Respect

Chapter 29: Acceptance

Athena's POV
"So...."

"What?" I asked confused

"Is it just me, or are you two actually close?" Heather commented

"Athena, not that I'm controlling you or anything, but that man is no good. You know the kind of man that he is and the life he leads. I hope you are not picturing a life with him. For all we know, he could hurt you any time" Brady said

"I know you guys are just looking out for me, but please, don't judge him before you even get to know him. He's not a bad person. Yeah, his line of work is not acceptable to many, but he's really a kind person if you allow him to show you that side of him" I said

"Wait, are you defending him?" Heather said

"Athena, are you kidding me!" Brady shouted. "Did you not hear a thing I just said?!"
"That man will forever put your life in danger Athena!"

"I'm fine, am I not? There is nothing to worry about. Daniel takes really good care of me, he would never hurt me, that I know" I said the last part smiling to myself.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Heather asked catching me off guard. I kept quiet, not even I knew the answer to that question yet.

Did I have feelings for him?

"Answer the question. Do you have feelings for him?" she said more firmly

"I don't know" I said underneath my breath

"Noooo?!" Brady growled running his hands through his hair as he stomped around the room.
"Athena NO! You don't like him! That shouldn't even cross your mind"
"You've just been held hostage for too long that you thing you like him. You don't!"

"Brady would you stop!" I shouted, frustrated. "I'm not being held hostage. Daniel never hurt me in any way!"

"Oh yeah, then why doesn't he allow you to leave huh?!"

"For my safety! He cares about me and he's only protecting me. If he was really holding me hostage, would he have allowed you guys to be here!"

"Cares about you, wow, that's rich! You're in this trouble because of HIM! Your life is a mess because of him. If he hadn't shown up in your life, you wouldn't be here, and maybe, just maybe, Seven would still be alive..."

"Brady stop!" Heather shouted

"No! She should hear this! You say you love that psycho, well... what would you do if you found out that he had something to do with your brother's death huh?! Would you take it? Don't be delusional Athena, men like him don't know the first thing about love. They live off of the suffering and pain of others. He's capable of anything, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he played a part in the death of Seven. Stop living in a fantasy Athena!" he said walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

I had never seen Brady that upset before. His words really did hurt me. Not only what he said about Daniel, but also about Seven. That kept replaying in my head.

What if he had something to do with Seven's death?

No!

He wouldn't do that to me, I know it. He loves me, right?
But.... he's never said it, but I can feel it.

I don't think I'd be able to take it if he did have something to do with his death.

Lost in thought, I wanted to believe in Daniel. He's not bad like they say he is, I know him. He's different. They just don't see it.
________
The night was long and I couldn't sleep. Heather was asleep beside me and Brady was in the room adjacent to mine.

It was one o'clock when I heard a car pull into the drive way. It was Daniel. I got out of bed making sure not to wake Heather, closed the door softly, and headed down stairs.

"You're awake?" he said, closing the door behind him as he acknowledged my presence.

"Yeah, I um.... couldn't sleep"

"Is everything alright Athena?" he asked, so concerned. He looked so sincere.

"Nothing really. And you, how are you doing? How was um.... work?" I asked not sure of what to ask about.

"I'm not one for small talk love. And you're a terrible liar. Take a seat" he said

No wonder he's the boss, he was so commanding

"Tell me what's bothering you... you can tell me, maybe I can be of some help" he said, sitting down beside me and crossing his legs.

"Daniel... I don't know what to tell you. It's really nothing. Brady and I just had a small argument"

"If it was a small argument, you wouldn't be so down about it"
"It was about me wasn't it?" he asked after a long silence.

I never responded

"I could feel his hostility towards me. I was actually waiting for him to say something" he said. He was so calm.

"It's good you felt it!" I heard someone shout from the staircase behind us.

"Brady please!" I begged, getting to my feet.

"You have some nerve acting like some saint to her, when deep down you are nothing but a worthless murderer!" he spat out as he stomped towards Daniel.

Daniel gets to his feet, his hands in his pockets, breathed deeply, and just stood there....Unmoved.

"Brady just stop!" I shouted

"I can't believe you actually have feelings for this man! Can you even hear how stupid you sound Athena, defending a killer! OPEN YOUR EYES WILL YOU! HE'S GOING TO HURT YOU!"

"I know you hate me Brady, but I can assure you, my intentions for Athena are pure. I'd never hurt her" Daniel said

"Oh cut the crap!" he hissed. "I don't give a damn about your intentions do you hear me. I won't allow you to keep her here any longer... for what?! she's vulnerable and you're using her because you've made her believe that she has to be indebted to you. You disgust me" he hissed
"Athena" he said, grabbing me by my wrist, "We're leaving"

"Brady!" I shouted
I struggled in his grip when I felt Daniel hold my other hand.

"Don't be hasty with your decision. We both know I'm more capable of protecting her, and if you care about her like you say you do, you'll put your anger and pride in a box and prioritize her safety" he said firmly, still holding my wrist.

"Don't make me look like I don't care about Athena you hear me. Need I remind you, YOU, are the root of ALL her problems! She wouldn't have to seek protection from the likings of YOU if you had never come into her life to begin with! Her life is messed up because of you! So, I'll do what I've been doing much longer than you have and keep-her-safe" he growled, pulling me.

I didn't want to hurt Brady, but I never wanted to leave Daniel. So, I made a choice. I stopped, bringing Brady to a halt. He stared at me and whispered my name underneath his breath, hurt, it was written all over his face. 

"I'm staying with Daniel" I said, pulling his hand away from my wrist and walking back to Daniel.

"Huh" he scoffed. "You'll regret this Athena, I know you will" he said softly, stomping away.

I hurt him, and I knew it. Brady and Heather left later that morning. Daniel had organised for their transport. They left on a sour note and I hated it. Yes, they were my friends and they had always been there for me; looking out for me, picking me up when I was down, cheering me up when I needed it the most, and it hurt knowing that the introduction of Daniel into my life meant I'd be driven further away from my family. I just wanted them to accept him like I had, was that too much to ask. We were drifting apart and I feared for us.