Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“You don’t get to know that.”
“But Noah deserves to. What was in the box?”
“It was jewelry that the Maletti family dug up from my mother’s fucking grave,” Roman says, cutting Torin a serious look. “That we took back from them. Is that enough of an explanation for you, Torin? I know you hate diamonds and jewels and displays of wealth, but when they were the ones my mother wore until the day she was murdered in front of my face, don’t you think my family has a right to get them back?”
Torin is stunned into silence.
Roman has never told me that his mom was killed.
My heart aches, seeing the way his face changes when he speaks of her.
And I’ve never seen Torin react the way he does now, completely backing down, like he’s dropped his guard entirely.
“I understand,” Torin finally says.
Roman just looks back down at the table. “And if you think I don’t have everyone in my family trying to work on this issue, you’re very wrong. That’s all I have to say.”
I swallow past a tight throat.
“I’m sorry, Roman.”
He waves a hand through the air. “It’s life. Shit happens. Right?”
Torin doesn’t seem satisfied, but he looks down, eating a few more pieces of pineapple.
“I also apologize,” Torin tells him.
“How did you see me?” Roman interjects, his head snapping up.
“From my window. I told you.”
Roman hums. “That’s interesting, considering your window doesn’t face the front.”
Torin cuts a glance at Roman.
My chest goes tight.
Roman just stares at Torin for a while longer before he stands up, crosses over to toss his tray onto the pile, then walks out of Colossus.
Hours later, it feels like Torin’s caught something from me, because he starts acting weird, too.
After dinner with Roman, all he wanted to do was walk me home and then bury himself in a project. He’s been working on another one of the benches out back ever since, and when I tell him I’m going up to bed, he just gives me a short wave.
I finally walk into my room alone.
Push the feeling down.
It’s there, like a sinking stone in my stomach.
My room suddenly feels empty without him in it, even though he only stayed here for one goddamn night.
It’s such a familiar feeling, but with him it still feels unmanageable.
I shouldn’t want his presence at all.
I stride over to the edge of the room and glance down at the table, seeing the picture he took of me last night.
Jesus.
I look…
I look like I just got fucked.
I almost toss the photo in the trash but I can’t bring myself to do it. I shove it between two books on my shelf and then sit down on my mattress, gazing out the balcony doors.
And I proceed to spend the next half an hour overthinking myself into a fucking bottomless well of doubt.
I finally step out into the hall to shower and run right into Torin.
“Watch out,” he says.
“You fucking watch out,” I toss back, frowning at him.
I can’t take it.
He smells so good, even now, coming in from doing manual labor out in the yard, and I just need to get away from him for long enough to make my brain fixate on something else.
“I see you’re back in a mouthy mood rather than whatever weird little act you were putting on earlier.”
“Don’t know why it matters to you how I act, anyway.”
He cocks his head to one side. “You’re easier to deal with when you’re combative. I speak that language.”
I give him a shove. “Just let me shower and get out of the way.”
His hand lands on my neck like he’s collaring me.
It’s gentle, actually, and he doesn’t use force.
But the gesture is enough of a command in itself. He cups my throat just below my jaw, gently tipping my head.
His lips land on mine and I resist for a moment, not kissing him back, as a thousand different impulses spark through me at once.
“I need you to kiss me,” he says against my lips, pulling back just enough to speak.
“I need you to get the fuck out of my way so I can shower.”
He exhales on my skin. “Please kiss me, Noah.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s been too long since we last did, and I was starting to feel like I might lose it without feeling your tongue on mine,” he says, a sudden urgency in his voice. “Is that good enough for you? Kiss me.”
I slam forward against him, pushing him back against the wall as I open my mouth to his.
His low moan is more intoxicating than ever.
“God, I’m so fucking sick of you,” I say as I catch a breath, pushing my hand up against the wall near his head. “We can’t do this here. We can’t be doing this anywhere—”
“I’m showering with you,” he says. “Just go.”
I don’t have any fight left in me, and I want his presence so badly I fold instantly. He follows me into the bathroom and we slam the door shut, locking it and stripping naked.