She squeezed her eyes shut, she could feel her heart trembling in her chest.
"I can’t," she whispered. Her voice cracking even when she tried to steady it. "I...I need to clear my head."
Eryx didn’t give any reaction, just stared at her. The Athena tried to rise from his lap, his hands tightened again around her.
"Don’t...go." he said under his breath. Almost pleading.
Athena placed her hands on his chest, not pushing... just resting them there. Her head bowed anything to avoid those eyes of his.
"Eryx..." Her voice was barely audible. "Please."
That one word hit him like blade. He inhaled sharply and then, his fingers unclenched from her waist slowly.
Athena slid off his lap, legs weak for a second before she steadied herself. She didn’t say anything else as she turned and began to walk away.
Eryx watched her retreating figure silently, his eyes following her every step like she was drifting away from the place she belonged.
Her hand paused on the door when she heard Eryx’s voice. "You’re not getting away from ."
Athena’s spine stiffened.
His eyes burned into her back with intensity.
"I’m letting you walk out," he continued, voice almost a growl, "but don’t mistake it for freedom, princess"
Athena’s breath faltered.
Eryx stood now, his shadow stretching across the room toward her. "You can run. Clear your head. Lie to yourself if you want."
His voice dipped lower and colder. "But I’m not letting you go."
Her fingers trembled on the doorknob.
Athena ignored him... She heard every single word that left his mouth, and she didn’t trust herself to reply him. So she did what she knows best. Walk out and shut the door behind her.
And when she stepped out, closing the door behind her, Eryx stayed exactly where he was... staring at the spot she’d stood like he could still feel her warmth.
As soon as Athena stepped out of the classroom, still reeling from the storm inside her, she collided with soone.
"Whoa! Athena!"
The voice was impossibly loud, impossibly cheerful, and impossibly hard to ignore. Felicia. Sotis she wondered where she gets all her energy from at tis.
"Felicia..." Athena muttered, blinking, trying to recover her balance. Her chest still raced, and her thoughts were a tangled ss she didn’t even want to touch.
"Co on! Let’s go, let’s go!" Felicia grabbed her wrist before Athena could protest. Her grip was warm, insistent, pulling Athena down the corridor. "You’re walking like a ghost, seriously! We are not having you sulking here for the next hour!"
"I... I’m fine," Athena said, trying to pull her hand free, but Felicia kept dragging her.
"Fine?" Felicia twirled Athena around, tugging her along with a montum that left Athena stumbling to keep up. "You look like soone punched your soul, and I refuse to believe that’s all in my imagination."
Athena groaned. "Felicia, I..."
"Nope! Just co with ...trust ." she said opening the door to an empty classroom and they entered.
Athena wasn’t in the mood for Felicia’s. All she wanted right now was to shrink, hide, maybe even vanish but Felicia didn’t give her a choice. She nudged her gently forward.
Athena slumped into the chair, rubbing her temples like she could massage the chaos out of her head. Felicia plopped onto the desk beside her, knees bouncing like a human trono.
"So spill!" Felicia demanded, eyes sparkling. "Don’t even try the silent sulk thing with . I will drag it out of you."
Athena groaned. She wanted to disappear. "It’s... complicated," she muttered, voice rough.
Felicia tilted her head, eyebrow arching. "Complicated? That’s basically my life motto. But for you? Spill. I’m your therapist today."
Athena bit her lip, hesitated, and then just let it all tumble out, words rushing before she could stop them. "It’s... the Phantom Fours. Every single one of them. I...I can’t... I don’t know why, but I’m attracted to all of them."
Felicia froze for a fraction of a second, then blinked, eyes widening like she’d just seen a ghost. "All of them?" she asked, half-shocked, half-amused. "Even the scary one with the scowl that could summon a hurricane?"
Athena wanted to roll her eyes...As if all of them aren’t scary...
Athena exhaled sharply. "Yes! Every single one of them. And Eryx... God, Felicia, Eryx is, he’s... impossible. He’s..." She clenched her fists, trying to hold herself together. "He makes everything harder! Every ti I think I’ve figured out how to ignore him, he does sothing..." She pressed her face into her hands, groaning. "He just...he’s so... infuriating."
Felicia leaned forward, one elbow on her knee, suddenly quiet and serious, the ridiculousness lting away for a heartbeat. "I get it. I an... I get it," she said softly. "So people just burn too bright. And if he’s that intense... I can see why it’d ss with you."
