Page 5 of Cruel Titan

“Not really, but why are we whispering?” I reply, matching his quietness.

“Mommy said you are really sleepy because you don’t feel good and she told me not to wake you up, but I wanted to give you this because it makes me feel better. But don’t tell her I was here, okay?”

“Thank you so much,” I reply, reaching for the bouncy ball he offers as I give him a warm smile. His sweet gesture makes me want to shed happy tears instead of sad ones for a change, but I bite them back, not wanting him to think he’s upset me. “And I promise I won’t tell her.”

“Are you better now?” His hopeful expression pulls at my heart.

I don’t have it in me to tell him I feel like I’ll never be better, like I’ll never be whole again without my dad. “Almost. This just made a huge difference.”

“I knew it would help.” The grin that spreads across his face does in fact make me feel better. If anything, at least this tragedy has brought Tanner into my life, and now that he is, I can’t imagine living without my little brother.

“Do you want to hang out with me for a while and watch The Incredibles?”

His face lights up as I grab my tablet off the nightstand before pulling up the movie he’s watched a million times but never seems to tire of. I learned very quickly the way to his heart was The Incredibles and anything Lego related.

Tanner leans back, watching as the movie begins to play. For a few moments, I focus on the story about superheroes saving the world, wishing they existed in real life.

* * *

It turned out that the movie time with Tanner really did help me feel better. I even humored Candace and went downstairs to eat dinner with her, Tanner, and Nathan, staying until it was Tanner’s bedtime before returning to my bedroom to shower.

Stepping out of the shower, I know it has helped even though I just changed from one set of pajamas to another, at least I smell better now. My mind is preoccupied as I towel dry my hair and walk into my bedroom. A strong arm encircles my waist while another hand covers my mouth, smothering my frightened shriek.

“It’s time to talk,” a low voice says in my ear.

Asher. Struggling against his harsh hold, he spins me around, pressing me against the wall as he removes his hand from my mouth. I take in a deep breath, attempting to gather my thoughts. There’s no way Nathan let him in, so that means he’d sneaked in, again.

“What the hell are you doing?” I ask, trying to disguise the fear in my voice with frustration.

“You might not want to know the truth, but you need to hear it.”

I stare into his emotionless eyes while each of his arms press against the wall next to my head, trapping me in his hold. “I don’t care what you have to say.”

“Yes, you do,” he says, lowering his head until his lips are so close to mine, I can feel his warm, sharp breath.

Even knowing he’s a psycho, my body reacts to him, desiring his mouth on mine, only this time, I won’t allow my lust to overcome my brain. “No, I don’t.”

His lips brush against mine, moving along my cheek before whispering in my ear. “Still lying to me, my little weakling.”

Shifting back, I look him in the eye with a smirk on my face. I intend to use everything I can against him, and his confession, whether it was the truth or a lie, is the best thing I can think of. “Have you forgotten? You’re the weakling, not me.”

The tightness in his jaw tells me there is some truth to it somewhere because it struck a nerve.

“And you said you loved me, so stop pretending you don’t miss me.” His snicker fuels my rage.

“I lied. I was caught up in the moment because I’d just found out about my dad. You were nothing but a quick screw to occupy my time and keep my mind off losing someone I actually care about.” His expression hardens, so I know my words get to him. “And you hate liars, right? It was all a lie. Just a game that you wanted to play, and I was happy to play along and return the misery after you forced me to watch Grant screwing Allison. So … we’re even now.”

His body remains rigid, unmoving from where he has me pinned against the wall. I focus on steadying my breath, waiting for his response. I want him gone. I want Asher Hastings out of my life, but I know he won’t be that easy to get rid of, which is answered by the smirk on his face as he feathers his thumb across my cheek. “Nice try.”

My teeth clench, fear masked by anger now as I turn my face away from him. “You need to leave, now.”

He hooks a finger under my chin, turning my face until my eyes meet his. “Make me.”

Fine. I don’t want to do it, but I know it’s a sure way to get him out of my bedroom. I relax against the wall, hoping he takes it as a sign that I’m giving in to his ridiculous demand to hear him out, but that is the last thing I’ll be doing. My eyes stay locked with his as I take a deep breath before screaming Nathan’s name as loud as I can with my eyes still locked with Asher’s.

A flash of rage moves over his face, and within seconds, my bedroom door flings open. Nathan’s panicked expression changes quickly to anger as he rushes over and grabs Asher by the arm, snatching him away from me while Candace moves to my side.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Nathan shouts as Asher struggles against him. Nathan doesn’t give him a chance to respond, instead shoving him against the wall as he holds Asher’s arms pinned behind his back.