A T H E N A

"We're heading deep inside, there's a voice, a voice so quiet. But I can't hear the voice when your heartbeat's next to mine. I can't quit you"

° ° °

The following three hours, mom finally receives a call from Lucy, and I hear them talking downstairs.

"So, Athena will be going with Lucy on a trip—yes, yes, and I was wondering where that would take place? Oh right, and will there be an adult? Oh, wonderful. Yes, yes. I'm very glad to hear that, and thank you for inviting Athena. Yes, she's very excited to go. Okay... yes... will you say hi to Lucy for me? Alright, until next time, Sasha. Yes, bye now," mom tells her, and hangs up.

"Athena," she calls from downstairs, and I rush from the staircase.

"Yes?" I ask her with wide eyes. She smiles at me. "You may go with Lucy. Her mom is so nice--"

I cut her off and hug her. "Thank you, mom! I appreciate it so much!" I whisper in her ear and press a kiss against her cheek. She laughs.

"Oh, Athena. Everything for my baby girl," she chuckles and pinches my cheek. I flash her a quick smile before I rush back upstairs and grab my phone.

Athena; Thank you so much, Luce! I really owe you one. All the love, xoxo

I'm actually glad that Lucy lives outside of town so that mom or dad won't see her.

Lucy; Everything for my dear best friend. Now, I really want to hear all the details when you get back, young lady

I smile and search Vincenzo in my contacts, to tell him I can go with him. Once I found him, I hesitate to call him but do it anyway. I press the phone to my ear and wait anxiously for him to pick up. After a couple of seconds, the ringing stops.

"Baby?"

The world around me stops from just hearing his voice.

"Vincenzo," I say. I hear voices in the background, and fear takes over, even though I don't know why.

"Am I interrupting you? I'm so sorry, I can call later if you--"

"You never interrupt me, bella. I'm just at work, nothing new really. If you want to call me, don't ever hesitate, you hear me?"

A light blush covers my cheeks. "Yes," I whisper.

He chuckles. "Now, what did you want to tell me?"

"Oh yes. Uh, I managed to settle it with mom for me to go away for a week," I tell him excitedly.

"Wait, so that means that you can come with me?"

"Yes!" I say loudly, and am afraid my parents would hear me. "Yes," I giggle again, this time a little softer. "I can come with you," I smile.

"Fuck, baby, I'm so happy right now. You don't know what I've planned for us," he whispers throatily to me. "I'm happy to find out," I whisper back. He chuckles.

"So, we'll be leaving this Saturday, right?" I ask him and twirl a strand of brown hair around my finger.

"Yes, we'll be leaving around noon. Do I have to send my driver to pick you up or...?"

I want to tell him that it's fine, that I have Lucy who can drive me but then I remember that she thinks I'll be gone with Chris.

This is all so complicated.

"Uhm, yeah, that's fine. You can send him and I'll be waiting outside," I tell him. It's honestly really exciting, planning this.

Knowing that I'll be going to New York in less than two days.

"That's settled then. I'll send you some more information about our flight. Talk to you later, bellezza?"

"Yes," I say into the phone. And after having said goodbye, we both hang up.

I roll over in my bed, staring with a big smile up to the ceiling. I still can't believe I'll be going to New York in less than two days. The butterflies are flying around like crazy in my stomach, excited for what's coming. 

But when I turn around in my room and look at the cupboard where I've put on all my pictures, I notice the frame of the picture of Chris and I lay flat against the cupboard, so that I can't see it. I frown and walk over to it, grabbing the frame and putting it back in its place. 

The blue eyes of Chris meet mine, and the guilt I've been suppressing comes back. The thought of betraying him hurts me so much, but as I think of telling him the truth about everything, I know I won't be able to look into his eyes anymore. The look of hurt and betrayal will be there, and I don't want to hurt him.

Turning away from the picture, I go downstairs to spend some time with my parents, with only one thing in my mind.

What he doesn't know won't hurt him.

° ° °

It's Friday, and I'm standing in front of my suitcase, wondering what I'm going to take with me. Raking a hand through my hair, I sigh. I mean, what are we going to do?

Vincenzo said he needed to go there for business, so when he's in meetings and stuff, what am I going to do?

Just sit inside and read?

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea...

I walk back to my closet, opening it and look through my clothes. I grab some clothes without thinking and as I'm going through my underwear, my eyes fall on the set I bought with Lucy.

Should I take it with me? What if Vincenzo doesn't like it?

What if...?

Oh Hell.

I grab the set and throw it in the suitcase.

Then I go some more through my lingerie, desperate in finding something sexy. But I come up with nothing.

God, I'm so boring.

Once I'm done with packing, I put the suit on the ground next to my bed, so that I can add whatever I want later.

Right when I'm about to take a shower, I get a text.

I look on my phone, and my heart aches when I see it's from Chris.

Chris; Hey baby, you wanna hang out tomorrow?

I have to bite my lower lip to stop it from trembling. The weight comes back down, pressing on my shoulders.

