Troy And Athena (Forbidden Love Series Book 15)

Before Brandon could ring the doorbell, Troy reached him in a fit of rage. Brandon looked surprised to see him suddenly appear in front of him. Troy caught his shirt collars and gritted his teeth with anger.

"Where's Athena? Did you try to convince her to marry you?" He yelled at Brandon who gaped at him. 

"Marry me? She broke up with me for you. She didn't even return me my ring," said Brandon, extracting his collars from Troy's hold. It was Troy's turn to gape back at him. 

"She hasn't married you? Then where did she disappear to?" He mumbled out, looking lost. Brandon stared at him.

"Why should she disappear? I came back from Florida four months back to see her. We fought and I left angrily. She's always lived here. Where will she go in just four months?" Asked Brandon, ringing the doorbell. 

"I was away in Africa too. I came back and saw that she had sold off her house and disappeared with her granny. I'm trying her number but it isn't responding. I've been going crazy for the last few two months," said Troy. The door opened and they same lady came out of the door. She rubbed her eyes to find two handsome guys looking for the lucky girl. She told Brandon the same thing that she told Troy. When she closed her door, Brandon turned towards Troy.

"I'll try her granny's number," he said, trying to call granny but in vain since her phone was switched off. 

"Have you checked at her school?" Asked Brandon. 

Troy nodded. "She has resigned from there," said Troy, rubbing his temples. Brandon kept his arms on top of his head with helplessness. 

"Then? What about the hospital where she takes granny to?" Asked Brandon, feeling extremely guilty for not keeping in touch with her. 

"She hasn't visited it for the last five months, " said Troy. Brandon's eyes widened with worry.

"I'm having a bad feeling about this. I hope granny's alright. Athena's very attached to her. She'll be devastated if anything happens to her," said Brandon. 

"I know but do you know of anyone whom she could have gone to?" Asked Troy. Brandon shook his head.

"I think I'll hire a PI to look for her," said Troy. 

Brandon looked thoughtful. "If she lost granny and went into hiding to get a hold upon herself, then she wouldn't want to be found," said Brandon, shaking his head.

"But what if she needs help?" Asked Troy. Brandon was confused. 

"I don't know, dude. I have to return to Florida. I had left my work incomplete and came here to attend my sister's wedding," said Brandon. 

"Fine, you can go back but I can't wait for her to reappear in my life. What if she needs me? She'd gone to my house three times in my absence. I'll hire a PI, Brandon," said Troy. 

Brandon agreed. "Keep me updated. We might not be engaged anymore but I'm still her best friend," said Brandon. Troy smiled at him, glad that the enmity between them had cleared up.

They exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch, each of them worried about Athena. After Brandon left, Troy drove off to work, relieved that Athena at least hadn't married Brandon. There was still hope. Later in the day, he summoned his dad's trusted PI, Shane Morgan and gave him Athena's details. There was nothing much he could do but wait. It wasn't an easy task and as the PI said, it would take time. 

The next few months, the PI couldn't produce any results and Troy was too restless. Arianna had given birth to a baby boy and Laurence was the happiest man on earth. However his happiness was short lived as Lisa went missing after a few days. After a week they brought her back from Mexico. She had been kidnapped by their dad. In Laurence's absence, Troy had looked after  his family. Afterwards, when Laurence returned with Lisa, Troy released his PI and just gave up. There wasn't much he could do. Brandon called him every now and then but he didn't have any good news to give Brandon. 

Athena was busy the whole week at Curtis Art Galleria, the art gallery where she worked. It had been nearly a year since she last saw Troy. She hadn't gone back to his apartment. She was depressed seeing granny's condition deteriorate day by day. Granny didn't respond to anything she said or did. Neither did she respond to any treatment or medication. Just as she kept back the last piece of painting that was displayed at the exhibition, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from the hospital. With her salary, she had bought herself a new phone some months back but she couldn't retrieve the numbers from her contact list of the damaged phone. 

"Ms Harrison, you need to come to the hospital as quickly as possible. It's urgent, " said the nurse in-charge. 

Athena panicked and rushed to her supervisor, Daniel Green to inform him about her emergency. He released her and Athena rushed down to the hospital which wasn't far from the gallery. 

As she walked into the emergency department, she felt breathless and on the verge of a panic attack. She walked straight to granny's room and found her granny awake for the first time in a year. The doctor as well as two nurses were also present. They looked up as she entered the room. 

"Granny's out of coma?" She gasped with disbelief.

"Yes but her heartbeats are abnormal, " said the doctor. Athena went to sit beside granny, taking her hands in hers.

"Granny? I'm so glad that you're awake. I've been waiting to take you home. Now get well soon and we'll go home," said Athena. Granny shook her head slowly. The doctor and the nurses left the room to give them privacy to talk for five minutes.

"I won't be able to make it, dear. Release me, Athena. Be strong, be brave. I want to go to your grandpa and parents. They've been calling me for the last few days," said granny feebly. Athena sobbed and clutched her granny's hands tightly.

"No granny. You can't leave me alone. You have to get well," she cried brokenly.

"I can't pull it any longer, Athena. Release me, please," said granny, breathing hard. Athena looked at her pale face. It seemed she was just awake for Athena to release her. 

"I'll be all alone, granny, " said Athena as big fat teardrops fell from her eyes. 

"You have to move on dear, that's how the cycle of life is. Your parents, your grandpa and me would be watching you from up above. We'd be happy if you're happy. We wouldn't find our peace if you don't move on, dear," said granny but half her words were drowned as she was having difficulty talking. Athena looked at her white, strained face and realized how much difficulty she was having, trying to convince her.

"How can I move on? I'll be all alone, granny, " whispered Athena with tears in her eyes. 

"You aren't alone dear. God has made a companion for all of us, someone who loves you unconditionally. Open your eyes and feel it. He's around you. All you have to do is realize it. Go to him when you're able to realize his love for you, dear. You'll live a fulfilling life with him," said granny. 

Athena saw how much difficulty granny was having. The doctor and the nurses came back. Granny was breathing hard with her mouth. They put her on oxygen but she wasn't improving in any way. "Please dear, release me," she whispered, her eyes nearly closing.

"I release you granny. I'll do as you told me to. I'll try to live a fulfilling life," promised Athena. Granny's body sagged into the bed while the doctor started preparing some injection for her.

"God bless you dear. May you find true love and happiness in life," whispered granny and just as the doctor was about to inject the medicine, she closed her eyes finally, never to open them again. Athena didn't cry knowing that granny was happy with her grandpa and parents. The doctor felt her pulse.

"She's no more, " he announced with a grave face. 

The next few days, Athena was busy getting granny's death certificate and preparing for a simple funeral service. There was no one to call. She was all alone in the world. As she walked back to her small, dismal, rented room, she realized how lonely she was. The first two days, she was inconsolable as she could feel the void more now. She had taken leave from work and spent her days locked in her room. On the third day she dreamt of granny weeping as if she wasn't happy. It reminded her of the promise that she had made to her granny on her deathbed. Her granny's words rang in her ear.

God has made a companion for all of us, someone who loves you unconditionally. Open your eyes and feel it. He's around you. All you have to do is realize it. Go to him when you're able to realize his love for you, dear. You'll live a fulfilling life with him.

Her words reminded her of only one person in the whole world for whom her heart would always beat. Troy!