Chapter 32 DAYS WITH HIM

Chapter 32 DAYS WITH HIM
Athena woke up with her body lying behind the bedroom door. Apparently she had slept there all night.
"Uh, shit!" she said softly, while touching the part of her body that now felt sore.
Last night's dream—no, more precisely that wild fantasy, was still stuck in her mind. Xavier's kiss, his touch, his soft voice asking Athena not to belong to anyone else... all of it made her heart feel like it was being crushed at once.
She rubbed her face roughly, trying to kill the remnants of those emotions from her mind, but before she could get up from bed, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door.
"Miss Athena, are you awake? Mr. Brian has been waiting for you since an hour ago." Rod's voice was heard outside.
Athena glared, spontaneously looking at the wall clock. It was already eight o'clock, it was too late to be called just waking up. Athena stood up, ignoring the pain and stiffness that attacked her body, then took off the dress she had left last night, removed her make up, and immediately took a shower.
After she finished, she stood in front of the mirror, making sure there was nothing wrong with her current appearance, then she went out of the room.
Athena's gaze immediately met Brian's gaze who was sitting on the living room sofa. The man's smile—it seemed cold, similar to Xavier's, but there was a warmth in it that made her not hesitate to greet him.
"Good morning, Future Wife," he greeted.
Athena chuckled, still awkward with the title, but she felt happy. "Good morning... Future Husband," she replied.
"Sorry, I bothered you." Brian's voice sounded soft, then he handed her the goodie bag in his hand. "You left something behind last night. Your favorite coat. I knew you would look for it when you realized you came home without it."
Athena blinked for a moment. Goodie bag? Coat? Why did they all feel similar? But the one in front of her now was not Xavier.
Athena nodded slowly, her hands shaking when she accepted the goodie bag. "Thank you... sorry to bother you."
Brian shook his head slightly. "You must not have had breakfast. Rod said he had prepared everything but you haven't come out of the room."
“Ah, yes... I was just a little tired so I woke up late. Would you like to have breakfast with me?” Athena asked, reducing the awkwardness.
“If you don’t mind, then this would be a sign of honor for me,” Brian replied, while touching his chest with one palm.
Athena seemed to not hesitate to take the man’s hand, leading him to the dining room to eat breakfast. The servants seemed busy when they came, of course this was not a strange thing for Brian, but Athena felt uncomfortable because she was used to living independently.
“You... don’t look okay, your face is pale. Did you have a nightmare?” Brian asked softly.
Athena was silent for a moment. She wanted to answer ‘no’, but Brian’s eyes were too honest to lie. “Just a little strange dream,” she answered.
Brian cut Athena’s bread into smaller pieces, he also helped pour green tea, then served it on the side of the plate.
“I always believe that nightmares can be cured with sweet reality,” he said softly, then turned to Athena. “If you allow... can I be a part of that reality?”
Athena looked at him. There was no pressure in Brian's eyes, but his voice sounded sincere and understanding. Something that... she didn't find in Xavier's eyes, which were always demanding, forcing, and making her feel like she had no choice but to obey him.
Athena chuckled. "You're too sweet to be real."
Brian turned to her, his tone playful, but sincere. "Then, hopefully I can chase away your nightmares long enough for you to wake up."
Athena stared at him silently, and for the first time after all the hardships she had experienced. Brian's presence had managed to make her feel... calm.
At least, there was someone who didn't see her as Auree.
After the warm green tea and grilled cheese sandwiches were finished, Athena took Brian to the balcony on the third floor. They sat back to back on a small garden chair.
The sun began to rise slowly, illuminating Athena's curly hair that looked shiny.
Brian stared at her silently, see a beautiful and fresh face that he had just met last night. "This morning is too beautiful to just stare at the view from the balcony," Brian said. "I'm on a little mission. Do you want to come?"
Athena raised an eyebrow. "Mission?"
“Weekly shopping,” Brian answered casually, then stood up and extended his hand to her. “But with a special purpose: to make you forget about whatever made you gloomy this morning. Including nightmares.”
Athena smiled, hesitated for a moment, then took his hand. “Really? But this isn’t boring shopping, right?”
