to him, "fine. What are you doing here, Sean and how did you get in?" "It was the easiest breaking and entry I have ever encountered. I mainly removed the door from its hinges and put it back when I got in," he shrugged, "which left me wondering, how many people do you think will get in the way I did?" Athena ran her fingers through her hair, "I was hoping to fix the door and I will soon, so you don t have to worry." "And when will that be?" "Soon." Sean sighed, "what games are you playing, Athena?" "I don t understand." "I gave you three days to snap out of your stupidity but it looks like you have no plan of doing that, do you want to be stupid the rest of your life?" "I am not stupid, Sean, I am just making the right decision for myself." "Right decision, your right decision means letting any man trample on you?" Athena wiped her face with both hands, "Sean, I know you want to help…" "Then let me help, and I assure you that in less than four months you will have Frank begging you to come back to him, that is my promise to you." He stood up, "you don t have to be in fear, Athena, you don t have to cower at the presence of any man. You don t have to let a man treat you like a trash, use you when he needs you and then dump you when you are of no use to him anymore. Listen to me, Athena, you are a woman and by right, everyman should treat you with respect and honor. Your specie is the second most precious thing in this world, life being the first. You don t need to be afraid of Frank accepting you; you don t need to be ashamed that he might not want you. For crying out loud just kick the trash in the ass and move on with someone better than him. The day you crossed my path was the day your fate was sealed with mine and the last thing I would do is letting you be ignorant of your natural charm, letting you believe in the words of a fool that you don t belong together with him. For goodness sake, he is a fool for saying that and I can t wait for the day you would treat him so." He grabbed both her arms and looked deeply into her brown eyes, "now go in there and get the things you can t do away with and come with me, otherwise I m throwing you over my shoulder and walking out of here with you never coming back."