Ship to Wreck

13

I love that my sheets smell like you. Can't wait to see you tonight, baby.

Athena smiled at Gio's text, making her way to the kitchen where Christian was downing a 5-hour Energy shot. "Hey," she greeted her friend with a smile, as she started to make a cup of coffee for herself.

"Hey, Thenes," Christian returned, his smile a bit shyer than usual. "What are you and Gio up to today?" he was almost afraid to ask, but he got the question out anyway. He wasn't sure if he could stomach the idea of Gio coming to his and Athena's place on a rare off day, Athena moaning his name into the night when he so desperately wanted it to be his name leaving her lips, the lips he'd never feel against his again.

"His ex is flying into Milwaukee to pick up Enzo and Gabriel, so I was just going to hang out here." She shrugged. She actually wanted to hang out with Christian, but he had been a little short with her lately, so she didn't want to annoy him further.

"Why don't we go out, enjoy the nice weather?" Christian suggested, nervously clenching his hands, waiting for an excuse from her as to why she couldn't.

"I would love that," she admitted truthfully, excitement lacing her voice. "I feel like we haven't had a chance to hang out in forever."

Christian chuckled. "Your fault – not mine." She was always with Gio. Laughing with him. Holding his hand. Sucking him off . . . He felt a familiar punch to the gut as he recalled the image of them tangled up in one another.

"Bullshit, Christian. I know you've been busy too," she said with a smirk. "Let's go the Public Market for lunch and then take a long walk and then get ice cream at Purple Door!" she exclaimed animatedly, clapping her hands together to celebrate all her proposed plans.

God, he missed her. "We can do all those things and anything else you want. It'll be a friend date," he offered.

"Yes! All the fun without any pressure or expectations. Who doesn't love that?" she grinned, unaware that Christian definitely wouldn't care if he was crushed by pressure or expectations if it meant Athena saw him differently. If it meant Athena might love him.

"All right, let's get going, sweetheart," he slipped. He knew he couldn't use that word. That was Gio's word now. Sweetheart, baby, babygirl, beautiful, love . . . They all belonged to Gio, and he had to listen to him use each one, every utterance a dagger in his heart

She didn't read into the word; she was used to it. It was harmless to her. Just a friend being a good, gentle person. That's what Christian was – a wonderful friend, and she didn't mind being his sweetheart.

***

"If I'm going to stay with you, I need to start paying you rent," Athena informed Christian as she spooned a bite of ice cream into her mouth.

"No way," Christian objected, shaking his head aggressively. "You do stuff around the apartment. You don't have to pay rent. I like having you around."

"How much is half the rent?" She knew it would be expensive, as the Third Ward was out of her price range as a public school teacher, but maybe she could pull off half.

"Athena, no. That's the end of this discussion," he objected again, trying to indicate his decision was final.

"You've done a great job of helping me out emotionally when my world stopped spinning so suddenly, and you still help me every day; you don't need to vouch for me monetarily as well," she whispered, looking down at her cup of ice cream. "I want to be able to help out too. I want our friendship to be balanced. I like living with you, but I shouldn't be mooching like I am right now. You don't need that in your life."