Saving Athena ✓

40) Oblivion

A t h e n a

I wake up with a groan, fluttering my eyes open to come face to face with a room that isn't mine. This is Ace's room. His bed is too comfortable, and I find myself falling back into a sleepy haze.

✧

When I finally decide to lift myself from his bed, I groan from the feeling of my body being confined in the jeans and sweater I fell asleep in last night. I stumble over to the door and catch sight of Ace in the kitchen, he's stirring something on the countertop. I knock on the arch of the door, his eyes flicker to mine.

"Hey," he shoots me a glance. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," I tug at the waistband of my jeans and adjust my clothes. "Do you-um, where's the bathroom?"

"Third room on your right," he says. I nod and walk off, counting each door until I finally find it. I flicked on the lights and smile when I see the toothbrush in a package on the counter; waiting for me.

I do everything I need to do, and put the toothbrush back in its package, and leave it at the corner of the counter. I step out and slip off my sweater, leaving me in my plain shirt underneath. I go back into the kitchen to now see him at the stove, I lean against the door frame and watch as he gracefully maneuvers around the kitchen, humming softly to himself.

"I told you, the first time we ever met, that stalking wasn't cute." He says with his back facing me. He shoots me an over the shoulder glance and smiles. I walk over and peek my head up from behind him. He notices and says, "Pancakes."

"I'm allergic," I tease. The spatula in his hand nearly falls. But he can sense I'm joking by the way I place my hand on the small of his back.

✧

The pancakes were delicious, we ate, talked, and he's been staring at me for the past few minutes.

"What?" I ask, tilting my head and raising a brow.

"I wanna meet her," he says, my brows pull together before his words register. "See what she's like. Only if you're okay with that, of course."

"Go at your own peril," I say, using my fingers to twirl around the straw in my hand.

"I wanna go somewhere first," he says. "Come on, you're no fun when you're all dreary."

"I'm no fun at all."

"See?" He points a finger at me and forces me up. "Dreary."

✧

"You took me to a park?" I ask, not meaning to come off as rude.

"No," he shakes his head in disbelief and helps me down the rocky path. We climb down the overhang and my eyes marvel at the sight. I sit down beside him on the rocks and look over the city. "I brought you here."

"Wow," I breathe out. He smirks all arrogantly. I take in the fresh air and swing my feet cautiously back and forth. After a few moments of awkward silence, I pipe up, randomly and ask, "What was your old girlfriend like?"

His eyes slightly widen as he turns to me and looks around. "What prompted you to ask that?"

I offer a single shouldered shrug. "I'm just curious."

"Oh- wow- um," he scratches the back of his neck. "Her name was Liz, I met her um- what was it? I think two years ago."

"What was she like?"

He looks down at the city line. "She was a great liar."

"Oh," I mumble, sadness edging my voice. "What happened."