CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ATHENA
“It all just happened so fast. I can’t stop replaying it in my mind. I wish I could go back to that night and do something to change it all.” I shook my head, staring across my living room, seeing nothing other than the images replaying in my mind.
I had relived the moment so many times. Damon and the groom wrestling for the gun. The gun going off. Blood spreading across the groom’s crisp white shirt.
Finding out that Damon had been arrested devastated me. I’d spent the last day in my apartment wearing my favorite pajamas, trying desperately to wrap my head around how this all happened. Of course I knew how it happened. I just couldn’t believe it.
“Stop torturing yourself.” Storm slid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against her for a side hug.
We sat together on the couch, the rest of the girls gathered around us.
“Rebel is working on it. He’s pulling some strings to make sure that Damon makes bail.
The guys have more than enough money for that. ”
Upon finding out what had happened, my best friends dropped everything to come be with me. They really were the sisters I’d never had. There were no words for how much I appreciated all four of them.
“The cops have no way of proving that Damon wasn’t defending himself,” Codie added. “It’s one man’s word against another. No matter what happens, I don’t think they’ll be able to hit him with the heaviest charge.”
“Have you even slept yet, Athena?” Ripley rose from where she sat on the nearby armchair. “I’m going to make you some tea.”
I may have dozed off on the couch for a while. Overall, I hadn’t really slept much.
“I feel like I can’t truly relax until I know he’s out of that place.” Rebel’s sources had learned that Damon had been moved to the remand center, a place known for violence and danger.
Luna leaned to hug me from the other side. “We’re all here for you. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
“Don’t hate me for saying this,” Storm began. “But have you considered that maybe you need to take a step back from this thing with Damon? You could have been hurt or arrested along with him.”
I knew that she meant well. That she only wanted the best for me like I did for her. Yet when she married the campus crime ringleader, I was the first person to stand up at her side and wish her well.
“And if it was Rebel?” I asked. “Would you take a step back?”
Storm’s expression softened into something almost sad.
“It’s not the same thing. He’s never dragged me into trouble with him.
He does everything he can to keep me away from it.
Damon seems to enjoy making you his partner in crime, and I think you like it too.
It’s dangerous, Athena. That’s no way to live. ”
The other girls quietly nodded their agreement. Of course, I knew they were right. I also knew that at some point I’d fallen for Damon and everything about him. Taking a step back was not an option.
“You’re right,” I agreed, gratefully accepting the tea that Ripley brought me. “I know that it’s dangerous. I know I’m making some really fucked up decisions lately. I’m in love with him. That’s no excuse, and it’s not a reason, but I won’t be cutting things off with him.”
Not one of them could convince me otherwise, and they knew better than to try. They were involved with men living a criminal life too. Even though they themselves were not involved, that didn’t change the fact that they accepted it.
“Being with Damon doesn’t mean you have to be his partner in crime,” Storm pointed out. “You have your whole future ahead of you. Don’t let him fuck that up for you.”
Ripley jumped in then, trying to soften the blow. “We love you, Athena, and we want what’s best for you. If you love him, then we’ll support you in that. We don’t want to see you throw your life away by making some bad decisions where he’s concerned.”
Going on jobs with Damon was most definitely a sign of some bad decision-making skills. And yet my only regret was that he’d been caught. The groom would never have been shot if he didn’t come in waving that gun in Damon’s face. None of that was on Damon.
Not for a second did I consider telling my friends how much I loved the rush. Even though I’d been terrified out of my mind when we ran after the incident, nothing on this earth could have compared to the high. Not bungee jumping or skydiving. Nothing.
Did that make me some kind of textbook thrill seeker or something worse? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Don’t worry about me, guys. I know that I’ve made some mistakes.
None of this is Damon’s fault though. I’ve been feeling bored with life lately.
Stuck. I wanted some excitement, and I took things too far.
I’m going to take some time to think things through.
” I did my best to tell them what they needed to hear.
Damon may have dragged me into this world with him, but I didn’t exactly try to get away. This wasn’t all on him.
“How about we order something to eat?” Luna suggested. “Or we can whip something up here. Whatever you prefer. I’m betting you haven’t eaten anything since this all happened.”
The thought of food made my stomach turn uncomfortably. The last time I ate was before the wedding. Since everything went down with Damon getting arrested, I had no appetite.
“I’m not really hungry, but we can order something.” I offered them what I hoped was a willing smile.
Storm whipped out her phone to place the order. “We’ll get some of your favorites. You have to eat something. Damon wouldn’t want you wasting away either.”
I settled back against the couch, briskly rubbing my hands up and down my arms. There would be no calming the continuous flow of anxiety. Not until I knew that Damon had made bail.
For the first time in pretty much ever, I wished that he was there with me. I could really use his cool unaffected attitude right then. Nothing ever got to him. I wished I was so chill.
I knew without a doubt that I wanted to be with Damon. A man like him came with many risks. Risks I was willing to take. I was in too deep to turn back now.