Her Escape, His Safe Haven

Chapter 32- You Are The Reason

Athena's POV

Anxiety is sitting heavily in my chest as I lie in bed next to Eli and attempt to fall asleep. It's four in the morning and I haven't been able to shut my eyes longer than just a blink. So much happened tonight and my brain just won't shut off.

I don't know what hit me worse. The text, or watching Eli unresponsive on the field. That's a lie actually. Seeing Eli hurt was much much worse than the text with underlying threat that I received. 

The way my breath was caught in my chest, the pounding in my head, the terror I felt at the sight of my Eli lying there on the field was unlike any fear I had ever felt before. I have been afraid for myself before, sure, but I have never let someone so completely into my life and my heart that it actually hurt me to see them in pain. 

I'm laying here in bed, unable to take my eyes off of Eli. I feel like if I look away he'll be back on that field passed out. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I can't get over that fear.

"What are you doing baby girl? Why aren't you asleep?" I heard a groggy voice ask me.

"Too much excitement I guess. I don't really feel tired." I told him vaguely.

"Come here." He opened his arms for me to slide closer to him. 

"How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"I'm on top of the world, princess. How can I not be when you're here with me?" He asked rhetorically. "What's really going on with you Athena?" I knew he was serious because he used my name instead of one of his pet names for me. I cleared my throat and thought about where I wanted to start.

"I- Eli, I was so scared..." I trailed off.

"Why were you scared?"

"You were lying on the field not moving. I watched that creep knock you out with his helmet- he uh- he put a lot of force into it... you weren't waking up. You scared me Eli. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't breathe. When he hit you I ran down the bleachers and hopped over the damn fence. I ran as fast as my not fast enough legs would carry me. Everyone was just standing around staring at you. I can't even describe to you how terrified I was that you had a broken neck or something."

"Breathe baby. I'm okay, you're okay it's all over." He soothed. "I know that fear. That fear is what I felt when I found you at your studio after...you know."

"I'm so sorry I made you feel that." I whispered.

"Don't be. I also got to feel the biggest sense of euphoria at the knowledge that you were okay. That relief... I can't describe it." 

"You don't have to." I told him knowing exactly what he mean. "What started the fight Eli?" I asked.

"That creep that you know..groped you or whatever..he was running his mouth. He said something...distasteful about you and I told him that I'd tear his puny little arms off and beat him with them if he didn't shut up, and then he jumped at me. I don't really remember what happened after that it was all too fast. All I kept think about was how you were sitting up in the stand being subjected to more and more violence and all because some stupid kid was mad he was losing." He lifted my chin so i had to look up at him. He had tears glistening "I'm sorry I scared you baby girl."

"I forgive you." I told him truthfully before placing my head back into his chest, still not feeling tired enough to close my eyes.

"What else is bothering you baby girl?" I lifted my head again to look into Eli's eyes. "I can tell that's not all that's bugging you. You are very easy to read when you pressed up against me." 

I sighed and pulled away from him to roll to my side of the bed and grab my phone. I unlocked it and handed it to him open to the message I received. "I got this tonight. Actually I was reading it when you guys started fighting."

He read it and stayed silent for what felt like an hour but was really just a couple minutes. He pulled me back to him and squeezed me tightly. "I'm not going to let him near you again okay? You're safe with me. You're safe with dad. You have mark and Savannah and Deliah. We won't let anything happen to you." He kissed the top of my head but didn't lessen his tight grip around me. 

"I know. I just can't help being afraid of him. I think I will always be afraid of him." I whispered. "I don't want to think about it, will you distract me?" I asked.

"How would you like me to do that?" I heard the smirk in his question.

"I don't know. I just want it to go away." 

"Dance with me princess." 

"We are going to be dancing all night and you want to dance with me now?" I asked skeptically.

"I always wanna dance with you." 

We got up and he put on some music on his phone. He pulled me to his chest and we began to sway. Eli began singing along with the song he had put on

"There goes my heart beating

'Cause you are the reason

I'm losing my sleep

Please come back now"

I joined him on the parts where Leona Lewis sang and we danced together while quietly serenading each other. It was the most intimate moment I have ever shared with someone before. My heart was racing and my mind was wiped of anything but Eli by the time he pressed his lips to mine when the song came to an end. My mind barely registered that his phone kept playing music.

I returned the kiss with as much intensity and he put into it. His hands tightened on my hips as if trying to pull me even closer than I already was. Once he realized I couldn't be any closer, one of his hands trailed up my waist to tangle in my hair giving it a slight tug.

I was wearing just a pair of underwear and one of Eli's shirts. It fell below my butt almost to mid thigh. Eli only wears boxers to bed so he was wearing even less than me. One of my hands found its place on his chest and the other around his neck weaved up though his hair just a bit. 

Without removing his lips from mine Eli lifted me up and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. His hands moved to my butt to hold me in place as he walked us over to the door. He pressed me against it pushing his body even harder into mine. 

"I can't even tell you what you do to me baby girl." Eli whispered when he detached his lips from mine so we could breathe. His lips didn't stray too far as they found their way kissing from my jawline down my neck to the collar of his shirt. I tried to hold back the breathy moan but there was no point. Upon hearing it Eli let out a deep groan of his own and brought his lips back to mine. 

After a few moments he pulled away and gently set me on my feet. "If we don't stop, then we won't stop, and this isn't how it should be for our first time together." I nodded and took a few breaths to calm down my raging hormones. He's right I didn't want to stop. "What are you thinking baby girl?" He asked looking in my eyes again.

"I- uh- you have a beautiful voice Eli." I stuttered out the first thing I could think of. He let out a gentle chuckled and led me back to the bed. 

"Let's try to sleep, we are going to have a long day yeah?"

"Thank you Eli." I whispered once we had settled in the bed. 

"What for baby girl?" He asked while rubbing my back soothingly. 

"Everything."

Author's Note:

Just a short little filler chapter. I'm hoping to write the next chapter within the next couple days. Let me know what you think?