Page 37 of Fractured Fate

He wasn’t a priest. He could appreciate the beauty of a woman. Not in the way Seth used to by sleeping around, but he wasn’t immune to the opposite sex. Like appreciating a painting, he could objectively see where a woman held appeal or didn’t.

He wasn’t one for casual sex, though. Didn’t get flustered over being around a pretty girl. He’d had a girlfriend he lost his virginity to in high school, and he could count the number of girls he slept with on one hand. Only three carried the girlfriend moniker.

To say he was picky was an understatement. It wasn’t that he had a physical type; he required an emotional connection to pursue anything. The only person he slept with who wasn’t a girlfriend reinforced that sentiment when, after sleeping with her, he felt hollow and more than a little embarrassed. The sex had been terrible, and he struggled to stay aroused. He didn’t even finish. After that, he didn’t try with her again—he didn’t see the point when he didn’t enjoy it. It felt more like work than connection. Eventually, they broke up.

His friend Mera said he sounded demisexual, but he didn’t know what that meant. After researching it, it made sense. He never thought to label it, though. He was simply himself. But it fit enough to consider it.

He had made a move on Blaire only after they developed a close friendship.

It took a connection with someone before his body responded, so it alarmed him the day he met Charlotte and his cock stood up and took notice when all she did was speak to him. That had never happened before.

Charlotte flopped down onto her chair and put her headphones on her head. “Sorry about that,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. She held up a tumbler and shook it. The ice rattled inside the metal container, sounding tinny through the small mic on her headset. “Wanted to get some tea. It’s too hot. I wish this heat wave would pass, but it’s supposed to be here another week or two.”

Georgia hadn't experienced a heat wave this severe in two years. A drought hit the area and didn’t let up until the months leading up to Blaire joining Blackthorn Academy, when it rained and stormed as if Mother Nature were making up for lost time.

“I wish this place had a swimming pool.” She paused, a cute frown tilting her lips. “Though I’m not sure I’d use it right now if it did.”

“Why’s that?”

She groaned and rested her head against her chair, exposing her bare throat where a few damp tendrils stuck to her neck. “Probably shouldn’t have said that.”

“You’re gonna have to tell me what’s up.”

Although her color had returned to normal and her voice sounded less strained, she continued to keep him locked out. It got under his skin.

“I told you—”

“You’ve told me nothing.”

“Because that’s—”

“Not all there is.”

“Ugh. Seriously?” She leveled him with a look he suspected was supposed to be intimidating, but it made her cuter. Like an angry kitten.

“Talk to me, Charlotte. I swear I won’t judge you, whatever it is.”

She visibly wilted.

When she put her elbows on the desk and buried her face in her hands, he assumed she wasn’t going to say anything. He worried he’d crossed a line and pushed her too far until she met his eyes through the screen.

“I think someone has been following me.”

He sat up straighter. “What? What are you talking about?”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, before she drew in a long inhale and released it in a laugh. “I thought I was crazy. Thought I was being paranoid about a new town and being away from my moms. But so much has happened that proves it isn’t all in my head.”

“Like?”

He unclenched the fist resting on the desktop. He needed to remain calm, but every protective instinct he had flared inside and told him to drive to Athens immediately.

“It’s a lot. I don’t want to get into it right now. It’ll just upset me, and I’m really tired.”

While he wanted to push, he had to respect her wishes. Clearly, she looked tired. Faint shadows lay beneath her eyes, something she probably covered with makeup during the day. A clear sign the situation made her lose sleep—not specifically her school woes.

“What would you like to do?” he asked, instead of pressing her for more information. He could get that later when he paid her a visit, because nothing would keep him from dropping in now that he knew her discomfort and stress went beyond normal college life.

“Sit under an air conditioner and play video games naked for maximum cooling.”