Page 14 of Vicious Titan

10

Victoria

There’s so much wrong with me being here, but I don’t want to be anywhere else. Curled up on my side, my face resting against a soft pillow, Elliot’s arm draped across my side, his nude body perfectly molded against mine. We fit, make perfect sense; our bodies are impeccably in sync. But the physical part has never been the problem. It’s once we step outside our safe, secret haven that the BS rips everything to shreds, and I have a sinking feeling that moment will be here sooner rather than later because it’s time to face reality again. Guilt weighs heavily on me; I hate that I’m holding in yet another secret from him. But how am I supposed to tell him that his father wanted his mother dead? How can I justify betraying Olivia’s trust? How could I live with myself if I put Elliot in danger? I couldn’t. I won’t. Reality is slipping in. I need to go.

I attempt to slide out from under his arm, failing as his arm wraps securely around me, pulling me back against his solid chest. “Don’t leave.”

“We’re gonna be late for school,” I sigh, relaxing against him.

“Let’s skip and stay here all day.”

School is the last place I want to be, especially since it means leaving the cozy bed we’re currently occupying. “Probably not a good idea.”

He presses his hard cock against my backside, his lips brushing over my shoulder. “Feels like a fantastic idea.”

“Yes. It does feel fantastic, but it has to wait.”

“Damn that’s harsh,” he chuckles, letting out a defeated breath. “Just a few more minutes because I’m not ready to let you go.”

“Me either,” I whisper into the silent bedroom. It might be outwardly serene, but my mind races with questions and concerns, none of which should be spoken at the moment. Sliding off the bed, I laugh as he lets out an exaggerated groan, stretches, then sits on the edge of the mattress. As I move to walk away, his fingers encircle my wrist, pulling me to stand between his legs.

He snakes his arms around my waist, hugging me as his cheek rests against my stomach. “Thank you. That was the best sleep I’ve had in days.”

My hands thread through his hair, holding him against me. My heart aches at the flashes of memories from his disturbing sleep. “It didn’t seem so great. I had to wake you up twice.”

“Like I said, best sleep I’ve had in days.” His voice is low as he keeps his face against my stomach.

If that was his best sleep, I’d hate to think of what he’d experienced the other nights. “Maybe you should talk to someone.”

“I’m talking to you.”

“A professional. Someone who can actually help you.”

Arms dropping from around me, his fists press into the bed as he pushes to stand, his eyes never leaving mine. He hooks his finger under my chin, brushing along my jawline. “I just need you.”

I can’t. I want to, but I can’t listen to this after the cruel things he’d said to me days ago. Besides, I’m not naïve enough to believe that I can single-handedly tame the demons in his mind. “No. I’m just convenient.”

His body tenses as his fingers stiffly thread through my hair, his eyes pinching closed. He whispers, “I’m so sorry.”

“And I actually believe you are, but that doesn’t erase what you said, what you did to me last week.”

His fingers release my hair and his arms envelop me, hugging me flush against him. “I’ll make it up to you.”

I’m not sure he can, but although those words repeat in my mind, my true concern is him, his mental well-being. Because he’s anything but good. “Just try talking to a therapist. It might help.”

“I need to talk to my mom. I need to tell her I’m a jackass. That I still don’t understand her decision, but I’m glad she failed.”

“Because of you,” I whisper, unsure what to say but it’s the truth. The doctors said if Elliot hadn’t found her when he had, she wouldn’t have survived. Richard flashes through my mind. Is that why he’d been so livid at the hospital? I’d thought it strange that he was so angry, but I wrote it off as being a highly emotional time. Which it had been, but for a very different reason than I’d suspected. “Maybe just give her some time and get your head straight before you go back to see her.”

He shifts, looking to me. “Are you planning to see her? Is that why you don’t want me to go?”

Shaking my head, I bite the inside of my lip, stalling for a second before responding. “I’m not going back.”

“I was jealous.”

“What?”

“When I realized you’d been visiting her, I was jealous. She doesn’t want me there, but she welcomed you to visit week after week.”