Athena peeked through her fingers. "You don’t get it! I hate myself for feeling this way. I have Oliver, I care about him, and I... I can’t stop thinking about them. About all of them. I feel guilty, and frustrated, and..." She looked up, eyes flashing. "And it’s like no matter what I do, my brain betrays . I’m falling into this stupid trap over and over, and I hate myself for it!"
Felicia leaned back and let out a low whistle. "Whoa." She ran a hand through her hair. "That’s... intense. You’ve basically got a whole Phantom Fours problem. That’s not normal. That’s dangerously abnormal, apparently." She winked, then frowned, more serious again. "But you’re not a bad person for feeling it. You can’t help attraction, Athena. It doesn’t an you’re... terrible. Just... human."
Athena groaned. "Human, huh? That makes feel so much better." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Felicia’s grin returned, mischievous as ever. "Hey, I didn’t say it was fun. Just... natural. But you’ve gotta stop punishing yourself. And maybe... maybe you need to figure out who actually makes your heart skip in a way that matters, instead of letting all of them ss with your head."
Athena blinked, her throat tight. "Eryx... he’s the worst. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows how to... get under my skin. And I hate it because I can’t stop thinking about him. Him? Them...all of them, even when I want to."
Felicia leaned back, smirk returning, but her voice softened. "Sounds like you’re already halfway dood, huh? But... at least you can admit it. That’s step one."
Athena let out a shaky laugh, burying her face in her hands again. "Step one? Feels more like step one thousand in a nightmare I can’t wake up from."
Felicia nudged her shoulder lightly. "Then maybe step two is surviving the nightmare. And step three... figuring out which one of these assholes deserves to keep wrecking your head."
Athena groaned again leaning back in the chair, exhaustion pulling at her bones. "But... Felicia," she whispered, voice cracking in a way she hated, "what about Oliver?"
The room seed to pause for a second. Felicia’s bouncing knee slowed. Her grin faded, just a little.
"Oh," Felicia said, blinking. "Right. Oliver." she said thoughtfully. "That’s... true," she admitted, lips pursing. "Oliver exists. And he cares about you. Like... genuinely cares. He’s stable. Sweet and sweet."
Athena nodded miserably. "Exactly. He’s good to . Sweet, sweet and sweet. He doesn’t deserve this confusion."
Felicia inhaled dramatically, hopping off the desk like she was about to present a business pitch. "Okay! Solutions ti. Let’s fix your ssy little love geotry before it turns into a whole star constellation."
Athena groaned into her hands. "Please don’t."
Felicia ignored her. "Option one: you avoid the Phantom Fours completely. Like
...run. Hide. Triple-block them in real life."
Athena shot her a dead stare. "Felicia, they literally own half the school. They’re everywhere."
And not to ntion they’re werewolves and the scariest part is Eryx said he can sense her. What the actual hell?
Felicia snapped her fingers. "Okay, fine. Option two: tell Oliver everything. Radical honesty! Rip the bandage off. Let him help you through it."
Athena’s soul almost left her body. "No. Absolutely not. That’s...Felicia, that’s suicide. He’ll be crushed."
Felicia winced. "Yeah, you’re right. Terrible idea. Abort."
She paced the room like a detective solving a murder. "Option three: you break up with Oliver."
Athena’s head snapped up. "Felicia!"
"What?!" Felicia threw her hands up. "I’m brainstorming! Not recomnding. Brain–storming." She flicked Athena’s forehead lightly. "Relax."
Athena glared. "Next...There’s no way, she breaking up Oliver."
"Fine." Felicia tapped her chin. "Option four... You confront the Phantom Fours and force them to stop being so ridiculously attractive."
Athena stared at her, incredulous. "Are you hearing yourself?"
Felicia gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "You’re right. That’s impossible. Their faces alone are cris."
Athena covered her face again, half-laughing, half-crying. "Felicia, none of these are helping."
Felicia sighed and flopped into the chair beside her. "Yeah... okay. Maybe I’m throwing trash at the wall. But..." She nudged Athena’s shoulder with hers. "I’m not gonna pretend this is simple. You like Oliver. But you’re drawn to them too. And Eryx?" She snorted softly. "He’s basically gasoline on a house fire."
Athena swallowed. Hard.
Felicia’s voice softened even more. "But whatever you choose... it has to be what you can live with. Not what you think anyone else expects from you."
Athena closed her eyes, her heart twisting painfully. "I don’t even know what I want..."
Felicia leaned her head against Athena’s shoulder. "Then that’s step one. Figuring that out. And until you do?" She nudged her again. "I’ll help. Even if my ideas are trash."
Athena finally let out a tiny laugh, the heaviness in her chest loosening just a little.
"Trash," she agreed quietly.
Felicia grinned. "Premium trash."
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