Sequel: A Ship in Harbor is Safe ›
Status: complete
Dangerous Light
five.
Athena feels an odd sensation linger over her as she stares at the fancy numbers on the hotel door, for the second time that day. The simple act of being in a hotel is odd for the young woman. Quickly, she brushes the thought away from the forefront of her mind and raps her knuckles on the door with slight force.
The door opening pulls Athena’s attention away from the patterned carpet under her feet.
“Hey Athena,” Sidney smiles politely, while looking slightly caught off guard. “Let me guess, you’re looking for Jordan.”
A smile tugs at the petite blonde’s lips. “And let me guess, he’s not here?”
Stepping back slightly, Sidney pulls the door open slightly in an inviting manner. “That’d be correct. But you can come in anyway.”
“Oh, thanks.” Athena smiles and proceeds to step into the foyer of the suite. “He never came back from the pool did he?”
As he makes sure the door is closed, Sidney looks down at the young woman. “You must know Jordan pretty well.”
“He and I do go back,” she reminds him politely. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Athena covers up any negative emotion that may have been playing on her features the moment before with a smile. Tilting her head up slightly, she makes eye contact with Sidney and speaks with sarcasm weighing down her tone, “I’m just glad to know that he hasn’t changed too much.”
Sidney smiles and laughs lightly.
Athena smiles back at him, not breaking eye contact. Ignoring the tightness in her chest, she blinks and looks away momentarily to try and remember what she was going to say. After a moment, she clamps her mouth shut, not realizing that it has been open, and smirks at the man standing in front of her.
Awkwardly, Sidney smiles. “You alright?”
Opening her mouth again, Athena shakes her head. “I-I don’t think that I’m going to the pool.”
The door opening pulls Athena’s attention away from the patterned carpet under her feet.
“Hey Athena,” Sidney smiles politely, while looking slightly caught off guard. “Let me guess, you’re looking for Jordan.”
A smile tugs at the petite blonde’s lips. “And let me guess, he’s not here?”
Stepping back slightly, Sidney pulls the door open slightly in an inviting manner. “That’d be correct. But you can come in anyway.”
“Oh, thanks.” Athena smiles and proceeds to step into the foyer of the suite. “He never came back from the pool did he?”
As he makes sure the door is closed, Sidney looks down at the young woman. “You must know Jordan pretty well.”
“He and I do go back,” she reminds him politely. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Athena covers up any negative emotion that may have been playing on her features the moment before with a smile. Tilting her head up slightly, she makes eye contact with Sidney and speaks with sarcasm weighing down her tone, “I’m just glad to know that he hasn’t changed too much.”
Sidney smiles and laughs lightly.
Athena smiles back at him, not breaking eye contact. Ignoring the tightness in her chest, she blinks and looks away momentarily to try and remember what she was going to say. After a moment, she clamps her mouth shut, not realizing that it has been open, and smirks at the man standing in front of her.
Awkwardly, Sidney smiles. “You alright?”
Opening her mouth again, Athena shakes her head. “I-I don’t think that I’m going to the pool.”
“Isn’t Jordan waiting for you, though?” Sidney asks, trying to figure out what may be wrong with the young woman in front of him. Her skin is no paler than it had been in the early hours of this morning, but rather flushed.
She shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “Probably not. I mean, he was supposed to meet me up here and never showed. And I’m, like, an hour later than I said I’d be.”
Fully aware that it is probably not the most appropriate offer, Sidney still feels it is the right thing to do. “You can stay up here if you want.”
Her lips pull back over her perfectly straight, white teeth but her blue eyes seem caught off guard. Athena is obviously not expecting what Sidney has offered.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though—” Great, Sidney thinks to himself as soon as the words leave his lips, now she thinks that I don’t want her here and I’m just trying to be polite.
Tucking a chunk of her blonde hair behind her ear, she laughs quietly. “Yeah, I know what you mean, Sidney.”
What seems like a weight of a thousand pounds is lifted off of Sidney’s shoulders as he sighs.
A smile plastered to her face, Athena slowly walks by Sidney to enter the suite.
Instinctively, his eyes follow her short frame and take in every detail – her long, slightly damp hair and how it is now perfectly pin straight. Her emerald green top just overlaps the belt loops on her tight, light washed jeans. Sidney’s eyes also focus on how her hips sway as she crosses the living room area and sets her purse down on the spotless coffee table. I see what Max was saying-
“So, why aren’t you down at the pool?” Athena cuts off Sidney's mind in mid thought, with her hands tucked into her back pockets comfortably. The young woman is standing on the side of the couch opposite Sidney, who is standing awkwardly at the edge of the living room area, closer to the foyer, with his hands tucked deep into his pockets. Athena shifts after a second, looking at Sidney with a look of interest on her face.
Shrugging his shoulders, Sidney casually steps into the room a little more. “I was thinking about it, but after running some errands this morning I didn’t feel like it.”
“Running errands? Aren’t you on vacation?” Athena chuckles, teasingly.
