Dear Ex Wife, Please take me back novel Chapter 52

ATHENA

“Oh my beautiful girl! I haven't seen you in so long!” Giana smiles at me.

I grab her wrinkled hands and place a kiss on them,

“I'm sorry, Nana. I've been trying to get my memories back. I didn't want you to feel hurt.” I say truthfully.

“Child, it's you. I love not your memories. I'm sorry you had to go through such kind of pain.” Tears well in her eyes, and I shake my head.

“I'm okay, now. I promise.”

Giana reaches out and cups my cheek gently, her touch warm and comforting in a way that makes my chest ache.

“You don’t always have to be okay, sweetheart,” she whispers. “You’re allowed to lean on us. On me, on your husband.”

I swallow hard, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall.

Leaning on Alex sounds like horror. He'd probably rather die than listen to my confused thoughts.

“I know,” I whisper, placing my hand over hers.

She smiles softly, though her eyes still shine with worry. “You’ve always been strong. But even strong girls need someone to hold them up sometimes.”

I nod, biting my bottom lip to keep the emotions from spilling out.

“Come sit by me.” She pats the seat next to her, and I quickly slide onto the couch, curling into her side like a child.

“I missed you, Nana,” I whisper against her shoulder.

She strokes my hair gently, resting her cheek against the top of my head.

“I missed you too, my love. And I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m always here. No secrets, no judgment.”

Her words make my throat tighten, and for a moment, I wonder if she can sense what I’m hiding, if she knows there’s something big weighing on my chest.

“Thank you,” I murmur, closing my eyes and breathing in her familiar scent.

Guilt clenches my insides like a painful iron grip.

“I guess I'll have to find another mother since mine has been taken away.” Ariana joins us on the couch, and we both laugh.

We spend the next hours laughing and talking about anything and everything. I even get to hear how Giana and her husband Ray met. It's a beautiful story and a part of me wondered if I'll ever be able to experience it.

Ray, Alex's grandfather, died from a short illness, and it broke Giana, but she had to hold on for the sake of Eli and Killian, Noah's father.

Later that night, I return home and lay in bed as I wait for Alex. Tonight is when he's returning, and my heart is anxious.

Alex is like a ticking time bomb. You never know what to expect.

The sound of the front door opening makes my heart skip a beat.

I hear his footsteps echo through the hall, slow and heavy, and I sit up straighter in bed, suddenly aware of every thump of my heartbeat.

I swallow.

“What do you mean?”

“What's with the small talk?”

My heart clenches at his sharp tone, and I lower my eyes to the bedspread, fingers nervously twisting the edge of the blanket.

“I just...” I pause, trying to find the right words, but nothing comes out. The truth is sitting on my tongue, burning, but I can’t say it, not yet.

Not when he's looking at me like that.

Alex sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair, making it even messier than before. “Athena,” he says, voice quieter now, but still carrying that edge, “if you have something to say, just say it.”

I shake my head, offering a weak smile. “I just... missed you, that’s all.”

He stares at me for a long moment, like he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. His jaw tightens, and I can see his fingers curl slightly, like he’s trying to hold something back.

“Missed me?” he echoes, his voice is laced with disbelief. “That’s new.”

His words sting more than I want to admit. I force myself to hold his gaze, even as my eyes start to burn.

My hand instinctively moves to my stomach, as if protecting the secret only I know.