Brian thought for a moment. “My job is to make you comfortable with me, Athena.”
Athena was silent for a moment, remembering that sentence had also been said by Xavier before.
“Even if necessary, we can stop by a mini plant shop or… hunt for random food that you’ve never tried.”
Athena laughed, and Brian was happy to hear that voice again.
That morning, with the car parked far from the city’s shopping center. Brian took Athena for a walk along the not-too-crowded city sidewalk. The cool morning air and the aroma of baked goods from the cafes along the street were appetizing.
In a small supermarket near the city center, Athena held back laughter seeing Brian seriously choosing a type of fruit based on its color and shape. “You choose apples based on their aura, huh?”
“If the color is dull, it means she’s in a bad mood. I want you to eat food that makes you happy,” Brian answered shamelessly, making Athena tickled.
They had a small argument about which was better—fresh strawberries or frozen strawberry shortcake, and Athena laughed until she covered her mouth with her jacket sleeve. Brian managed to make Athena forget for a while that last night Xavier’s shadow had almost made her fall apart.
She didn’t know when was the last time Athena felt this free when she was at her parents’ house. Walking downtown, coming out of the store with bags full of groceries and two cups of ice cream in hand. Things she could only do when she was with Zara.
Athena realized that this moment was very simple, but it felt so warm and comfortable.
After a shopping trip filled with small laughs and light jokes, Brian looked at his watch and suddenly said, “Let me show you a place. It’s not far from here.”
Athena frowned curiously. “What place?”
“A place I used to go to when I was feeling down,” Brian answered softly, then added quickly, “You should see it, I think you’ll like it.”
Without further ado, Athena followed. Brian’s car took them out of the city center, through shady streets lined with old trees. Soon they arrived at a small park hidden behind an old iron fence. There weren’t many people there—just the sound of trickling water from a round fountain and the scent of spring flowers that were starting to bloom.
“This place used to belong to a grandmother who loved to paint. She opened this park to the public after her husband died. She said, every flower here was planted based on the color of a memory,” Brian said slowly, his eyes observing the stone benches overgrown with moss.
Athena walked slowly, breathing in the fresh air. “This place is like in a fairy tale book,” he said softly.
“And you are the princess in that fairy tale,” Brian whispered unconsciously, but quickly looked away before Athena could react.
They sat under a magnolia tree, and for a moment it was quiet, comfortable. They didn’t know since when—they didn’t realize, their hands were holding each other. As if they were sharing an unspeakable anxiety.
However, the silence didn’t last long, from the opposite direction, the sound of footsteps was heard. Brian turned first, and his expression was momentarily shocked. Athena turned next—and her eyes widened in disbelief for a moment.
Julian was standing not far from them. Dressed in a semi-formal suit, his black jacket open, and his eyes sharp, but not too surprised when he met Athena's gaze.
"Athena?" his voice sounded incredulous.
Athena stiffened, torn between saying hello or walking away. Julian looked at Athena, then at Brian. The look in his eyes immediately turned cold.
"I feel like I'm bothering," Julian said, and Athena could see the slightest change in the way his jaw tightened.
"Bothering—" Athena started to say, but Brian stood up, interrupting her quietly.
"How are you, Julian?" Brian greeted, with a genuine smile.
Julian stared at Brian for a long moment. "I'm fine... and I'm a little surprised to see you with her." His gaze shifted to Athena.
"Yeah, we were just hanging out for a bit. My future wife needed to calm down after feeling excluded in her nightmare," Brian said, his words simple, but enough to make Julian feel offended, and Athena looked down in confusion.
“Ah, so the rumors are true, Athena?” Julian asked, as if everyone already knew about this arranged marriage.
Athena froze. Her heart was beating strangely. Does everyone in Westbrook really know about this? Do I need to check my phone?
Julian was about to speak, but before he could, Athena spoke first, “My destiny and Brian’s have been shaped since we were little. I don’t think there’s any problem if you guys talk about our relationship.”
Julian stiffened, unconsciously clenching his fists tightly. At that moment… Brian realized, something was happening between them…