Athena Tyler is an Italian-American musician who rose to fame as the lead singer of a girl band with her sisters, called 'Sorelle'. She has amassed millions of dollars and now lives alone in a luxurious mansion. Although she no longer sings, she has...
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WEEKS LATER
Finally, after sitting in silence for what felt like eternity, Michael spoke up, yearning for a crack in her relentlessly tough facade, "Baby girl?"
"Hm?"
"Can you take a bath with me?" Michael asked gently, "I feel like I've barely seen you since everything happened. And when I do see you, you're yelling about something. I know it's not directed at me, but I just want more time with you."
Athena turned to look at Michael, her eyes softening slightly at his request. She knew she had been pushing him away with her anger and frustration, but she couldn't seem to help herself—and she did apologize, yes, and they were mostly good. But she still needed to work on it.
Athena hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of her emotions crashing down on her like a tidal wave, "So....you're not gonna sleep with one of my sisters because I've been so bitchy?"
Michael chuckled softly, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes despite the seriousness of the moment, "No, baby girl, I'm not going to sleep with your sisters. I'd never let anyone touch me but you," he reassured her, his voice filled with warmth and love, "I only have eyes for you. Always have, always will. To me, you're the only woman in the world. I need you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll start taking care of yourself too, not just everyone else. Let yourself feel the pain, let yourself grieve, and know that I'll be right here beside you through it all."
"It hurts too much to want to feel anything," Athena said as she turned away from him, her hair covering her face.
"But you have to, Athena. You can't keep pushing it all down inside," Michael insisted gently, his hand reaching out to tilt her face back towards him, "Let yourself feel everything, the pain, the anger, the sadness. It's the only way to heal."
Athena looked into Michael's eyes, seeing the sincerity and love reflected in them. She felt a wave of emotion crash over her, breaking down the walls she had so carefully constructed around her heart. With a trembling breath, she climbed into his lap, straddling him as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, finally allowing herself to release the flood of emotions she had been holding back for so long. It was the first time she allowed herself to cry over Kayden since her brother's passing. Last time it was because she knew she emotionally hurt Michael and she hated herself for it.
Michael, on the other hand, had cried multiple times over the past few months, mourning the loss of his dear friend and brother-in-law Kayden. And he was doing it again, burying his face in Athena's neck.
As the tears flowed freely from both Athena and Michael, a sense of catharsis washed over them. It was a release they had both been desperately needing, a way to finally confront the pain that had been festering inside them since Kayden's passing. In that moment of shared vulnerability, they found solace in each other's arms, their embrace a silent promise to weather the storm together.
