Page 40 of Avenging Azalea

“Call it whatever you want. It’s the truth. You have ten minutes before I make the decision. Get the fuck out or see what happens.”

The other jocks were in various stages of alertness as I pushed through the crowd and stomped toward my bedroom. Muttering under my breath, I tried to get control of the raging green beast in my chest, but all I wanted to do was put my fist through a wall.

Fawn touched my arm just as I got to my bedroom.

“Titus?”

My fury overrode all common sense as I spun around, grabbed her by the arms, and pushed her up against the door. Fawn whimpered and cringed like I was going to hit her. I immediately let go. My chest was heaving, and our eyes locked. She was driving me completely insane. I’d never lost control before, not like this.

“I’m sorry. I promise we didn’t go anywhere other than the den and the pool. They brought all their own alcohol, and…shit…I should’ve asked you first.”

“Who the hell are they?”

“Steph got a job as the head social media marketer for the football team. We’ve gone out with them before. We were here, eating pizza, and Steph suggested….” Fawn hung her head and then looked up at me, resigned. “I’m sorry, there is no excuse. You weren’t going to be home for a few more days, and I didn’t think it would hurt. I shouldn’t have said yes unless you were okay with it. This isn’t my home,” she said.

Just like that, Fawn stabbed me in the heart. All the toxic anger that had been swirling around deflated like a popped balloon.

“No, that’s not true.”

Cupping her cheek, I ran my thumb over her soft skin. God help me. I wanted her. I wanted the headlines to be about us getting married, not me and Vera.

“This is your home. You’ve always treated it with respect. I’m tired, and I overreacted.”

She stepped in dangerously close to me. My muscles trembled as she placed her hand over my heart.

“I’d never hit you,” I said, my voice ragged as she wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head on my chest.

Caving to my desire, I held her. She had become a woman overnight. The sweetest temptress the world had ever seen. Her big green eyes captivated me, her kind soul spoke to me, and my heart beat only for her. God help me.

My bed was only a few feet away. I battled back all the feelings pushing me to drag her into the room, lock the door, and to hell with the consequences. Luckily, Fawn stepped back before I lost my senses completely.

“I better go start cleaning,” she said and slipped away before I could stop her. I remained locked in place as I watched her walk away. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I hope you had a nice trip. The pictures were beautiful.”

An ice bucket dumped over my head would have been kinder.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Chapter

Thirteen

TITUS

TWO WEEKS LATER

The scotch I was nursing while flicking through Fawn’s social media accounts hadn’t helped my mood. She either didn’t care or had forgotten that I could see her photos and videos. Every single one of them pissed me off. I was the level-headed Mikhailov, but everyone had their limit, and I was quickly reaching mine.

The rational part of my brain knew I shouldn’t be looking, but it was too tempting. I needed to know what Fawn was doing when she wasn’t at home or working. She’d been quiet and distant since the party, and I detested every second of it. Fawn was avoiding me. One day had turned into two, and two had turned into four. It was obvious now. I wasn’t much better. I believed that keeping my distance would lessen my feelings for her. Wrong. If anything, the trip and the space only made me more rabid and unpredictable.

Therapy didn’t seem like a viable option to keep the demons at bay. I tracked her phone daily to see where she was and spent most nights in her room, watching her sleep. Now, here I was, sitting in my den, swiping through her pictures like the stalker I’d turned into.

The ones of her being silly with her friend Steph made me smile. Fawn looked carefree and happy. Exactly what I wanted for her. But no one warned me it would feel like this.

The next post that caught my attention was a series of candid shots. Fawn with a group of guys. The same jocks who had passed out in my home. She was partying and smiling on the beach, wearing an adorable green bikini that showed off her body and made her eyes pop. Fawn, laughing while on the lap of that asshole that I’d thrown in the pool. The tag said his name was Bradly. Fuck Bradly and his college-boy smile. He was smiling as he tickled her sides.

The next photo made me murderous. Fawn was smiling for the camera as Bradly kissed her cheek. He didn’t look like her type. In fact, he looked like a dick who would take advantage of her.

I tapped on his name and scrolled through his photos. I’d lost my mind and all sense of right and wrong, but I wasn’t going to stop. There was another picture of her on an ATV with this asshole Bradly. She was sitting in front of him, and he had his arms wrapped around her as they made faces for the camera. I closed the app and tossed my phone on the table.