“I guess you could say that they weren’t real errands.”
Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Athena smiles and gracefully sinks down onto the couch, curling up one of her legs under her small frame. Resting her chin on her arms, which are resting on the back of the couch, Athena gazes at Sidney occasionally. After a few moments in a comfortable, but awkward, silence, she speaks up. “You don’t have anywhere to be, do you?”
She shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “Probably not. I mean, he was supposed to meet me up here and never showed. And I’m, like, an hour later than I said I’d be.”
Fully aware that it is probably not the most appropriate offer, Sidney still feels it is the right thing to do. “You can stay up here if you want.”
Her lips pull back over her perfectly straight, white teeth but her blue eyes seem caught off guard. Athena is obviously not expecting what Sidney has offered.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though—” Great, Sidney thinks to himself as soon as the words leave his lips, now she thinks that I don’t want her here and I’m just trying to be polite.
Tucking a chunk of her blonde hair behind her ear, she laughs quietly. “Yeah, I know what you mean, Sidney.”
What seems like a weight of a thousand pounds is lifted off of Sidney’s shoulders as he sighs.
A smile plastered to her face, Athena slowly walks by Sidney to enter the suite.
Instinctively, his eyes follow her short frame and take in every detail – her long, slightly damp hair and how it is now perfectly pin straight. Her emerald green top just overlaps the belt loops on her tight, light washed jeans. Sidney’s eyes also focus on how her hips sway as she crosses the living room area and sets her purse down on the spotless coffee table. I see what Max was saying-
“So, why aren’t you down at the pool?” Athena cuts off Sidney's mind in mid thought, with her hands tucked into her back pockets comfortably. The young woman is standing on the side of the couch opposite Sidney, who is standing awkwardly at the edge of the living room area, closer to the foyer, with his hands tucked deep into his pockets. Athena shifts after a second, looking at Sidney with a look of interest on her face.
Shrugging his shoulders, Sidney casually steps into the room a little more. “I was thinking about it, but after running some errands this morning I didn’t feel like it.”
“Running errands? Aren’t you on vacation?” Athena chuckles, teasingly.
“I guess you could say that they weren’t real errands.”
Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Athena smiles and gracefully sinks down onto the couch, curling up one of her legs under her small frame. Resting her chin on her arms, which are resting on the back of the couch, Athena gazes at Sidney occasionally. After a few moments in a comfortable, but awkward, silence, she speaks up. “You don’t have anywhere to be, do you?”
Sidney shakes his head and smirks. “Why would you think that?”
“Well,” Athena throws a knowing look in his direction, with her chin resting on her forearm along the back of the couch, “you’re like… standing all the way over there like you’re gonna run out of the room as soon as I turn my back.”
A nervous laugh escapes Sidney as he bows his head, rubbing the back of his neck with one of his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize that I was doing it.”
“If you have somewhere to go, don’t let me hold you back or anything.”
Sidney shakes his head, clearly regaining his composure. “No. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
A small smile lingers on Athena’s lips. She shifts her body so she is now sitting on both of her feet, her chin still on her crossed forearms. “Then come sit down,” she smiles, “I don’t bite.”
Seemingly more comfortable, Sidney walks over to the couch and relaxes on the opposite end. On the huge couch, there is nearly a foot and a half of space in between the two.
"So," Athena speaks up again after a minute, "can I ask you something? Like, in confidence?"
Rightfully caught off guard, Sidney has trouble hiding the skeptical look playing his features. "Sure."
"How's Jordan doing?"
"You saw him last night," Sidney shrugs slightly.
Athena smiles, but something about it is different from her previous smiles - this one is clearly fake and covering up other emotions. "And he was drunk off his ass."
Sidney gives a slight nod, giving her that much. "He doesn't drink like that all the time. During the season, he's focused on hockey."
"I'm glad to hear that," the calmness in Athena's voice relaxes Sidney before he actually begins to get defensive. "I'm just curious. He and I don't speak as much as we used to and when we do... well, I get a very filtered version of the goings-on in his little world, you know?"
The silence that follows is heavy and awkward. Athena glares at her hands, ignoring the fact that Sidney is staring at her. Even his voice does not make her look up, even though she really wants to. "You should give him a little more credit, Athena."
"I give him credit," she nods lightly, "but I'll always worry, ya know. He... Jordan was my best friend."
"Was?" Sidney finally catches the gaze of her blue eyes, which appear icier than before.
"I guess he always will be, but.... we're not close anymore. And I know that he hides things from me that most people wouldn't hide from a best friend."
Sidney gazes at Athena, having trouble believing what she is saying. "What does he hide from you?"
"He has a girlfriend, doesn't he?" The question is abrupt and random.
Again, it catches Sidney off guard. Before he can open his mouth, Athena speaks calmly.
"It's just a yes or no question, Sid. No need to get defensive, I'm not asking for details."
Silently, Sidney answers Athena's question with a single nod of his head.
