Athena (L. Clearwater)

Chapter Five

Edward comes home after school the following day. The juniors had a school trip to the community college's greenhouse. He goes upstairs and he finds Athena lying naked in their bed as she flips through a fashion magazine. They haven't had intercourse, but they have fooled around a few times, but there's no penetration because Edward doesn't want to lose his virginity until he's married and Athena's been very respectful of his decision,

"Hey," Athena greets.

"Hey." Edward walks over ams he lays down beside her. He takes the magazine and he kisses Athena on the lips.

Athena hums into the kiss and Edward's hands roam over her bare body as her fingers comb through his extremely soft hair. They make out right there, and it gets heated but again, no intercourse.
******

Edward leans in and he says something flirty to Athena during lunch at school the next day as Bella enters the cafeteria. The human glances over at the table in enough time for Athena and Edward to kiss each other. Edward doesn't look her way once. Anger, determination, and jealousy fill her as she goes to her table.

"I'll be right back," Edward says to Athena before he joins Bella at the salad bar and he grabs a bowl for his girlfriend. Edward catches the apple before it falls after he startles her.

"Thanks..." Bella says awkwardly, "but your mood swings are giving me whiplash."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be," Edward retorts and Jasper reaches under the table to grab Athena's hand in comfort.

Besides Edward, Athena is closest to Jasper and Rosalie. But she loves them all.

"What does that even mean?" Bella asks.

"It means that if you're smart, you'd avoid me," Edward responds. He glances over at his family and Athena, who are all watching and listening to this conversation. His golden eyes lock with Athena's green ones before he turns back toward Bella.

"Okay, so, let's say, for argument's sake, that I'm not smart," Bella says. "Would you talk to me? Tell me the truth?"

"Probably not," Edward replies. "I'd rather hear your theories."

"Okay..." Bella says. "How 'bout radioactive spiders? Krytpnite?"

"What, are you Spider-Man or Superman all of a sudden?" Athena thinks and Edward can't help but smirk a little.

Edward levels his smirking face to a challenging one. "You're talking about superheroes," he says. "What if I'm not the hero? What if I'm the bad guy?"

Bella's beat as she looks closer at him. "No," she says. "I don't believe that. You're not bad. You can be a jerk, but it's like this... mask. To keep people honest."

Edward's taken aback by her honestly. She's as honest as Athena, only, Athena's not shy and she's not scared of whose feelings she hurts when she blurts out the truth.

"Look... why don't we just - hang out," Bella suggests when Edward doesn't speak. "Like... if your girlfriend lets you, come to the beach with us. It'll be fun - sand fleas, wind burn, salt water stinging your eyes..."

Edward smiles a little, considering it.

"Edward..." Athena thinks. He glances at her and back to the human before him.

"Which beach?" Edward says and she tells him it's the one in La Push, the Quiluete reservation, aka, shapeshifter territory, and the Cullens can't cross. His smile drops when she says that reservation name.

"Is there something wrong with that beach?" Bella asks.

Edward glances at Mike Newton after reading his thoughts, the two share cold looks. Athena shifts in her seat and she glares at Jasper when he tries using his ability on her and he quickly stops. 

"It's just a little crowded..." Edward rejoins his family and he kisses Athena's cheek. "I'm sorry," he says to her.

"You actually considered hanging out with the human?" Athena whispers and Edward tenses. "Again, not thinking about me?"

"Thena..." Edward looks at her. "Please..."

"She's your tragoudistís tou aímatos," she says, saying 'blood singer' in her native tongue of Greek, "not your mate."

"She could be..." Edward says and Athena's dead heart drops. Edward realizes what he said and his eyes widen. "Athena, I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did." Athena stands up and she leaves without a word.

Rosalie glares at Bella, who feels guilty.

"She feels guilty for causing Edward and Athena's rift," Jasper says when Edward goes after Athena like he always does.

"She should," Rosalie says sharply. "Athena's done nothing but love Edward, and then this human comes in... she's ruining everything." 

Alice frowns. "Rose... it's destiny," she says. "Athena's mate is out there, I just can't seem to see them. Bella will be Edward's love. I've seen it."

"When does he break Athena's heart?" Rosalie asks.

"I don't know yet," Alice replies honestly. "I haven't seen that part, just Edward and Bella."

"Have you seen anything about Athena's mate?"

"Everything's too blurry to see when I look, but I know her mate is a female and I some think her mate is like us," Alice replies to Emmett's question.

Meanwhile, Edward follows Athena into the woods and the two argue heatedly about Edward's fascination with the human.

"You've never been this jealous before, Thena," Edward says once their arguing match calms down.

"You've never given me a reason to be before," Athena replies. "Are you... ah, are you going to leave me for her?"

Edward's eyes widen. "Athena!?" he exclaims in horror. "How can you ask me that?"

"We've all seen the way you look at her," Athena says. "It's the way you used to do me before Bella appeared."

"I love you, Athena," Edward declares.

"I know you do, but do you love me enough to not look in Bella's direction?" Athena asks and Edward hesitates. "Exactly."

"If you can't trust me..."

"Edward, I've trusted you from the moment you rejoined the coven," Athena says. "But I see how you look at Bella, Edward. I know that it's not just my imagination. Rose, Jasper, they've seen it, too. Alice is being secretive around me, so I think she had a vision."

Edward's dead heart drops when he sees tears fill Athena's golden eyes. "Are we breaking up?"

"I'll let you decide that," Athena says to him before she rushes away.

"Athena!" Edward yells out but she doesn't come back.

Edward turns and he slams a fist into a nearby tree.