He puts so much effort in me, he always looks for occasions so we can meet up, like the good boyfriend he is. I quickly come up with a lie.

Athena; I'm so sorry, I already agreed with Lucy to meet up, maybe another time?

Chris; Oh, yeah, sure. It's okay though, I forgot that I have football practice tomorrow

Right, his dad makes him work out even when it's vacation.

Athena; Okay, speak to you later, love you!

Chris; Love you too, Athena.

I put my phone away and walk to the bathroom. Once I entered the bathroom, I step out of my clothes and go under the shower, welcoming the warm water cascading over my body, happy that the warmth can get my mind away from everything.

° ° °

Today, it's finally Saturday, the day I'm leaving to New York with Vincenzo, something nobody knows of. With a racing heart, I look down at my phone, rereading the text Vincenzo has sent me containing that his driver will be picking me up at 12:30 PM. My suitcase is ready, lying on the floor next to my bed while I'm lying on my back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling with a huge smile on my face.

But it's not the fact that I'll be going to New York that excites me, it's actually that I'll be going with Vincenzo, all alone. There's a short knock on my door, and without waiting the door opens, revealing my mom. I send her a smile from my spot on the bed, which she returns and she takes a seat next to me.

"Are you excited?" she asks. I turn my head in her direction and nod with a huge smile. "Yes," I tell her. Only if she knew the real reason why I'm so excited.

"What time are they picking you up?"

"Around 12:30," I answer. "Are they coming in?" she asks and looks at me, her kind brown eyes boring into my green ones.

"No, they're just going to wait outside, you know. The sooner we're there, the sooner we can start camping."

"Alright, just let me know if you get there safely."

I roll my eyes. "Mom, it's just a trip out of town. It will probably last two hours or maybe more in the car," I lie.

I don't know how much time I'll be spending in an airplane, but she doesn't have to know that.

"I don't care if it's even ten minutes away! You're still my daughter and anything can happen in one second! So, excuse me for wanting to know if you're going to arrive safely."

I smile at her, and am so thankful for a mother like her. Even when we can rip each other's hair off, we still love each other.

"I will let you know," I tell her, and pull her in for a hug.

After a couple of minutes chatting, she leaves my room and when I look on the clock, I see it's almost time for me to leave. 

The butterflies in my stomach are flying around like crazy, knowing that I'll be going to the place I've always dreamed of. 

I get up from my bed walk back and forth, the nervousness is taking over. I jump up when my phone starts ringing, and when I grab it, I see it's Vincenzo calling me.

With a trembling thumb, I accept the call and bring my phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I ask, and twirl a strand of my hair nervously around my finger.

"I'm outside, bella."

A big smile comes on my face, and I bite my lip. "I'm on my way," I tell him. He chuckles.

"Are you excited?"

"Yes," I smile. "I'll send my driver to pick up your..."

"No!" I interrupt him. He pauses. "What?"

I sigh. "I mean... mom and dad will become suspicious if they see your driver, I'll just put it in the car myself," I tell him. Now it's his turn to sigh.

"If you say so, alright. I'll be waiting for you."

I smile at the ground. "See you in a bit," I tell him, and hang up. With a squeal, I grab my suitcase and rush downstairs.

"Mom! Dad! They're outside!" I yell with a smile, and grab my coat. I put my shoes on and run to the living room, where I see them getting up from the couch. Dad pauses the movie they're watching and turns to me.

"Are you going?" he asks and walks over to me. I nod. "Yes, they're waiting for me," I say and give him a hug.

"They can come in if they want," he says. I rapidly shake my head. "No, they want to leave immediately," I lie and press a kiss against his cheek. He lets go of me once he gave me a kiss on my forehead. Then, I turn to mom.

"I'll miss you," she tells me and pulls me in for a hug.

"I'll miss you too," I whisper in her hair, and tighten my arms around her. "Tell her mother I said hi, will you?" she asks me, and I nod. She pets my hair and presses a kiss against my cheek. I do the same and pull back.

Dad wraps his arm around mom's waist and they watch how I put on my coat and grab my suitcase.

"I will see you guys soon," I whisper, and I see tears glistening in mom's eyes.

"Mom! Please don't cry, because then I'll start crying too and you know dad hates it when we cry," I joke, and give them one last hug.

I open the door, and I see a sleek black SUV waiting outside, with tinted windows.

"I didn't know they bought a new car," dad mumbles from behind me.

I decide not to comment on it and turn around, smiling at them and blowing a kiss at them before I walk over to Vincenzo's car. 

With my suitcase trailing behind me, I walk to the back of the car and open the trunk, then I put my suitcase in it and close it again. 

I wave for a one last time at my parents and turn to the car. Not knowing where to take place, I open the door of the backseat and when I look inside, I see Vincenzo sitting in the backseat, looking handsome as always in his black suit.

And as I enter the car and take a seat next to him, he leans in and surprises me by pecking my lips. He smirks.

"Finally, I have you all to myself," he whispers.

This is going to be one hell of a ride.