Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 91 - 90: I love you... Athena

Chapter 91: Chapter 90: I love you... Athena
"Oliver... ahem..." she tried to speak, to steady herself, but she didn’t even make it halfway through the sentence.
Because he closed the distance and sealed his lips over hers.
Athena’s mind blanked. A burst of heat curled it way to her lower abdomen as her eyes fluttered shut.
Oliver kissed her like a starving man.
Like he’d been holding his breath since she disappeared and she was the only air he had left.
His lips were firm, desperate, almost trembling and Athena let him.
Because this was the right thing. Kissing him was safe right?
He was hers and she was his.
This was the normal life she understood right?
This was what she was supposed to want.
So she kissed him back, letting her fingers slide up his shoulder, her mind spinning and spinning. Trying to convince her heart.
Trying to convince herself. Trying so hard not to think of another pair of eyes that she shouldn’t be remembering right now.
Oliver kissed her harder now, deeper, his fingers curling around her waist as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
Athena’s hand slide up his chest, then into his hair.
Oliver groaned into her mouth, the sound low, rough, like she pulled it straight from his throat.
His hand slid under her thigh and in one smooth motion he lifted her, pulling her into his lap.
Athena gasped as she ended up straddling him, her knees sinking into the couch cushions on both sides of him.
"Oliver..." she breathed, shocked.
He didn’t answer, instead he ran his hands up her thighs, slow and warm, his lips moving against hers like he’d die if he stopped.
Athena’s heartbeat was everywhere, her neck, her chest, even her palms.
His hands slid higher... higher... under her hoodie and suddenly stopped. Then he broke the kiss.
Athena blinked, breathless and confused.
"What’s... wrong?"
Oliver’s brows pulled together slowly. His eyes dropped to her clothes, taking them in properly for the first time.
"Where did you change?" he asked quietly.
"Where did you get these clothes from?"
Athena’s stomach flipped.
The lie she had shoved to the back of her brain slammed forward again.
She froze. "I...uh...". Her throat felt tight.
"Fe... Felicia. She... gave me the clothes."
Oliver’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Felicia?"
"Yeah..." Athena forced out.
"How?"
Damn.
The questions were coming too fast.
She swallowed hard.
"After I asked you to give me space... well... I went straight to her house."
Her voice sounded wrong to her own ears.
She didn’t know if anything she said made sense.
She didn’t know if she sounded convincing.
Oliver stared at her, waiting.
"So?" he pushed gently.
"So... I mean... I didn’t want to talk to you because I was angry, and I needed to clear my head, so I went to her house."
Her chest tightened. She felt horrible.
Like she was stabbing him in the back with every word.
And worse?
He looked like he believed her.
"So... these are her clothes?" he asked.
Athena nodded weakly.
"Yeah."
And when Athena thought the interrogation has ended, he asked another. " And the guy that dropped you off."
Athena swallowed hard. This one caught her off guard as she stammered." A... ahem...Uber."
Oliver eyes narrowed slightly but didn’t push forward.
"Look, Athena..." he said softly, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
"I know I was wrong. I should have told you about your mother, but I kept it a secret for everyone’s best interest, okay? I’m sorry."
She swallowed.
"It’s okay."
He leaned in again immediately, sealing her lips before she could even think. His hands pulled her closer, his kiss deepening like he was scared to lose her again.
And Athena let him, because it was easier with him and familiar. And with him, the guilt would be less.
Oliver’s lips stayed on hers, hungry and soft at the same time, like he wanted to breathe her in.
Athena’s fingers stayed tangled in his hair, holding him close, and he reacted instantly,
a low groan vibrating against her mouth.
His hands slid under her hoodie again, warmer this time, tracing up her spine in slow lines that made her shiver.
His fingertips found the band of her bra.
He paused for a heartbeat. Then he moved again.
His hand went lower, tracing her back... then down until he cupped her butt firmly, pulling her closer into his lap.
Athena gasped against his lips.
Oliver deepened the kiss once more before pulling back just slightly, his breathing heavier.
He tugged at the hem of her hoodie, making an attempt to lift it.
