My secret lives

Chapter 24

Atlas' POV.

I never knew how much I could miss a person until now.

I've always missed a small part of me but never like this.

Athena- I always knew she was my twin and I've looked for her for years and now that we finally have her back it still doesn't feel real even though I know it is.

I didn't want to go to school today but Vincenzo demanded that I would.

He's such an ass sometimes and even though I know he means well, it still annoys me.

I just want to spend time with Ena.

Since she's back I only want to get to know her more and more.

And I'm also worried.

That motherfucker who's called John hurt her.

He hurt my twin.

My amazing lovely twin.

I'm really fearful for how hurt she is, for all I know that broken foot might not be the worst thing of all.

She's gone through so so fucking much.

She's traumatized.

I just want to hug her and protect her from anything bad in this world.

I really wish that that woman who we call mother would have taken me instead of her.

I wish I could've taken all those hits that were put on her body.

I can't even start to imagine how hopeless she must have truly felt when she was there being beaten by that bastard.

I step into the car where the twins are already seated waiting for me.

Valentino puts his cigarette out the second he sees me before he drives off.

I look outside of the window the whole ride home in anticipation, you can't blame me for being so happy about my twin being back but something feels off.

Like something is wrong but I can't place what.

They say that your twin is like a part of yourself which it is- she's my second half. Maybe something happened

When we finally arrive and I walk inside, I quickly go upstairs.

I drop my backpack off at my room which is next to Athena's when I hear sobs.

What?

I quickly acknowledge that the sound is coming from Ena's room.

No

With my heart beating in my throat I walk to Athena's room.

I gently knock on the door and the sobs from before immediately die out.

I gently open the door knowing she won't answer.

My eyes land on her fragile body sitting on the floor, curled up into a ball but she's now looking at me with tears staining her face while they threaten to leave her eyes.

I slowly make my way to her and kneel down next to her on the ground.

"Hey- what happened?" I ask her gently while gently reaching out to her as more and more worry sounds in my voice.

She looks at me for a few seconds as she tries to keep her sobs and crying in.

"Hey- Shh come here" I quickly rush out when she can't keep the sobs inside of her anymore.

I pull her inside of my arms and wrap my arms around her body.

"What's wrong Ena?" I ask her worriedly while I stroke her back lovingly.

She just shakes her head as she starts crying harder.

"Shh, calm down. It'll be okay Ena, it'll be okay, let it all out." I try to shush her- to help her calm down as her body shakes with the constant sobs coursing through her.

She continues to cry into my chest when suddenly Valentino hears her crying as walks further to the entrance of Athena's room.

He sees us sitting on the ground with Ena tucked into my chest and looks at me questionably.

I just shake my head while motioning for him to give us some space.

He nods understandingly, gently closes the door and leaves.

I pick Athena up and carry us to her bed where I place her down before I tug her back into my chest as she continues to silently cry.

I keep muttering some comforting things while holding her until eventually she stops crying.

I keep holding her tightly to me even though she has stopped crying.

I grab a hold of her face in between my hands and bring it up so she's looking at me, "what happened?" I ask her, worry lacing my voice.

Her chin wobbles, "a nightmare" is all she says but I somehow just know that it is more than that.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask her.

She looks at me hesitatingly.

"You can tell me" I answer her u asked alarmed questions.

I release her face and she lies back down, now being cuddled into me again.

"It was a memory" she says while hugging me tighter as if the words that are rolling off of her mouth would make me want to leave her.

My grip on her doesn't lessen but gets tighter instead.

"What was it about?" I ask a little fearful for the answer.

She swallows deeply and makes sure I can't see her face when she says, "I saw Henry die" her voice breaks as the words leave her mouth.

I stay quiet for a couple of seconds, not really knowing how to reply.

"I'm sorry for your loss, who was he and h-how did he die if I may ask" I ask her a little curious on who he is since this man or boy apparently meant a lot to her.

She sniffs before answering, "he was a man- a very very kind man. He helped me get away from John and together with Ares, we were living with each other until some man broke in the house and played some kind of Russian roulette on us before s-shooting him in the head" she tells me.

My body stills, including the hand that was stroking her back.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry you went through that" I say, my own voice breaking just at the imaginary sight I create in my head.

She nods her head as if to say that it's okay, "we can't change the past" she mutters.

"Unfortunately that's true" I say.

We stay quiet for a little while until Athena asks a question no one in this house is prepared to answer, "Atlas, since mom took me away, where is father?"