Page 44 of Cruel Titan

Asher

Reaching across the bed, I don’t find the naked body I’m wanting draped across me. Opening my eyes to look around the room, I see her sitting in a chair, knees folded against her chest as she stares at the desk in front of her.

Sliding out the bed, I pull on my boxers, and walk over to where she’s sitting. She’s so lost in thought, she doesn’t sense my approach, jumping when I bend down to kiss her.

Her lips touch mine, but something is off. Sitting in the chair across from her, I’m certain something is definitely not right by her tight expression. “What’s wrong?”

I follow to where her eyes dart—a dirty metal box sitting on the table between us.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.” She props her chin on her knee, staring at the box. I sense her hesitation, but she tells me anyways. “I found it at my old house. It was hidden, and I know it’s important.”

“Do you know what’s in it?”

“No. I can’t get it open. I couldn’t find the key.”

Damn. This is a crossroad. This is a moment where either way I’m about to lose her trust, again, because I either have to lie to her or she will discover the truth I’ve withheld from her. I can always sway her to forgive my sorry ass when she finds out I withheld information from her in the past, but I won’t lie to her. “Have you tried the combo?”

“Yep. No luck.”

My teeth clench together as I take a deep breath before speaking. “It’s your birthday.”

“Nope. I tried that already.”

“No. Your real birthday.”

Her face pales and her lips slightly part as a gasp escapes, but she doesn’t speak.

“0 … 4 … 1 … 4 … try it.”

Her fingers are visibly shaking as she reaches for the metal box, methodically pushing the buttons of the numbers I just told her.

The green light on the box flashes as it beeps and the locking mechanism unlatches.

She doesn’t move to touch the box. Instead she gapes at me. “That’s the new gate code that Nathan set.”

“Yep. It’s another reason why I think Nathan is involved.”

“Because he knows my real birthday. Why don’t I know it? You mean to tell me my birthday isn’t August nineteenth, and no one cared to correct me the last eighteen years?”

“I’m not sure who knows the real date. Obviously, Nathan does.”

“And you.” She glowers at me. “You always seem to have a lot of information.”

Reaching forward she throws the lid of the metal box open, and it slams against the desktop. She grabs some papers but I have a feeling I already know what Stanley was hiding in the box, and if I’m correct, this is a moment that will forever change Quinn’s life.

Her eyes dart from me to the paper, back and forth, before she finally speaks, “No, this isn’t possible.”

“Quinn.” I move out of the chair, kneeling in front of her as the birth certificate trembles in her hand. “Quinn.”

“April fourteenth … that’s my birthday.” Her breath hitches as I know she is comprehending the other detail.

“Quinn, look at me.” Her eyes scan across the form before looking to me. “It’s going to be okay. Just take a deep breath.”

Instead, she jumps out of the chair as I stand. She shoves her fist against my chest as she screams, “You knew! You knew all along, didn’t you?! You knew that Nathan is my dad!”

My hands grip each of her arms as she continues flailing against me, screaming only interrupted by sobs. “Yes.”