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“Don’t like it when the tables are turned?” Athena’s tone had a teasing quality to it, one that Monti wasn’t used to hearing. Was this woman someone else entirely now?

Monti took a deep breath. How was she supposed to get out of this one? She wished she’d been allowed to follow Fallon. As much as their argument would have continued, it also would have been resolved much more quickly without this break in the action.

“Monti.” Athena stepped in closer to her. “Do you want to talk here, in my office, or in my library?”

“Is there a fourth option of not at all?”

Athena grinned. She was so beautiful. Her body so light and carefree in ways Monti hadn’t seen her before. This must be who she was beneath all of that stress, and since they’d managed to unload some of it, Monti was finally able to see who Athena really was. Who she wanted to be.

“No,” Athena answered, her lips still curled upward. “All feelings matter.”

“Fuck you,” Monti said with a laugh. On instinct, she threaded their fingers together and stared down at them. When had their lives become so tangled together that she struggled to separate them? Because it wasn’t like she was in love. It wasn’t like she wanted a relationship. Athena was married.

“Where are we going?” Athena reminded her of the original question.

Giving in to the inevitable, Monti looked into Athena’s eyes. She found clear strength reflected back at her, confidence, but also compassion. Monti’s breath caught in her throat, and she struggled to form an answer.

“Library.”

eighteen

“Is this where the tables turn?” Athena smiled at her question before taking a sip of her tea. Ever since they’d come into the library, Monti had been stunningly quiet. However, she was anything but at peace. Athena could see that a mile away.

“Meaning you become the therapist and I become the unwilling victim?” Monti winked, her lips curled up slightly.

That had to be a good sign, right? Athena chuckled lightly, enjoying this alternative storyline to their acquaintanceship. “I’m not sure I’d call you unwilling.”

“I meant you.” Monti took her own mug of tea and brought it to her lips. They pursed as she gingerly took a sip, no doubt to test the temperature. Then Monti put the mug on her knee and sighed heavily. “What has Fallon told you?”

“About?”

Monti stared out the window. It was a tactic Athena was quite familiar with. The debate over what to say, the search for the right words. Athena gave her the time, not prompting even though she really wanted to. Resisting her nature was hard.

“About our mother.”

“I know she passed when Fallon was young.” Athena took another sip, enjoying the way the floral notes blended together. This was one of her favorites, and she was so glad that’s what had been brought when she’d requested it.

“I was two when our mother died. Fallon was nine.” Monti spun her cup on her knee carefully, the liquid not sloshing over the side. Still Monti wouldn’t look at her.

Was she embarrassed?

How could she be? It wasn’t like it was her mother’s fault that she died. Or was it? Athena spun through the possibilities, but she’d never looked into it. She’d left Fallon alone when she’d mentioned it.

Monti sighed heavily and rubbed her palm over her forehead. “You can’t treat her differently. I know you’ll see her differently than before, but if I tell you this, you have to treat her the same.”

Athena’s lips parted, the rejection of whatever Monti was thinking on the tip of her tongue, but something in Monti’s eyes made her stop. There was that carefully guarded pain again. Monti blinked and the spell was broken.

“I’ll try my best,” Athena answered honestly. “But I assume what you’re going to tell me is going to change the way I see her.”

Monti grimaced.

“I can tell from your reaction that it will.” Athena put her mug down. “Go ahead.”

“Fallon and I were raised by Tia, our aunt, after our mother died. I don’t remember much from before. You’d have to ask her for details, but I’d suggest not doing that. She doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Does anyone like to talk about their trauma?” Athena answered dryly.

Monti smirked. “You might be surprised, but some people do. Or at least they like the release they get afterward.”