Chapter 4
Ales
I didn’t say anything to her at first. I just watched her as she looked at me in a different way. This was the moment I had been waiting for, yet I didn’t answer right away. What made me hesitate was the message she saw in my phone. When she ran off, I picked up my discarded phone on the floor to see what she saw that made her bolt like that. I didn’t care that she saw it. I would have never hidden it from her; but now that she saw it, she could be in danger. The same feeling I had before I left for the Trojan war came back full force. I shook my head and tried to concentrate on the now instead of those memories that randomly resurfaced. I would never forget the fact that I died, but I was able to suppress the memory until now. Until Elani appeared and my worries came back ten-fold.
I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I would never tell her to go hide this time. The only way I can protect her is at her side.
“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me,” she said as she stared at me.
She was so much like Alana, she didn’t even know. It was paining me even more, now, because she was so close, yet so far away.
I pointed at my heart.
“It’s like you’re there but,” I pointed at my temple. “You’re not here. You know me, yet you don’t.”
She slowly removed her hand from mine and looked away from me to the wall.
“What does that mean? I don’t understand what it is you want from me?” Her words a mere whisper.
I sighed, reaching out to touch her cheek and she looked at me once again.
“We know each other. I know you more than you know yourself and vice versa.”
“That makes no sense. I’ve never seen you a day in my life,” she exclaimed.
“I know… I know αγάπη μου. Tell me what did I just call you? Say the first thing that comes to mind.”
“You said I know my love.” She gasped and took a step back. “How did I know that? What language is that?”
“It’s ancient Greek. Every word I would say, you would understand.”
“Why?”
“Because of who you are.”
“I know who I am,” she said offended by my statement.
I shook my head and asked her something she would answer without even thinking about it.
“Who am I to you? Again, don’t think, just say it.”
Her pretty little mouth opened, and the words sweetly left her mouth.
“ἄναξ μου (my liege).”
I couldn’t help it as expletives flew out of my mouth. I didn’t expect her to say that, but she just did. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair, speaking without opening my eyes.
“I need you to remember me, love. I really do.” I finished speaking and opened my eyes to look down at her.
She stood there with a bewildered look on her face.
“What do you mean remember you?” Her eyebrows furrowed. “I remember everything in my life from when I was younger until now. You’re not part of it.”
I shook my head.
“I’ve always been part of your life, baby. I’ve never left you, not even in death.”
Before she could respond to what I said, Patro, the only other person who had the code to get into my house, walked in.
“Achilles, are you ready to leave? I know you got the message too.”
He didn’t see Elani because my big body covered her, and I saw the alarm in her eyes come back. There was something in her eyes as Patro called me Achilles. There was a moment of recognition. Then, just like that, it disappeared.
“Patro, wait for me in the car.” I gave the command without facing him.
“What? Why?” He questioned me but then, as he got closer, he saw Elani and stopped. He must’ve finally remembered that I brought Elani home with me.
I turned and glared at him for questioning my command and for bringing up the message too.
“Damn!” he hissed. “Hey, Elani, morning. How’d you sleep?” he asked.
I tilted my head and almost laughed, causing me to calm down a bit. I turned to look at her, and she gave Patro a slight smile.
“I’ve never had such a peaceful sleep in my life,” she answered. She was always so damn honest.
“Probably because you’re back in his arms.” Patro smiled widely at her.
She didn’t say anything. I guessed she was trying to decipher what he meant by that.
“Give me a second,” I said to Patro.
That time, he nodded waving at Elani as he made his way out the door.
I ran my fingers through my hair again. It was becoming a habit again now that Elani was back in my life. I scratched my scalp before looking at her and speaking. I hoped to the gods she would listen to me.
“I’m going to ask something of you, and I would really like it if you could obey me this time, my love.”
Her brows furrowed once again. “What?”
“Can you stay here until I return?”
“Why? I want to go home.”
I wanted to scream ‘this is your home.’ A home I built from the ground up, thinking of her living here and being comfortable to do whatever.
I sighed. “I need to make sure you’re safe.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” Her eyes narrowed.
“You saw a message you weren’t supposed to see, and I don’t want anyone to know you saw it.”
“What?” she asked. “Am I in some kind of trouble? Are you going to kill me because of the message now?”
I grunted and dragged a hand over my face. Why did she keep thinking I would kill her?
“No. That message was top secret and only I should’ve seen it. Until this situation is handled, I don’t want anyone to see you coming out of here, thinking you know more than you do. Do you get that?”
She took another step back from me. I was getting tired of her stepping back from me.
“Are you, like, in the mafia? Are you going to eliminate me? Like an assassin?”
I could’ve laughed if it wasn’t such a big deal.
“No. I’m not in the mafia. Now, if I tell you, can you promise to not say a word?”
“How do you know I won’t say a word once I leave here?” she questioned me.
“I know this because I trust you. I trust you the same way deep down you trust me enough to know I would never harm you. All I would do is protect you, and you know that already.”
“I don’t know anything!” she yelled at me.
I took a threatening step toward her and watched her reaction. Her pupils dilated, but she didn’t take another step back.
“See? Even your body knows me. It knows I would never.” I stretched out my forefinger and touched her heart. “Trust this. It knows me,” I said as I walked away.
I didn’t give her time to argue with me anymore. I raced up the stairs and changed in record time, so I could go do what I was good at.
When I came down the stairs, she yelled after me, “Wait! Please, just tell me? Are you an assassin?”
I turned to face her.
“No love. I’m in the delta force.” I winked at her and watched her for a moment. “I’ll be right back,” I said then walked out.