Page 20 of The Villain

My head whipped, and I glared at my sister as I explained, “Since your brain isn’t reading the signals from your eyes, the bandage protects you from accidentally physically damaging your eyes. You could stare straight at the sun and not realize.”

“But since the sun already started to set and we’re inside,” Rob began, approaching me and ignoring the daggers in my gaze. “I think we can remove it for a few minutes while you eat.”

I didn’t care how rational an argument my sister made, I wouldn’t risk?—

“Thank you.”

Athena’s soft gratitude broke me—the desperation consuming it. Like it was the first breath of air she’d taken since she’d woken up. And I wouldn’t be the one to rip it away.

I stared Rob down for one long second and then muttered, “I’ll remove it for you.”

It was one of the more idiotic things I’d done, but when it came to taking care of Athena, I couldn’t stop myself. It was guilt and duty, I told myself. That’s all. Guilt for the way I’dtreated her and the foolish belief that caring for and protecting her now made up for it.

I turned and placed my hand on her shoulder to let her know I was here. She didn’t even flinch.Because she trusts you.The irony there tightened my jaw to the brink of snapping, and I quickly buried the anger—easy to do when the feel of her quickly consumed my thoughts.

Heat flooded underneath my fingertips in a familiar yet unmistakable warning:don’t touch.But I had to. I shouldn’t, but I had to because the thought of anyone else touching her—even Rob—created a much darker version of the same warning from somewhere deeper inside me.Don’t. Touch.

“Athena, do you have any idea who would want to hurt you?” Rob asked gently as I undid the hook on the bandage.

“No, I don’t.”Athena shuddered slightly as I started to loosen the wrap. This close, I could see the flutter of her pulse against her neck. “I don’t know many people here; I just moved back to the area. I’m an artist—a struggling artist. I don’t have family or money…”

Fuck.It took everything I had—every bone, every muscle, every artery, every vein, every nerve, and every single breath—to not pull her into my arms. The weight of watching her bear something like this alone almost crushed me.

But to comfort her would be wrong, too.

The rules were simple around Athena. What was wrong was wrong, and what was right was also wrong. I shouldn’t touch her, but I couldn’t let anyone else touch her. I should stay away, but I needed to be close to protect her. I should tell her the truth, but she deserves better than an apology.

“What about your ex-husband?”

Athena sucked in a sharp breath and instantly choked on it.

A curse welled on the tip of my tongue, and my headwhipped to my sister, about to lash out, when Athena spoke and stopped me.

“Brandon? No. I mean—no. I can’t imagine…”

I looked back at Athena, watching the crease in her brow appear as I reached the last layer of the bandage. I hesitated for a split second. There was a chance some of her sight had returned.Slim—very slim.And I would face the consequences if it did.

“He wouldn’t do this. He’s not…he wouldn’t even know how to…”

I pulled the bandage off and rolled it in my hands.Dammit.I forgot Rorik had taped gauze over her eyes, too.

The bandage was one thing. I didn’t have to touch more than her hair to unwind it. But this…I forced my exhale out and reached for the one end of the tape—right as Athena lifted her hand.

Our fingers collided. Like matches and gasoline, a riotous unwieldy flame burst through me. She pulled away, but the whole of my arm seemed to have already turned to ash.

“I’m sorry.”

I grunted and focused on my task, acutely aware that Rob stood at the end of the bed, assessing every move and breath and sound of mine for evidence to support her claim.

“But you are getting a divorce, correct?”

My finger flinched as it pressed to her skin so it wouldn’t hurt when I pulled the tape.Married. She was married.I still couldn’t process it. As though, all these years, she’d only belonged to me—like a star in the sky only I could see.

“Yes,” Athena said and nodded, making my fingers brush more of her skin than necessary.Or recommended.

“And was the divorce amicable?” Rob asked, even though she knew the opposite to be true.Even though the answer was written all over Athena’s face.

“No.” The word was a defeat.A loss.

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