Athena's Savior

10 Under the same sky

A bit of an emotional chapter but I hope you're liking it so far!🤍

Athena's pov

"Where are we going?" I asked. Aaron was kind enough to drive me home after staying at his house last night, but he was taking wrong turns left and right. He was either ignoring me or deaf, and from his glib facial expression I'd say it's the former.

"Just stop asking and relax, I know where I'm going," he said, rolling his eyes as I sighed and sunk into the leather seats.

Within the next few minutes we arrived at the mystery destination. A waterfall? Don't get me wrong it's stunning, the massive rocks laying across the water and the way the mid-afternoon sun was hitting it. I just wasn't sure why we were here so I awaited his explanation.

There wasn't one, he simply grabbed my hand and walked us along the edge of the water.

He sat us down on a rock near the falling water and I could feel the light mist hitting my skin.

I didn't realize I had closed my eyes until they broke open to reveal a seemingly amused, Aaron Hastings. We've had some moments recently where I've questioned our friendship, but I know I can't handle anything more than what we have right now.

"Do you like it?" He asked, breaking the silence between us. I looked up at the top of the waterfall, then down at the water drifting past our feet. "It's beautiful," I looked back at him and smiled, "I just don't know why we're here."

He took a while to answer but after a few seconds he started, "did you see that?" He asked, avoiding my question. "What?" He was literally pointing at the tiny pebbles and clear water by our feet, what was I supposed to see? A tadpole?

"Look, watch the rocks under the water." He said almost excitedly; after a few moments I saw it. I didn't understand it but I saw one of the rocks move under the pull of the small current. "Did you seriously bring me here to stare at rocks Aaron?"

"Yes and no, did you see it move?" He asked happily. I still didn't get it but nodded for him to continue. "Well you know how the rocks can sometimes move when the water gets rough?" I nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"Ok well usually when they move it pushes them to a better area, one where they won't get swept away as easily. As if the rough current put them in a better place." He concluded.

I was following but he could tell I wasn't there yet. "Sometimes Thea, the things people say and the things they do to us, no matter how painful or heartbreaking it is, can make us better people or even help us if we let it." He said, looking at me with a sad smile, and I finally understood.

Whether it was about my parents or the girls at school, I was still in control of how they affected me.

I looked up at him and smiled back. I can't believe he brought me all the way here to tell me something so simple, yet...important?
I didn't realize how much my mother and sister were effecting me lately and I'm sure he could see it too.

Aaron seems to surprise me everyday, and I don't think that'll ever change. I don't think I want it to.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and watched as the water fell from the rocks above. I felt ready. For the first time in 6 months, I was ready.

I took a deep breathe. "She snuck into room after our parents fell asleep," I began, he could tell where I was going with this, and placed the arm I was resting on around me as I continued. "She said she was going out and wanted me to come. Lilith and I were close but very different. She loved to party, I didn't. I loved reading, she hated it." I said with a small laugh.

"Anyways, it wasn't often that she'd ask for me to come to a party with her and I saw it as an opportunity to get closer with her. She gave me an outfit to where and a few minutes later we were sneaking out my window." Trying my hardest not to cry I continued.

"The party was fun we drank, we danced, then we left. It was actually the first time I'd ever been drunk so I was kind of freaking out." He laughed and I smiled, but braced for what came next.

"I told her we could get an Uber or something because if we had our driver come our parents would know. She didn't like that idea since we drove her car to the party." I said as a tear slid across my cheek.

Aaron's pov

I watched as she struggled to keep her tears from falling. I knew it was good for her to talk about it but I could tell it hurt like nothing I could ever imagine.

"She was my older sister, she was supposed to protect me. Instead, she made one stupid fucking decision that ruined both of our lives. Well technically only my life because she isn't living anymore, right?" I was caught of guard by the bluntness of her words but she just laughed dryly.

It was as if she were here alone, simply thinking out loud. Her head left my shoulder and Thea tucked her knees under her chin, wrapping her arms around them and continued.

"She wanted to get to 100 mph for god knows what reason, and I was sitting next to her screaming for her to stop or at least slow down. Lilith just kept going faster telling me not to worry, telling me we'd be fine. And that's when I saw it." She said, taking a shuttering breath.

"I'm still not sure what happened whether she ran a red light or they did but I saw their blinding headlights and I knew it was over." Athena sighed and quickly added, "then I got to sit in blood screaming for her to wake up until I passed out and then suddenly I woke up and she wasn't there anymore."

Athena looked down at her hands, running her fingers over the puncture wounds on her palm she got during the argument with her mother yesterday.

"I think she was depressed." She said quietly looking out across the water. "Why do you think that?" I asked. She took a few breaths then answered, "she was fun at parties and everything but once she got home I always found her on the um...balcony. Always staring at an invisible spot in the sky, but in  her eyes you could just," her voice strained to find the words.

"They held so much pain, I didn't see it before, but it  was so easy to mistake it for exhaustion. Like she hadn't slept the night before and she was just tired. The only reason I think that now, is because I see it when I look in the mirror." Thea looked as if she wasn't done with the thought but couldn't utter the next words.

I placed a soft hand on her back and traced small circles with my thumb to give her the push she needed to continue. "That look haunts me Aaron, the one where you can tell the person doesn't want to be here anymore. To know she felt like that and never said anything hurts." By now there were uncontrollable tears falling from her brown eyes.

"Is that why you always end up on the roof at every party?" I asked softly.

"At least her and I were staring at the same sky right?" She said as a sad smile graced her lips.

"Thea, do you feel like that now?" I asked, trying to mask my worry. "I...don't know anymore." My heart dropped to my stomach as she said those words. She didn't know if she wanted to live anymore? I don't think she was convinced she even deserved to.

I pulled her into me and held her for so long her tears had dried and the sun was beginning to set. "Thea please promise me that whenever you feel like that you'll call me or talk to me about it, not keep it inside like your sister did." She stared at me as if surprised that I cared so much. She really didn't know how much the people around her loved her.

"I will, Aaron. I will." She said, hugging me again. I kissed the top of her head and we let go of each other.

Standing up and dusting off my pants, I held a hand out to help her up. She took it and our hands never parted as we walked back to the car.