Page 47 of Wicked Titan

I hadn’t expected him to be the romantic, cuddling type, but I didn’t think he’d just disappear in middle of the night. I should’ve guessed. He is still playing the game.

I head back into the bathroom to take another shower, feeling the need to scrub his lingering touch off my skin since his scent surrounds me.

Stepping out of the shower, I dry off and notice a message on my phone.

Victoria: Is Asher there?

Me: No.

Victoria: Our dad is looking for him and I haven’t seen him since last night.

Me: He was but not sure where he is now.

Victoria: K. Thanks.

He’d left but hadn’t gone home? I shoot him a message that his sister is looking for him, knowing she’s already texted anyways. If he hadn’t gone home, where had he gone?

38

It’s still raining Monday morning when I arrive at school, so I hurry in, not wanting to fumble with a stupid umbrella. I don’t feel like messing with anything since I’ve been in a bad mood. I guess that’s what happens when you have mind-blowing sex with an asshole who sneaks out in the night for parts unknown. He was supposed to be mindless fun. Not a complication.

I’m walking down the hall when I spot Elliott, a moment of relief fills me when I see Asher standing beside him. Then anger takes over. He never had answered my text. I’d wondered if he’d fallen into a black hole on the way home.

I walk up to them as Elliott greets me with my usual nickname. Standing behind Asher, I wait impatiently for him to turn.

“What happened?” My breath hitches as I see the gash on the corner of his eye surrounded by bruises. Instinctively, I reach up to touch his face, but he jerks away from me, snapping me out of my pitying moment. “Where were you?”

He doesn’t respond. I stand, waiting for some clue as to what’s going through his thick skull, but I’m only met with silence.

“Asher?” I whisper, as I ridiculously attempt to keep my voice steady. And it shouldn’t be this much of a struggle. It’s not like I have some stupid meaningful feelings for him—the person who continuously goes out of his way to torment me.

“Nowhere important.”

But important enough to leave in the middle of the night and avoid his family. I won’t be this girl. The pitiful girl begging for him to give a shit about me. I knew he was a jerk before I slept with him … before I handed myself over to him on a platter for him to toss aside.

“’Kay,” I say nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders. But my insides are crumbling.

Elliot is oblivious to the silent war raging between me and Asher as he drapes his arm across my shoulder. “You missed one hell of a party, Quinnster.”

“Maybe next time. Anything would be better than what I was doing,” I say, my voice flat as Asher remains emotionless. “Just let me know.” I give Elliott my best smile as I walk away, refusing to look back. Making my way to class, I think about what a stupid word never is.

39

Walking into the kitchen, I find Francis prepping for dinner. I grab a bottle of water as she asks me about my day at school. That’s the last thing I want to talk about as I sit on the barstool at the edge of the enormous kitchen island.

Asher is a lost cause, but there are still some things I need answers to. Francis could be the key to finding answers or at least point me in the right direction.

“Thanks again for the meals, even though you didn’t have to make them for me.”

Francis gives me a heartwarming smile. “You’re very welcome, sweetie.”

“Nathan said you can’t help but take care of everyone around you.”

The smile stays on her face. “Well, he should know by now that I make sure everyone is well-fed.”

“He mentioned that you were employed by his dad too.” I watch as she grabs a sack of potatoes, setting them on the counter as she begins cleaning them.

“Yes, I worked for Barker many years.”