Duck Drama

Chapter 20- Athena

Right when I thought that night... was in the past... it's in the news. 

How humiliating! 

I can't never show my face around Duckberg, or even St. Canard for that matter! 

What was left for me now? 

Zehra. 

She left me. 

Louie? 

I don't know where me and him stand, but, after seeing that footage of me and -. 

Theo. 

I feel my jaw clench and my hands turned into fists as I started to pick up speed. 

What must he think of me now? 

While running, my feelings are like obstacles. I hear my step mom's voice, Theo pounding into me, and Louie punching him...

With out knowing, I slowed down... And Louie grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop.

"Athena. Don't run... the more you run, the more you look guilty. Stay with me- I mean, 'Us'. W'll support and defend you. We'll protect you," Louie makes me turn around to look in his eyes. "And most importantly... we won't leave you."

Leave...

ZEHRA!

I pull away from Louie and run again. 

I had to go to her. 

Apologize to her, and maybe, just maybe... 

"ATHENA!" Louie shouted snapping out of my thoughts. 

I blink and skid to a stop only just realizing where I was. 

A cliff? 

I looked out at the ocean. 

It was stretched out so far, as if never ending. 

I close my eyes and stick one foot over the ledge. I hear rocks crumble and hit the rushing water below and wondered if I'd sink down to the bottom of the ocean like them, or would I float? 

I feel myself falling forward then -. 

A hand gripped my waist, pulling me back. I landed with a thud on the ground. A grunt escaped from the person holding me tightly around the waist. I struggled to break free but the hands held onto me even tighter. 

"Let me go!" I moaned out as I reached out my hands towards the horizon. "Please... Just -. Let me die!" I cry out. 

I didn't care anymore. 

Didn't care about anything anymore. 

Zerha obviously didn't care about me and Louie -. 

"No." Came Louie's voice in my ear. "I'm not letting you go."  

I stop struggling and I could feel his face pressed against my back, and... 

Tears? 

I looked behind me and I saw he was actually crying. 

Crying into my back. His eyes squeezed shut. 

"Let me protect you, Athena." He pleaded, still with his eyes shut. "Please." 

"Why?" I whisper in defeat. I just let my body go limp against him and he finally opened his eyes to look at me. I finally let the teas fall. I hated people seeing me cry, but for some reason, I didn't mind Louie seeing me cry. "Why do you care so much? I'm only just someone who you met out of the blue two days ago! I -." 

"Because -." Louie interrupted and took a deep breath before answering. "Because I love you, Athena." He told me. 

I blinked. 

Did he just say -? 

He loved me? 

Nobody besides Zerha has ever told me they loved me. I think Dad may have told me once, but that was before Mom died. He hadn't said that to me since, and you can forget Matt or Step-Mom saying that to me. 

"Did you just say -?" I asked out loud. I moved around so that I can face him and he stared up at me his eyes sparkling. 

"I love you." Louie repeated, still not letting got of me. "Yeah. I, I guess I did." He said, and my heart melted just then because I suddenly felt like I just might... 

Just might... 

Be in love with this green clad, schemer, lovable, adorable -. 

I blinked again and shook my head. 

No! 

I can't be in love with him! 

I'll only end up hurting him, just like I have with Zerha. 

Love wasn't so kind to someone like me. 

"Louie... You -. You don't know what you're getting yourself into with me.. I -. Uh -." I began but I stopped when Louie rushed forward and our bills smashed together. 

I froze. 

The kiss was warm, and soft, and I didn't push or recoil at it like I thought I would. I didn't see flashes of what Theo had done to me as Louie's bill pressed against mine. All I saw and felt at that moment was Louie's love for me. 

I suddenly felt my body stretch itself out, as if I had been asleep and was popping my joints and I found myself kissing him back. It only lasted for about five seconds before Louie pulled away from me, looking all flustered. 

"I -. Um. S, Sorry." He stammered, smiling sheepishly at me. "Probably wasn't the right moment to do that but -." 

I beamed at him and this time I took control and kissed him. 

He didn't waist no time melting into the kiss and it was a lot more passionate and rougher then the last one and by the time we pulled away we were both panting hard. Louie staring at me in a daze and this time it was my turn to look flustered. 

"Couldn't have picked a better moment." I tell him. "Tell me, do you always go around acting like a knight in shining armor?" I ask. 

Louie's face turned a bright shade of red at that before answering. 

"I wouldn't call myself a knight." Louie muttered. 

I chuckled. 

"No." I agree as Louie finally let go of me and stood up. He held out his hand to me and I took it without hesitation this time. "I say you're more like my prince." I said, and then groaned. 

"What?" Louie asked, and chuckled at the horrified look on my face. 

"How corny was that?" I moaned out. "I've been reading way to many romance novels." I muttered. 

Louie laughed at that. 

"Hey, I don't mind being called a prince. That'll make me in the same category as Uncle Scrooge when it comes to wealth, plus," He said, and smiled widely at me, "you'd be my princess and I'd be down with that." He told me. 

That totally did it. 

No sooner had he said that I felt my heart swell up with love for him and I said without hesitation what I had only be able to say to Zerha... 

"I love you, too. Louie."