Athena sat at the bar of the train car, upset, again. How did she keep finding herself in this situation, crying at the goddamn bar. She looked at the now very crumpled up note from Liam she got earlier in the day along with flowers, which made her moment of happiness come crashing down around her. She had had a romantic moment with Percy and it was all destroyed by Liam’s words. She felt a complex array of emotions, anger at Liam for all of his actions that brought them to this place, fear of letting him back in only to have her hopes and dreams dashed YET again, confusion over the feelings she felt for now three completely different men. She didn’t know if she could, should give Liam another chance, he’d already hurt her so thoroughly on more than one occasion, and who knows if they could ever be together the way they wanted anyway. Percy could give her everything she wanted and more, the feelings were there, growing, maybe she should give him a real chance. Drake seemed completely disinterested anymore so she just had to let that thought go, maybe that was for the best, it would be easier if she only had to choose between two men, instead of three.
Her head fell into her hands, she had absolutely no clue what to do, she was so completely torn in two. She loved Liam, she knew that, but he had a pattern of distrusting her, breaking her heart on more than one occasion. He chose a woman that was cruel to her and did nothing to stand up to Madeline’s cruel words. He basically accused her of cheating on more than one occasion when it was SHE who was the other woman. Who the hell did he think he was accusing her of cheating when he technically was the one cheating on his fiancé?! She hated being the other woman, she didn’t know why she let his words woo her into this terrible situation. His fucking words, telling her she was the queen of his heart, his only love, if that were true why didn’t he pick her?! Why would he pick someone who was so cruel to her instead?! All he ever had were words and promises with the occasional gift, that stupid pearl from the grotto! It might have meant something if they were actually together, but the hiding, the sneaking around, being the other woman tainted the meaning it should have had. She was furious with Liam, for asking this of her and and even more furious at herself for telling him yes. She let out a seated sigh, she could be mad at him all she wanted but she had a hand in all of this too, had she said no things would be so much easier. But she couldn’t say no to him, not when he looked at her with love, longing, and hope, not when he said beautiful words about his love for her, that she was the only woman to own his heart. Who could ever say no after that? But she should have.
Percy was so amazing and incredible, she felt happy and free when she was with him. Feelings that had been rare since the coronation when Liam had broken her heart and his first promise. She loved feeling so happy and free once more, she had almost forgotten what it felt like since the coronation. Percy brought her that feeling, that freedom. She could be seen with Percy and not worry about the implications, she could be with Percy out in the open and have everything she ever wanted with him. She didn’t know what was holding her back from truly diving in, it wasn’t lack of feelings, no there were plenty of feelings, today just further proved to her just how deep she had fallen and how deep she could fall if she just let herself. It wasn’t fear, she knew Percy would never hurt her the way Liam had. No, it’s was uncertainty that had to be holding her back. Uncertainty of her future with Liam, if she could even ever have one. Uncertainty if she should give Liam yet another chance to break her heart, or maybe it was time to move on and just let her feelings for Percy overtake her. She shook her head as she let out a broken sob. She was so unsure of what to do, what she wanted.
She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning she found Drake. Drake the man who didn’t want her.
“You okay Morgan?” Drake asked, concern etched across his face. She looked so sad and broken, had Liam done this to her or was it Duke Perceval.
She shook her head. “Not really Drake.” She sobbed, how could she tell Liam’s best friend how she was feeling? He’d probably yell at her and tell her she did it to herself and deserved to be so torn about what, no who she wanted.
Drake being sighed my as he sat down next to her. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.
“It’s just I don’t know what to do…”she croaked trailing off. She needed to talk to someone, but Drake? Would he even be in her side?
She took a deep breath in, trying to steal confidence.
“I don’t know what to do, about Liam and Percy. I have feelings for both of them, but Liam hurt me, he keeps hurting me. He may not have meant it but it doesn’t change the fact that he keeps breaking my heart. I just…” she stated trailing off again.
“He sent me this today.” She said instead, passing Drake the crumpled note.
Drake raised an eyebrow at the state of the note. “That bad Morgan?” He asked trying to flatten the note so he could read it.
“Yes.. No… I don’t know..” She tried to start, sighing and dropping her head into her hands. “I just don’t know if it changes anything.” She said softly looking back up at Drake. “How do I trust him again after everything? He keeps showing me he doesn’t trust me and I don’t know if I could go through the heartbreak that will come again.” She finished with a sigh.
“So he took my advice.” Drake said passing back the note.
“What?” She asked narrowing her eyes in confusion at Drake.
“I kinda told him off after dragging him out of your room today. Heh. I told him if he didn’t want to lose you he needed to stop behaving like a jealous ass and start showing you the real him, and how much you mean to him.” He started. “That.” He pointed to the note. “Shows that he’s trying. I have no clue what he’s going to do but he’s trying Morgan.” Drake said.
“Really? You told him off?” She asked surprised.
“He was being a jerk I set him straight. But you don’t ever really know Morgan. You just need to look inside your heart and it’ll tell you what to do. Liam may have not handled things they way he should have but he does love you even if he has a strange way of showing it. He’s scared too.” Drake replied.
Athena sighed, she didn’t know how she felt, not really, she was torn between giving up and giving him yet another chance.
“But I don’t know how I feel Drake. Part of me feels like giving up and the other feels like giving him one last chance.” She said sadly looking down at the note.
“It’s not like there’s a handbook for these types of situations Morgan. Just trust in him. Trust that’s he’s trying.” He replied.
“I’m sure he is Drake, but I’m not sure it’s enough anymore, he really hurt me.” Athena said sadly, wringing her hands. She wasn’t ready to let go, but she wasn’t ready to have her heart broken again. She just didn’t know what to do, stay with him and risk never having what she wanted, risk having her heart broken again. Could she withstand another heartbreak at his hand? Go, forget Liam, move on, she’d still suffer, pain from leaving the man she loved, the man she thought she’d get forever with. Pain from watching Madeline win. She thought long and hard, weighed each option in silence, and Drake let her.
“One last chance. I will give him one last chance. But if he breaks my heart this time, then I’m done.” She said standing up, her voice was steadier than she thought it would be. As she headed back to her room, the words kept running in her head, one last chance.
