Page 46 of Brutal Titan

My attention is quickly elsewhere as I sit back at the desk, resting my head on its cool surface. Sleep and sex. That’s all I want, but I don’t think either will be an option anytime soon because I only want to do both with her.

Sitting through the tortuous hours, I wait impatiently until we’re finally released.

Heading to my car, I rehearse the words in my head as I curse myself for being such a chicken shit. I could’ve easily told him when we were climbing this morning. Although scaling up a mountainside to dangerous heights probably wouldn’t have been the best place, after all. Not that there is ever an ideal place to tell your best friend, “Hey, man. I banged your sister and want to do it again, but more importantly, I need her in my life as much as the very air that fills my lungs.” I’m not ready to use the L-word, but I know I need her in my arms, my bed, and my life, and not being with her isn’t an option. I just need to get it over with. Deal with the outcome. And hopefully that includes sex and sleep—lots of it—with her.

Parking just outside the garage, I purposely walk through the open bay door, thankful Victoria’s car isn’t there since it’s not her I’m here to see even if she will be the topic of conversation.

“Hey, Mrs. H,” I call out, waving to Monica, who waves back without looking in my direction.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I swiftly walk down the hallway, knocking on Asher’s door before swinging it open. “Anyone home?”

Looking around the room, I spot him sitting at the desk, staring to a stack of papers before he looks over to me.

“Damn, dude. That looks painful.” It had sounded painful, too, when his face smashed into the stone. I was so thankful his dumb ass hadn’t plummeted to the ground that I yelled at him until we reached the top of Chappell Canyon. “I tried to tell you we shouldn’t climb in the rain.”

“It’s fine.” He brushes off the comment too quickly for my liking. And he’s just listening to me bitch at him without telling me to screw off. Neither is normal behavior for him.

“So, you want to talk about it?”

“No. It’s fine. I learned my lesson. We won’t climb in the rain again. End of story.”

“Yeah. Very unconvincing performance but bravo for the effort. And we both know that I wasn’t talking about your bruised face. What’s got you all puffed up this morning?”

“Drop it.”

“I did earlier and that happened.” I nod to his injury that could’ve been much worse.

“I’m fine. It’s out of my system. Let’s move on.” He stands from the desk, stretching. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Just wanted to check on you.”

Damn it. I’m writing it off with the excuse of not wanting to say anything because of whatever is going on with him, but truth is I just crumbled under the pressure. Again.