Chapter 15. I Slowly Lower My Head Deeper

Athena

The emotional weight of everything I’ve shared with Tristan settles over me like a heavy blanket.

My body feels drained, hollowed out from finally speaking the words I’ve kept locked inside for so long. But there’s also a strange sense of relief, like a poison that’s finally been drawn from a wound.

Tristan continues to hold me as I let the tears flow, just this one last time. His hand stroking my hair in that gentle, rhythmic way that always calmed me when we were younger.

His heartbeat is steady against my ear, a metronome that gradually slows my racing pulse. The familiar scent of him—cedar and rain and something uniquely male—wraps around me like a security blanket.

“You’re safe now,” he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough with emotion. “I’m not going anywhere, Ath. You’re not alone anymore.”

The combination of exhaustion, emotional release, and his comforting presence begins to pull me under. My eyelids grow heavy, and desp