Page 4 of Cruel Titan

Asher

She is running away from me again. I’ve watched this sight too many fucking times over the last week.

“I told you she doesn’t need any extra shit to deal with right now,” Nathan says from behind me as I continue staring at the spot where I’d watched Quinn disappear.

Nathan moves in front of me, positioning himself between me and the path that leads to Quinn. He’s always been more of a father to me than my actual father, but in this case, I know where his loyalty lies, and it’s not with me. It’s with Quinn. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that bothers me. I get his need to protect Quinn, but he’s always been there to protect me too.

“I need to talk to her.”

“She doesn’t want to talk, so leave her be. My guess is whatever you have to say won’t be received well anyways, since she obviously doesn’t want to hear you out.”

“It’ll never be received well,” I mumble under my breath, trying to go over the words I need to say to her, to explain how I’m the cause of her misery.

“Is there anything you want to tell me, Asher?” Nathan gives me that knowing, fatherly look he’s used on me so many times when I was a hellacious child, but this doesn’t involve me tracking mud through the house … this is the mistake that rips Quinn even further away from me.

“No.”

Nathan frowns at me, knowing there is something I should tell him, but he lets it go. He knows me well enough to know that there’s no making me do shit that I don’t want to do. “Well, I’m always here if you change your mind. Until then, give her some space. Today was extremely hard for her, don’t make it worse.”

Too fucking late.

Nodding, I step back, not looking him in the eye. I will talk to her. It might not be today, but she will hear what I have to say. I may be a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them. Even if I hadn’t been forthcoming with all the details regarding the shitstorm that is still brewing—the one Quinn is responsible for stirring—none of the words out of my mouth were a lie. Not once.

Stepping inside my house, I slam the door behind me.

“Where have you been?” my sister asks, studying my sloppy clothes.

“Out,” I reply flatly.

“I tried to find Quinn after the funeral was over, but she left before I had the chance.” Victoria eyes me suspiciously. “And you disappeared around the same time too. Were you with her?”

“No.”

“Asher,” she says, her disapproving and annoying sister voice evident. “I was just wanting to make sure she was okay.”

“Then go fucking ask her yourself.”

“Fine, asshole,” she says. Walking out the room, she mumbles, “You were so much nicer before she cut your ass off.”

“Fuck off,” I grunt before hurrying upstairs, not wanting to risk seeing my parents and enduring more questioning. Both know I went to the funeral, and I’m sure both will have their reasons for asking details about it but I’m not in the mood to oblige right now. I need to clear my head before my father questions me because once again, Quinn is clouding my judgment. Just as she has since the moment I laid eyes on her.

The tense muscles in my shoulders ache as I step inside my room, yanking my shirt off on the way to the shower. Stupidly, I’d spent way too many hours sitting outside the garage, waiting for her like the pathetic pussy she’s turned me into. That shit stops now.

4

Quinn

Lying in the bed, I tuck the comforter under my chin as I stare out the balcony doors. It’s evening but I still haven’t left my bedroom. I don’t want to face reality just yet.

A soft knock sounds on the door. I’m expecting Candace or Nathan as I tell them to come in, but instead, Tanner peeks his head into the room.

“Can I come in?” he whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear.

“Yep,” I smile at him, waving him in.

He hurries in, softly shutting the door behind him before speedily tiptoeing across the room. I sit up, patting the spot on the bed next to me as he hops beside me.

“Are you still sleepy?” he says in a hushed voice.