Respect

Chapter 24: Deceptive Truth

Athena's POV

*Flashback*

"Seven! Give that back would you!" I shouted

"You have to catch me first!"

"And when I do, I'll tickle you so much you'll cry!" I said stretching my hands out to grab him

He had the weirdest laugh, but it suited him. It filled the house as he ran for his dear life knocking over everything which always made mom mad.

*Present Time*

I remember a time when all we did was laugh. When our life was just a playground. And now, that playground had burned to ash.

Memories were all I had left of such a time. When my life was not chaotic, when watching a horror movie was all the excitement there was, when I had my family besides me.

Everything seemed to come crushing down on my head. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything was a mess, and now, I was back in HIS hands. I felt like a prisoner. Never to escape his cage.

"When did everything go wrong?"

I said to myself, feeling my eyes welling up. I was tired and I couldn't do anything.

My escape attempt had failed miserably, but what stayed with me was how he spoke to me. I dared look for the good in him, and he shot at me. He shot at me.

I could never understand why he was helping me to begin with. He had no business taking care of me, so why was he? If he hated me so much, why not let me go!

I was stopped in thought when my door came open revealing a very familiar face. It was Dean, but now that I think about it, he's just like him.

"Hello!" he said, somewhat cheerfully, like there was anything to laugh about. Which now I take as mockery.
"Okay, so we're playing mute now"
"Okayyy...."
"You know, if you think about it, this isn't so bad. I mean, you wouldn't want to be tortured, beat up, possibly raped, killed, and then thrown to never be found again. I mean for arguments sake, if we're weighing your options here.... You're better off with Daniel"

Dean left me speechless, and I could just stare at him in horror. Is that what they do?

"Scary huh. Well Daniel's the one preventing all that from happening to you. He's like your shield, taking everything in for you so that that doesn't have to happen to you" he said

"But I didn't ask him to do any of that!" I shouted

"So now we're talking" he said grinning

"Listen, all this, STARTED when HE entered my life! None of this would have happened if he had stayed away from me! MY life is a living HELL because of him! And if he really wanted to help me, he would have mentioned the fact that that lady who came to my house was his relative, but nooooo, Mr Mafia over there just wanted to get me alone and vulnerable and then swoop me up and lock me in his house like some damsel!" I shouted

"Is that what you think Athena? Daniel never wanted any of this to happen to you. He never knew his family would go after you, he never knew that your brother would die, he never knew that loving you would get him into so much trouble, but he took the risk and he's doing everything in his power to keep you safe and that's the truth" he said

"Loving me?" I asked confused

"Yes Athena, 'loving you'. Hard to believe huh? Daniel Terranova, actually being in love with someone. Even I couldn't believe it either....he has loved you from the day he first saw you at the café. He knows you and his been making sure nobody harms you, and that night, on the road, was one of them. He had us watching over you and making sure you were safe, and when he found out that you were being harassed, he was so furious, he had to handle it himself"

Hearing that you had a stalker is too big a pill to swallow, but knowing that you're living with him, now that's just too much.

"You were stalking me?" I asked, shaken to my core.

"I wouldn't call it that really. We never did it all the time" he said, as if trying to justify his actions.
"He's done so much for you Athena, put his life on the line for you and all you do is insult him, defame him and hurt him. You think someone would go this far to keep you safe and not feel anything for you? I know, when you look at him, you only see a monster, but there is so much more to him than what meets the eye. I would know, I've known him since he was just a boy. Yes, he doesn't have the most 'noble' profession, but it's not like he had much of a choice. These things are family driven, and once something goes wrong, you're next. So, please try and see past his reputation and actually get to know him, he might surprise you"

Dean left me in a trance. Daniel 'loved me'. I don't know why, but his words stuck with me and kind of hurt me. I felt bad.

But he doesn't deserve it, he's evil!

I couldn't stop thinking about how he saved me countless times, I wanted to feel hate, but felt guilt. Guilt for all those times I insulted him and cursed him. I didn't know what to think anymore.

Was he really a good person?
Was he really in love with me?
What if he just wanted to use me?
If he really loved me, he'd let me go, right?
_________
I

never slept that night. Thinking about what Dean had said was all I could do. I couldn't wrap my head around it, and to make things worse, he wasn't even home, at least I thought.

It was past midnight when I heard a number of cars pull into the driveway. I ran to my door wanting to talk to Daniel but stopped in my tracks, my hand still clasped on the handle. I couldn't face him. I was about to return to my bed when I heard a voice in the hall. It was Daniel's voice, I could never mistake it.

"How is she? Did she leave her room today? Did she eat anything?"

He was asking about me. Why?

I was glued to the door, taken by the conversation when his footsteps got close to the door. I flinched in realisation and ran to my bed, diving under my covers and holding my breath as I heard a knock and my door slowly opening.

It was him

He walked in and stared at me as he always did, greeted and got no response, as usual, sighed and walked out. It was the same every night. But tonight, I felt different, I felt guilty for not having answered him.

I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to understand him, but it was so hard to get close to him. How could one even begin to fathom the thought of conversing with their fear.