Invisible

Chapter 61

My hand gripped Darren's to death. I know he should be wincing because of my death grip, but he isn't faltering the tiniest bit. It just probably proves that he's as scared as I am.

This is it.

Darren and I walked our way to the rooftop right after we exited the elevator. We were lucky enough that there were no strangers in the place so there's no need to be scared of displaying our affection in public. By each step, the thought of running back to our room to find a protective suit keeps crossing my mind. Don't blame me, it's just that I have no idea of what way Athena would be killing me by the time we tell everything to her.

"You're trembling." Darren comments as we walk slowly, probably both of us were wishing things were less complicated. Maybe the two of us were wishing that Athena just never existed in the planet Earth. I want to sue my mother for giving birth to my half sister.

"Don't mind me, I'll be alright." I lied.

He detaches his hand from mine and placed his arm around me to pull me into a hug. His hug has this damn power that calms me down. His other hand rubbed my hair tenderly while the other was placed firmly on the small of my back.

"If anything goes wrong, remember that I love you." he says. "And I always will."

The words sounded like music in my ears. I tried to lighten the heavy mood that's engulfing us. "Don't try to sound like you're giving your last request." I tease and he chuckles. "If Athena would kill someone between us, it'll be me. So don't act like you're the one who'll die because of her. I should be the one giving my death request."

"Shut up." he says. "I won't let her lay a finger on you, okay?"

"I want to say that I am beyond touched with your sweetness, but I am still scared to death. I feel like I'm going to face Judas." I laugh and he joins me. "Well, to be honest, I love you too. So promise me that if Athena kills me with her killer glare, you won't marry anyone else."

He laughs even more and the sound relaxes me slightly. I wish I can tell him more silly puns so he can laugh more and we could temporarily forget about the dooming talk with Athena. But then, the hope ends up when Athena herself shows up from the doors that from the rooftop pool location. Her skin was sun kissed because of the red tint that burns from her face to her whole body.

"Oh, hello," she greets with a smile so sweet, but I knew better than to believe that she was smiling truthfully to us. Suddenly, I felt like the fright that I was feeling earlier was surreal and imaginary, and my hate for her resurfaces again. "Good to see you two here laughing."

"Yeah," I oddly replied.

"Good to see that you finally found a way to bring back your friendship right after what happened before." she says. Oh, you meant what happened before because of you? Subconscious places both of her hands in both hips as she glares to Athena.

"We aren't just friends, Athena." Darren spoke up then walks beside me. "We're luckily together again." he says and I instantly find some piece of bravery in somewhere in me when I saw the instant twist of emotion from her face. "We're together again." he repeats and I saw that if Darren repeats the same statement, Athena is going to send some flying knives to stab me directly in the heart.

She somehow manages to compose herself instantly and chuckles as if she's heard a hysteric joke. "Are you drunk, babe?" I cringed when she called Darren; babe. "You cannot be together. We're together, have you forgotten?"

Darren sighs. "Look, I know you have given it a false suspicion, but I was never really... into you." Darren says. "I know it's unfair, but all I can really give you right now is my sincerest sorry."

She huffs bitterly. "What do you mean? Darren, we kissed! We showed up in public almost tied into each other. How could you say that you were never into me?" she hysterically says, "Come on, you're probably drunk and hallucinating that you still love Nicole."

I fought the urge to talk back to her and to snap at her. I know better than to stoop down my level just to fight back to someone as... worthless as Athena is. I am way better than she could ever be, in all means.

"I am not drunk!" Darren says rather loudly to Athena and pulls his arm away from her grasp. Even though I have hated Athena all my life, to see her look so desperate like this almost saddens me. Well, almost. "I am telling the truth, Athena."

"Why?" she asked, her voice strained. For once, I saw Athena vulnerable.

"Athena, after all those years, I swore that I have tried to love you, to give back the love and care you've given me." Darren says then gives me a glance. His hand takes my ice cold hand and grasp at it. "But there is only one in my heart and it's just Nicole."

"Why her?" she asked lowly, "Why her! Tell me!"

"Athena, please don't shout." I finally spoke. "Can't we just try to have a civil conversation here?"

"Civil conversation?" the fibres that serve to be my patience were slowly snapping. "How could you request for a civil conversation when my boyfriend is breaking up with me because of you? Are you out of your god damned mind?"

I took in a sharp breath. No matter what happens, I would not hurt her. "Athena please," I practically half-begged, "Can't you just see that we still and would love each other? Athena, we're doing this as fair as possible for you. Please, don't make this go a little harder."

"How could you!" she shouts at Darren and me. "Why would you try to ruin my relationship with him!"

Just when I was holding so strongly to the fact that I won't hurt her, I did. I mean, a single slap won't hurt right? "And now you feel it." I fire, "You're way lucky that you have to get it this way. This," I gestured to the three of us, "Is way easier than what I have gone through because of you! Now don't come up on us while we're telling you the truth when the precision is this is your entire fault!"

Without another word and breath to blow, I went away from her with Darren following behind me.

"This isn't the end of it, Nicole! I promise you!" Athena screams from behind us and she made it clear that it was a threat. No matter how scary it sounds, I ignored it.

I barged through the door that Darren opened for me, before realizing that it was his hotel room. I slumped myself to the nearest couch that I could see and crossed my arms against my chest and kept my face too grim, though I knew that I still looked like a child that is having a total tantrum.

A glass of water was placed on the coffee table just in front of me and it then took me some few seconds to realize that it was from Darren. "Take a drink. I've heard that water is always a best calm aid."

I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were looking at me, watching me. "What?" I asked him.

He smiles and shakes his head, "I have never seen you look this angry and to be honest," he says and bents down to my eye level and he caresses my cheek with his hand, "It's so cute."

I restrained myself from smiling but it doesn't seem to work. This man is why I am being so cruel for my half sister. This man in front of me is the reason why I slapped Athena for the nth time since the moment I have met her and known her as my half sister. Darren plants a kiss on my forehead before heading to the kitchen to cook something and left me in his entertainment room with his remote on my hand.

"This isn't the end of it, Nicole! I promise you!" Athena's threat kept playing through my head. Even though I'm scared, I pushed it behind my mind. Darren said he won't let her lay a finger on me. He'll keep his promise this time, right?