"And I could ask Jordan right now if he had girl back home and you know what he would say? He'd tell me no because he knows that I have no plans of going back to Thunder Bay and finding out the truth."
"Why wouldn't he just be honest with you?" Sidney is clearly confused. "Jordan's a pretty private guy, but he would tell you something like that..."
"Obviously not," Athena gives Sidney a small smile, laced with sadness.
Sidney frowns slightly. "Are you jealous, or something?"
"God, no," Athena rolls her eyes and tilts her head back to laugh. Her right hand intertwined in her golden locks, holding her head up with the support of the back of the couch. "This isn't anything new, really. Plus, it may take me a while, but I'll find someone who won't keep me in the dark because it benefits them."
Clearly unconvinced and feeling like he himself is still left in the dark, Sidney stares at Athena. Feeling his gaze, she looks away from one of the vases on a table in the corner of the room and meets his eyes. Sidney is the first to speak up this time. "You alright?"
A genuine smile appears on Athena's face in the blink of an eye. "Oh, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Sidney lightens up a little, feeding off of the vibe that the young woman is giving off.
"Yes, I am sure." Athena smiles and looks around to find the artsy clock on the wall. "It's about lunch time. What do you say we ditch all this serious talk and go grab a bite to eat?"
“Well,” Athena throws a knowing look in his direction, with her chin resting on her forearm along the back of the couch, “you’re like… standing all the way over there like you’re gonna run out of the room as soon as I turn my back.”
A nervous laugh escapes Sidney as he bows his head, rubbing the back of his neck with one of his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize that I was doing it.”
“If you have somewhere to go, don’t let me hold you back or anything.”
Sidney shakes his head, clearly regaining his composure. “No. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
A small smile lingers on Athena’s lips. She shifts her body so she is now sitting on both of her feet, her chin still on her crossed forearms. “Then come sit down,” she smiles, “I don’t bite.”
Seemingly more comfortable, Sidney walks over to the couch and relaxes on the opposite end. On the huge couch, there is nearly a foot and a half of space in between the two.
"So," Athena speaks up again after a minute, "can I ask you something? Like, in confidence?"
Rightfully caught off guard, Sidney has trouble hiding the skeptical look playing his features. "Sure."
"How's Jordan doing?"
"You saw him last night," Sidney shrugs slightly.
Athena smiles, but something about it is different from her previous smiles - this one is clearly fake and covering up other emotions. "And he was drunk off his ass."
Sidney gives a slight nod, giving her that much. "He doesn't drink like that all the time. During the season, he's focused on hockey."
"I'm glad to hear that," the calmness in Athena's voice relaxes Sidney before he actually begins to get defensive. "I'm just curious. He and I don't speak as much as we used to and when we do... well, I get a very filtered version of the goings-on in his little world, you know?"
The silence that follows is heavy and awkward. Athena glares at her hands, ignoring the fact that Sidney is staring at her. Even his voice does not make her look up, even though she really wants to. "You should give him a little more credit, Athena."
"I give him credit," she nods lightly, "but I'll always worry, ya know. He... Jordan was my best friend."
"Was?" Sidney finally catches the gaze of her blue eyes, which appear icier than before.
"I guess he always will be, but.... we're not close anymore. And I know that he hides things from me that most people wouldn't hide from a best friend."
Sidney gazes at Athena, having trouble believing what she is saying. "What does he hide from you?"
"He has a girlfriend, doesn't he?" The question is abrupt and random.
Again, it catches Sidney off guard. Before he can open his mouth, Athena speaks calmly.
"It's just a yes or no question, Sid. No need to get defensive, I'm not asking for details."
Silently, Sidney answers Athena's question with a single nod of his head.
"And I could ask Jordan right now if he had girl back home and you know what he would say? He'd tell me no because he knows that I have no plans of going back to Thunder Bay and finding out the truth."
"Why wouldn't he just be honest with you?" Sidney is clearly confused. "Jordan's a pretty private guy, but he would tell you something like that..."
"Obviously not," Athena gives Sidney a small smile, laced with sadness.
Sidney frowns slightly. "Are you jealous, or something?"
"God, no," Athena rolls her eyes and tilts her head back to laugh. Her right hand intertwined in her golden locks, holding her head up with the support of the back of the couch. "This isn't anything new, really. Plus, it may take me a while, but I'll find someone who won't keep me in the dark because it benefits them."
Clearly unconvinced and feeling like he himself is still left in the dark, Sidney stares at Athena. Feeling his gaze, she looks away from one of the vases on a table in the corner of the room and meets his eyes. Sidney is the first to speak up this time. "You alright?"
A genuine smile appears on Athena's face in the blink of an eye. "Oh, I'm fine."
"You sure?" Sidney lightens up a little, feeding off of the vibe that the young woman is giving off.
"Yes, I am sure." Athena smiles and looks around to find the artsy clock on the wall. "It's about lunch time. What do you say we ditch all this serious talk and go grab a bite to eat?"