holmes ➢ sequel to athena

Chapter Seven

Cameras, Riley, and Elena

Athena thought she was going insane. Riley was being so distant lately. He always had plans, always had to work, always had something better to do than be with her. And that never happened. Since she was grieving Paul's death and hiding from a murderer that was after her, she didn't necessarily have the energy to seek him out. Unfortunately, he did that for her.

"You want to what?" Athena asked, facing Riley as he stood outside her front door. John had somehow drifted into the living room as well, holding a glass of wine.

"I want to take a break," he repeated, scratching the back of his head. He avoided her gaze unpleasantly, his chest feeling heavy with guilt.

Athena looked at her shoes and then back up to him. "What caused this?" She analyzed him for a moment, scanning his entire body with her eyes, deducing. After a moment of silence, her eyes widened. "You cheated on me, didn't you?"

"I-uh-I-"

"With whom?" she quipped. Her entire body was tense and her heart was heavy in her chest.

"A-Ashlynne."

"Ashlynne? Fucking Ashlynne from Algebra last year?" She was enraged, seeing red everywhere that her eyes met. How could he do this?

"Yeah..."

"I gave you everything, and you're just gonna throw it away for fucking Ashlynne from Algebra?" She raked a hand through her hair and balled it into a fist. "Fuck you, Riley O'Conner. Fuck you."

He was the last person she thought would ever hurt her. And at a good time, too. Right after she lost Paul. What's next? Was Sherlock gonna leave again? Maybe even John and Mary as well.

She slammed the door in his face and turned to make eye contact with John, who simply put down his water glass and opened his arms.

∞

She was scrolling through Instagram later that day and Riley had posted a picture of him kissing Ashlynne on the cheek. The caption said "I love you so much, babe. Happy six months."

Athena wasted two goddamned years on Riley and she wasn't even his priority. Tears came flooding not for the first time that day.

She gave up everything to him. They spent so many years building a steady, happy dynamic and he threw it away for someone prettier and kinder and, quite frankly, dumber.

As she sobbed quietly in her bed over an Instagram photo, she had no clue that the Photographer was snapping pictures from a planted camera in her bedroom. And he smiled.

Catching during a vulnerable time was wonderful for him. He wanted to know every little thing about her before he made his move. Kidnapping was not an easy task, especially if one wanted it to be clean and quiet. He needed to know how she moved and spoke and even breathed. He needed to know her daily routine, her extracurricular activities, and sleeping schedule. Anything was available would be made known to him soon.

Suddenly, Athena looked around the room. Something about the room felt odd, and the area between her chest and stomach felt heavy with suspicion. Immediately, she grabbed her phone and went downstairs.

John looked up from his Telly program and scrunched his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I feel like I'm being watched," she said quietly. "It's a gut feeling. I just... I don't know. I felt unsafe in my room."

John frowned. "I'll call Sherlock, we'll have the room searched. You need to get out of the house." He stood hesitantly and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Do you have any friends you can stay with?"

She almost shook her head, but remembered someone she liked quite a bit. "Um, I think so. Let me give her a call."

With that, she opened her recent messages and tapped on Elena's name before calling her.

"Athena, hey!" her voice rang through into Athena's ear.

She smiled at the sound and said, "Hey, Elena. Can I just cut to the favor asking? Is that cool?"

Elena let out a giggle and said, "Yeah, of course."

"Can I stay with you for a while? My dad's work is kind of making it hard to be at home right now."

"Don't you stay with John?"

She looked around the room and then down to her feet. "I think I'm being watched. I need to get away. You live in New Castle, which is far enough, I suppose."

"Hmmm I'll have to ask my roommate, but they'll most likely be okay with it," she said with a smile in her voice.

And just like that, Athena was in another new place with new people. And she realized that there was no way she would be safe again.

**

Um hi. Sorry for being gone so long. And I'm sorry this is so shitty.

Comment what you want to see in the future