Chapter 40. Pressed My Lips to His

Athena

On a normal day, we would have laughed at his joke but right now, the raw honesty in his voice cut through me like a blade. That I had to press my lips together to keep myself from crying, from making this about my own guilt when he was finally opening up about his deepest wounds.

“Jess saved me,” he said simply. “She helped me see that life could be more than the darkness I was drowning in. She was there when I needed someone most. She loved me, and I…” He paused, swallowing hard. “I loved her just as much.”

Something sharp lodged in my throat, making it hard to breathe. The tears I’d been fighting began building behind my eyes like storm, but I refused to let them fall. This wasn’t about me. This was about honoring the woman who’d been there for him when his family couldn’t be.

“After a year together, we got married.”

The words hits me like wave, sending ripples of realization through me. Four years ago. He’d already found love and made