Chapter 59

Athena couldn't make it to any of her part-time jobs today; she canceled them all because she was so worried about Carter. She didn't even consider how her decisions today might affect her tomorrow, but her concern for him took priority.

Earlier, he had forced her out of his room and refused to eat. Despite feeling both worried and sad, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She wanted to make sure he ate, even if it meant sacrificing her own job.

Athena sat in the living room, hoping that Carter or even Gabriella would come soon. She was eager to understand what was going on. It broke her heart to see Carter sad; she hated it. Deep down, she knew it wasn't just because she cared for him as a big sister, like Rosalie did. That's why his sadness weighed heavily on her heart.

But she had to admit that she loved Carter. She knew it was shameless to fall for her best friend's brother, yet she couldn't control her heart. It dawned on her that her feelings ran deeper than she had initially thought. At first, she believed her attraction stemmed from the fact that he was her best friend's brother, but now she realized that she truly loved him.

It's hard for her to keep her heart from racing every time she sees Carter, but she manages to rein it in a little. She has always wished he wasn't this kind of person to her and makes her feel this way; otherwise, her heart wouldn't be suffering in silence without any hope for relief.

If he weren't her best friend's brother, she might have tried to make Carter fall for her too. But now, she knows that's impossible, and she'll be the only one loving him until she can move on from her feelings.

She tried to avoid him, so her feelings wouldn't overwhelm her, but it was impossible. They saw each other every day and lived in the same house. Eventually, she accepted her fate: to fall in love with someone who would never reciprocate her feelings. It was heartbreaking that it had to be Carter.

"Damn it!" Athena mumbled, realizing that thinking about it only made her feel sadder. "I hope my feelings don't overwhelm me before I get over Carter. I really need to try to move on, no matter how much my heart wants to keep beating for him. Yes! I can do this," she said, determination shining in her eyes.

She knew it would be incredibly embarrassing if Carter found out she loved him. She would never be able to shake off the humiliation, knowing he would see her differently, as if she were cheap. It would also ruin her friendship with Rosalie, and she didn't want that.

"What kind of foolish temptation is this?" Athena mumbled to herself, lost in thought until she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind.

She immediately stood up and confirmed it was indeed who she thought it was. "Oh goodness! Carter, you finally came out! But where are you going?" she asked, noticing his outfit suggested he was heading out. She wondered where he could possibly be going at this hour, thinking it was already night.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier, big sis," Carter said softly, his face still gloomy and the sadness evident in his expression. Athena couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt when he called her "big sis." She wished she could be something more to him.

"It's okay; I understand you must have been frustrated," Athena replied, and Carter nodded slowly.

"But where are you going?"

"It's late, and Gabriella still isn't back. I need to go look for her," Carter said, start hurrying away. Athena gasped in shock.

"Wait!" she called out, surprised by his sudden decision. How could he want to search for her after everything that had happened? She could see the sadness in his eyes, and even though she didn't fully understand the situation between them, she was certain that Gabriella was the one who had done something wrong.

"What? I need to leave immediately! I don't want a repeat of yesterday-she almost got robbed, and I promised I'd always walk her home. So why are you telling me to wait?" Carter said impatience etched on his face. Athena couldn't help but wonder why he was acting this way because of Gabriella.

"I can't let you go. Why are you acting like this over her? She's not a child; she can make it home by herself. You don't have to walk her home every day. Besides..."

"You guys are fighting, and I know she's the one in the wrong. She's rude and arrogant, so you don't need to risk your life looking for her tonight," Athena said, moving closer to Carter, who stood there with his mouth agape in shock. She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when he mentioned he was going to search for Gabriella, especially after everything she had done to him. It was as if he didn't mind at all.

"Hey, big sis, what's going on? Why are you so worked up? Is it because of Gabriella? This isn't the first time I've gone out at night, so why is it a big deal now? I don't get why you seem to dislike her so much. What happens between me and Gabriella is our business, and I wish you'd be more concerned about her safety instead of focusing on your dislike feelings about her."

"Yes, I can't deny that I like her, and you're not going anywhere to look for her. I don't understand what you see in her that makes you not look my way," Athena said, and as soon as the words left her mouth, Carter's eyes went wide.

"What the heck are you talking about? What do you mean by 'look your way'? You're my big sister, and I've never looked down on you! So what do you mean that I don't look your way?" Carter said, his confusion mounting and impatience growing. Even though he and Gabriella were clearly having a misunderstanding, he couldn't shake the worry he felt for her.

And since she was almost robbed last night, he grew more worried as she still hadn't come home. He hoped that what happened last night wouldn't happen again, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Athena was wasting his time.

"I can't help it; you forced my feelings out, and I can't control them right now," Athena mumbled.

"What?..." Carter asked, confused about what was happening. Before he could finish his question, Athena suddenly pulled his neck closer to hers, and before he could even blink or process what was going on...

Athena pressed her lips against his, pulling him into a deep, intense kiss.