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It was her heart.
And her heart was beating faster, warmer, almost out of control.
“Athena,” Henry whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She stiffened. “I know that.”
He moved his hand closer. “Will you come down?”
Heat exploded in her chest, spreading out to her hands and face.
Jump, her heart seemed to say. Take the leap. You have nothing to lose.
Athena pulled her leg around so she no longer straddled the saddle. Her hands were placed on his shoulders at the same time he grasped her waist. His touch was warmer than she’d expected, considering the heat that hadn’t escaped her body.
Henry lifted her effortlessly from the saddle and placed her on her feet.
She stared at him anxiously—though this time, it didn’t wear on her. The anxiety she felt wasn’t exactly bad. Was this the eager anticipation most women experienced when they were falling in love?
Love.
The word was so completely foreign to her—like another language she couldn’t comprehend. Love was something only in fairy tales and movies. Love was for people who deserved the affection of others.
Henry deserved affection; there wasn’t a question about that. He deserved to find someone just as good and genuine as he was. He deserved more than what she could offer. And yet, she knew she couldn’t stop her heart from reacting to him even if she wanted to.
He’d made her fall in love with him. With all his sweet words, his support, the way he smiled. She was a goner, and she knew it.
Her hands were still on his shoulders. Her arms had grown weak and she didn’t know if she could move them. Maybe they’d drained of blood altogether. Or maybe because she simply wanted to be near him, her brain had turned off the neurons needed to work them.
Either way, she was content to let him speak first.
When Henry remained silent, she nearly lost her nerve. Staring into the eyes of someone like Henry was more than draining. Her body was a conduit, moving energy in and out at inhuman speeds. While she itched to run, she forced herself to keep her feet planted. Henry hadn’t pulled away. In fact, if she wasn’t mistaken, his hands had tightened where they held her. His eyes continued to search hers. This interaction felt like it had taken lifetimes when, in reality, it might have only been a few seconds.
“You…” Henry’s voice trailed off and his face flushed. It was nice seeing someone else react to the current circumstances like she had. “You are so much more than you give yourself credit for.”
She moistened her lips and tore her eyes from his. Compliments weren’t meant for someone like her.
He removed a hand from her waist only to push the other around the small of her back. “I know you can’t see it. I get that. With everything you’ve had to deal with in your lifetime, I’m surprised you haven’t been buried beneath all the negativity.”
Athena shook her head, “You don’t know—”
“I know everything that matters. I don’t care what you had to do to survive. That’s why it’s called survival.” His eyes drilled into hers. “I can’t say I know how you’re feeling. But I can tell you that I understand the desperation of making sure you endure whatever trials that are thrown at you.”
Chills shook her body. Henry saw her. He could truly see the person she was, scars and all. She’d never wanted to share that side of herself with anyone. Not any of her foster parents. None of her foster siblings—absolutely no one.
While she had to accept that the things he said in his little speech could fade away, today, she told herself, she wasn’t going to let the negativity in. The doors to the unknown had been opened wide and she was standing on the precipice, looking out to find that anything could happen.
Athena shivered. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, but it didn’t settle the strange things that continued to spin within her.
“Athena.”
The chills continued with his whisper.
“Yesterday when we…” He took a long breath and let it out slowly. “I really wanted to kiss you.” Henry’s nervous chuckle made her smile. He had one of the best laughs she’d ever heard. “I can’t believe how hard this is for me to say.” He shut his eyes and dipped his head so she couldn’t see his face. When he lifted his chin, his eyes met and locked with hers, the fervor behind them impossible to ignore. “But I’m not going to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. If I have to stay a certain distance from you until you trust me, then I’ll do it. Whatever you need, I’ll be that person for you.”
This was different. In her personal experience, there were two kinds of people in the world. There were the takers and the givers. Henry was the latter. If this moment taught her anything about people, it was that she needed to give more of them the benefit of the doubt.
Her hands moved behind his neck and she locked her fingers together. “I don’t need you to stay away. I feel… safe with you.”
