Getaway

023

Athena

"Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are?". I can see that Harry is trying to show confidence, but I see in the way his posture is rigid and also at the end of the sentence his voice cracked a little. Atlas positions himself in front of me, showing him that he isn't afraid of him and that he will do anything to protect me even if we don't know each other. Atlas moves his head a little bit so that I can see half of his face and gives me a small smile. I try to return it, but I can't because I'm scared that Harry might harm him in some way and I don't want that because I'm starting to care about him. Atlas ignores his questions and repeats the same phrase he said just seconds ago.

"I hope you regret what you just said to her"

"Please... Its my sister and I will treat her however I want. And I know she doesn't mind, because in the end she knows that's the truth". At this point the only thing that I can see in Atlas eyes are rage and fury. He begins to step forward, to him, but I put my hands in his arm to stop him. I really don't know whats gonna happen next, but I know that I don't want Atlas getting hurt. Atlas turns his head very quickly to look at me and his eyes soften a little bit. I squeze his hand; that I moved my hands towards his hand since the heat it emits its very comforting, and also to tell him that I'm fine.

"Leave or I'll do something I don't want to do it in front of her". Harry laughs at him.

"Do you think I'm scared of you?"

"Yes"

"And why do you think that?"

"Its actually very simple, your voice tremble while you talk, you don't look at my eyes and your right leg keeps bouncing up and down. So yeah, I think you're scared of me. You're trying to act like an alpha male, when you're actually a chihuahua, the only thing they know how to do is bark but when it comes to do dangerous things they back down; just like you"

"Bullshit"

"Now you don't have anything to say? Now I'm going to tell you to leave for the second time and I have to say that I'm not a person with much patience"

Harry shakes his head but starts moving towards the door. When he is about to leave, my parents enter with confused looks. The two of them loo first and only at Harry.

"Why are you taking so long? Is something wrong?". My mom asks Harry. He gives them the fakest smile anyone could ever make and answers.

"Nothing is wrong, except for the part where this guy tried to harm me". When my parents finish listening to him, they move their heads towards our direction. A gasp escapes from the mouth of my mom and to silence it a bit, she puts both of her hands on top of her mouth.

A bit too dramatic, right?

"Honey, who is he?". My dad to relax my mom, puts an arm around her waist and pulls her closer to his chest. See? This is the kind of love I want to have, but seeing the types of men in this world I know its impossible.

"He is some friend I made"

Harry comes a little closer to me since Atlas can't do anything, because my parents are present and he bends down a little to reach my ear. "Where? Because nobody wants to be near you"

Thats true. Nobody wants to be near me. Thats why I have so few friends, they will surely leave too.

Atlas growls at him -I still haven't gotten used to the sound he makes, it sounds so animalistic-, and before he can push him off me, Harry pulls away. Atlas turns to me and takes my face in his big hands and gives me a fast kiss in the forehead.

"Don't listen to him, you have your little flaws and imperfections but that makes you beautiful. I know that right now you don't see yourself any other way, you think you're the worst, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you realize that you're worth a lot. Too much. And when you realize how much you're worth, you will eat the world"

"You think I'm worth it?". At this point I don't know who to believe, Harry who is my brother; but he never behaved like one, and he tells me things that affects me but I believe them since he has repeated them to me for so long, or Atlas, a boy who I firstly met him in a dream and then in a shop, who there helped me in so many ways; within an hour he made me feel wanted, that someone cared for me. My mind is telling me to believe Atlas, and maybe for once I will listen to it.

"Of course you are, have you seen yourself?". Maybe its time to open up to someone. I think I've been keeping everything to myself for too long. And I want to do it with Atlas. I want to give this a chance.

"I think all of you should leave"

"Bu-". I interrupt my mother. Since I'm in a hurry for them to leave since I'm noticing that I'm starting to breathe faster than usual. I know what I have to do, but its hard.

Breathe in.

"Leave, now". He says it with such power that I can feel it myself. My family leaves without complaint, like a small herd of sheeps.

Breathe out.

"Hey, don't look at them, look at me. Focus on me". Atlas grabs my hair in one hand and pulls it out of my face, tying it into a messy bun to let the air pass over my face and the nape of my neck.

Breathe in.

"I w-want to eplain e-everything to y-you". I try to tell him, trying to form the sentence in the best way that I can.

"Shh, later. Right now you need to rest". He bends over and first grabs my knees and then grabs my back, and ends up grabbing me like the princess style.

Breathe out.

In the end, he ends up taking us to the sofa, where he puts himself first and then puts me on top of him. I don't try to move, since I have taken a taste of the heat and the protection he emits. I like it.

"I know it hasn't been many days but I've missed you". I tell him, falling asleep every second second that passes, lying on his chest.

"I told you that I would wait as long as it took for you, that you could take all the time you need it, and I mean it every word"