Athena
The sky was looking so damn pretty tonight. A deep blue, littered with silver dots that gleaned down at me. Too bad the only reason I could see it was because I was hanging off a cliff, hanging on to a branch, trying not to fall to my death.
The fight with Damian had escalated. I had chased him through the entire forest, but somehow the bastard remained faster. He was too fucking sneaky. Even with his injured leg, he managed to outsmart me and dodge my attacks.
But then we had gotten out of the forest into a clear open space and he couldn’t run anymore. I had done the most obvious thing I could do, I attacked him. It had to be the fiercest brawl I had ever engaged in. I was fatigued and tired, but I couldn’t let the bastard get the best of me.
We fought for what seemed like hours. Struggling to breathe, struggling to survive. I would die. I was fine with that. With Frederick gone, there was nothing to fucking live for. But there was no way I could die without Damian going first. I wanted him gone, pummeled to the ground, without a chance to survive.
But then I made a dumbass mistake.
I had been too busy, too focused on attacking him, that I hadn’t realized he had snatched my gun. He must have had spare bullets with him. That could only explain how he had been able to shoot right at me. I had managed to dodge just in time but the damned bullet had grazed my shoulder.
It hurt like hell, even now as I held on to the branch. Pain exploded up my shoulders making me shudder and groan. The weight on my legs was pulling me down and farther.
After that stupid gun shot from the bastard, I lunged for him and pushed him down the clip. He shot at the last minute, lodged a bullet in my arm and I’d done the most humiliating thing ever.
I screamed.
The pain had been unbearable. And the bastard had grabbed me by the leg, dragging me down with him. I grabbed onto the branch last minute and held on with my life.
The branch gave a little creak and my eyes widened. It would not last long. It will give out soon. I glanced down, past the idiot hanging on to my legs. It was a long way down. There was no way either of ys could survive the fall.
“You bitch!” Damian yelled at me. “We’re going to fucking die!”
“I won’t if you fucking let go!” I hissed, ignoring the pain in my arm and glared at him.
Damian hung on to my legs, his arm wrapped around them. My hips throbbed at the prospect of bearing his weight. I couldn’t take it. There was so much pain. So much fucking pain. I didn’t think I deserved this, but then, I doubted I deserved better.
I glanced up. at the beautiful sky again, my eyes were getting drowsy and it was hard to even make out the silver stars in the sky anymore. I was so tired. I just wanted to give in. Give in to the darkness that called earnestly for me. It hurts to breathe. It hurt so damned much.
Groaning, I gripped the branch tightly, begging with every breath I could summon. Please. I just want to see him one last time. He’ll hate me, I know, but I just… I just wanted to see him.
Perhaps I should have shifted the time of the attack by just one night. I shouldn’t have asked Frederick and the police to come tonight. I could have waited just a night more. A night more with Luciano. I had it all up in my head that I hated him. That he held me against my will. But in all honesty, I mean I had the free will to be honest, I was about to fall to my death, the least I could do for myself was be honest with myself. I had enjoyed the time we spent together.
The teasing, the bants, the threats he made that I knew weren’t real now. His possessive words, his crazy ones, I’d enjoyed them all. I wish I could tell him that. That it had killed me to turn him in. That I hadn’t wanted to, but my desire for revenge was always greater than anything else. If I had a choice, if I could redo anything and everything, I would have chosen to hide in that cabin with him forever.
Just us.
Forever.
The branch creaked again and I groaned as my hands slid down. What was the point of fighting it? I couldn’t get out of Damian’s grip and besides, falling was the best way to ensure that the bastard died. It was fitting that we would both die. We both did unforgivable things. And he had used me to achieve his goals, it was only fair that I used him to achieve my goal too, which was killing him.
Just let go of Athena. What Is there to hold on for.
“Luciano,” I whispered, tears burning my eyes. A part of me, a very stupid and silly part of me dreamed, hoped that he would somehow appear like he did on the day I had been attacked by masked men, that he would save me. But he was most likely dead. Or injured. I doubted he had come out of a brawl with Luca unscathed. He was mostly fighting for his life, like I was. Depending on him was foolish.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered weakly, and did one thing I had never done in my life. I let go.
Damian let out a shocked gasp as we fell, his grip in my legs weakened and he slipped right away. I felt lighter, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I hit the ground.
“No!” I heard someone yell, stunning me.
Someone grabbed my hand just in time, the sudden force slamming me against the hill. I groaned at the impact and looked up. Flashing brown eyes stared down at me.
Giorgia?
Hell she was the last person I thought I would ever see. And the fact that she looked genuinely afraid, trying to pull me up.
“How the hell are you this heavy? One would think you didn’t weigh so much, you bimbo!” She hissed, sucking air through her teeth.
I wish I had a witty comeback, but all I could do was manage a weak smile and try to grab on the branch. I glanced below me, Damian was gone. He would not survive that fall. My mission was accomplished.
“I-I don’t think you can pull me up Giorgia,” I wheezed, trying to breathe. I had lost too much blood. Even if she saved me, it would be a hassle trying to find a doctor. And besides, if Giorgia was here, without Luciano, then it meant something was wrong. My stomach dropped in fear as a thought ran through my head.
What if Luciano was dead?
I glanced up at the woman who had always hated my guts right from time and felt my eyes grow misty. If Luciano was dead, then there was no reason to fight to live was there? I don’t think I could bear it. Starting all over again, carrying the guilt of killing three men dear to me with my foolishness. I didn’t want to live on with that kind of regret. If they were all dead, then I was better off dead.
“Let go, Giorgia,” I said weakly. “It’s no use,”
She glared at me. “if I wasn’t busy trying to pull you up, I’d smack that stupid face. I need to save you or Luciano will go mad. You think I’m doing this for you? I’m not doing shit for you, this is all for Luciano.”
“He’s alive?” I asked, hope swelling within me like a damned fool.
Giorgia looked at me like I was hit in the head. “Of course he is. It’ll take more than all this shit to kill Luciano.” She said rather proudly.
He’s alive, he’s fucking alive and fine.
My body sagged in relief and I held on to the branch, it creaked again and this time, I knew it would snap very soon.
“You might want to hurry!” I yelled, trying to heave myself up as Giorgia pulled.
“Don’t pressure me bitch,” she hissed, groaning and yanking me upwards.
I groaned as I fell on the soft ground, safe from the cliff edge while Giorgia collapsed tiredly right beside me.
“Thank you Giorgia,”
“Don’t fucking thank me. I had half a heart to let you fall to your death. But Luciano,… I did it for Luciano and not for you.” She grumbled.
“Thank you still,” I slurred, the world spinning in circles around me.
Giorgia glanced at me and her eyes widened.
“Well that’s not good. We need to get you to a doctor. Fast.”