Athena stiffened instantly.
He noticed.
"What?" Oliver asked, brows drawing in. "I’ve seen you naked a lot of times."
Her cheeks warmed in embarrassment.
"I know..." she mummered softly.
He tilted his head, studying her face.
"Then what’s wrong?"
"I’m just... not in the mood," she whispered, her voice small. "I’m not... ready."
Oliver blinked, surprised.
"Athena, I never said I want to sleep with you," he murmured softly. His thumb brushed her waist. "I just want to pleasure you."
Her heart skipped not out of excitement, but guilt. A heavy, burning guilt.
She lowered her gaze to her hands resting on his shoulders.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
It felt wrong. All of this. The closeness, warmth, intimacy.
It felt wrong at the same time that another man’s scent, another man’s voice, another man’s eyes still lingered on her skin, in her head.
Her chest tightened so painfully she could barely breathe. She didn’t say anything.
She couldn’t. What the hell could she say?
Oliver cupped her cheek gently, trying to lift her face. "Athena?"
Her throat closed.
She couldn’t look at him not with the guilt eating her alive.
She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.
Oliver’s scent... that one familiar warm scent that she should be craving.
He held her tightly, rubbing her back gently through the hoodie, slow and steady.
For a long moment they just stayed like that breathing the same air, holding on like time didn’t exist.
Then Oliver’s voice broke the silence softly.
"You’re not going to come with me to the airport tomorrow."
Athena’s head snapped up instantly.
"Why?"
He sighed, brushing a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Because you’ll be going to school. And you’re not missing class because of me."
"What time is your flight?"
"Nine. Same time your class starts."
Athena shook her head without hesitation.
"I don’t care, Oliver. I’m coming with you."
"Athena, you can’t do that. What about your classes?"
She leaned closer, her hand gripping his shirt.
"Tomorrow is going to be our last day together... not last forever but before you travel. I’m not skipping that because of classes. No. That can wait."
Her voice dropped, soft but firm.
"You’re way more important."
Oliver stared at her like she had just handed him his whole heart back.
His lips parted, but no words came out at first.
When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and shaky.
"I don’t know what I did to deserve you..."
Athena shook her head quickly, her voice trembling.
"No. I don’t deserve you, Oliver. You deserve someone way better than me. I’m not good enough... I’m bad... I’m foolish...I’m stupid... I’m such a losing game... I’m not worth a tiny bit of your time."
His expression hardened. "Athena, don’t say that. Don’t ever say that about yourself."
He cupped her face gently, thumbs brushing away the tears she didn’t even know had escaped.
"I don’t care what you are or what you think you’ve done. You’re still my best person in the whole world. I love you... Athena."
His voice softened on the last words... almost like he was afraid they would break.
Athena blinked, and more tears slipped down. She tried to wipe them quickly but Oliver pulled her into his chest before she could.
He held her like she was something fragile.
Like he could feel her guilt, her confusion, her fear.
Then he murmured with a soft, teasing smile against her hair, "Are you crying because I said I love you?"
He let out a quiet breath, almost a tiny laugh.
"You always cry when it’s something about us," he whispered, stroking the back of her head.
"That’s how I know your heart hears me... even when you’re trying so hard to pretend it doesn’t."
He kissed the top of her head gently.
"Athena... I’m not going anywhere forever. You don’t have to be scared."
He held her tighter like letting her go felt wrong.
Oliver’s fingers slid under her chin gently, lifting her face up to his.
He forced her eyes to meet his not harshly, but softly... like he didn’t want her hiding.
"Athena," he murmured, his voice low and careful. She hummed in response.
"if you don’t want me to do it... then I won’t."
His thumb brushed her cheek.
"There’s always another time."
Her chest tightened painfully.
Athena nodded, barely able to hold his gaze as she whispered,
"I’m sorry."
He shook his head immediately.
"Hey... come on, it’s okay," he said softly, leaning his forehead against hers.
"You don’t have to apologize for that."
His hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her into a slow, warm embrace.
"I love you..." Oliver murmured into her hair.
Again.