Page 20 of Vicious Titan

Victoria quickly releases her, moving back to me as I take a step away from both of them.

The sound of Victoria’s name on Heidi’s lips sends an ominous chill down my spine. How does a woman I’ve never laid eyes on know her name? Say it like it belongs in her mouth?

“Unbelievable,” I say, turning an accusatory stare to Victoria.

Only Victoria doesn’t pay much attention to me, instead asking Heidi, “How do you know my name?”

Heidi pales, her eyes darting between us. “I have to go.”

“Wait,” Victoria calls out, but Heidi is already rushing away, leaving us standing on the porch. We watch as she speeds off, her silver car disappearing behind the trees as she races down the driveway. “How did she know my name?”

“That’s the same question I’d like an answer to. How does a woman I’ve never met know your name?” There’s no point in masking my sarcasm. I want an explanation. Has she been meddling, going behind my back to fix this too? Not that there’s a way to repair any of the damage my dad has triggered.

Victoria turns to me, her expression panicked as she whispers, “I don’t know. Does your dad know about us?”

“Why? Need to have some secret meetings with him too?”

Her frantic expression shifts to a frustrated stare as she marches back into the house, shoving past me. “I’ve never met Heidi before, and I want to stay as far away from your father as possible, which is what you should do too.”

“Why?”

She moves in front of me. “Please, listen to me. Don’t make this worse. Just drop it. Pretend Heidi was never here and leave your father alone.”

“Worse for who? My father? Heidi? You? I’m sorry this is hard on all of you.” Reaching in my pocket, I pull out my key fob, heading to the garage. “On second thought, a party at Wade’s sounds better than being here.”

“Stop it.” Victoria’s angry tone causes me to halt, turning to look at her. “Do not do this to me again.”

“To you?” I callously laugh, walking to her, and I don’t stop until my face is in hers. Even when she makes me livid, I love that she doesn’t back down, her fierce eyes challenging me. “Why not? It’s not like you give a damn about me.”

“You know that’s bullshit, so get a fucking grip on yourself.”

“Oh, I finally have a good, tight grip on reality. Stay here and finish your little drawing, and we can fuck later when it’s convenient.”

“That’s it. I’m done … with all of it.”

“You’ll come back for more dick, but that’s about it, right? No dates, no labels, no fucking attachment involved, so you can walk away at any moment.”

“I should’ve stayed away. I knew this would happen. Again. This time, it’s my fault.” The lack of emotion in her voice sends a surge of anger through me. I’m crumbling inside and she is ready to quit, give up on me like it’s not a big deal. Like it’s as easy as breathing because for her, it is.

“I told you how I felt—every sappy-ass word. Told you that I love you, but you’ve always had one foot out the door, ready to bail.”

Swiftly walking to the couch, she snatches the sketchbook up. Ripping a page out, she moves in front of me, holding the torn page in front of my face, slamming the hard book against my chest, but I let it fall to the floor. “You. I was drawing a picture of your absurd, stupid self. I wanted to tell you I felt the same way … but I couldn’t. I was terrified to say it out loud for this reason. I knew it wouldn’t change anything. You’d still turn into a callous, heartless bastard. And I knew if I admitted it to myself, it’d hurt that much more when you kept us hidden away. Nothing will ever change. Nothing good will ever come from us, and I finally accept that.”

Crumpling the paper in her hand, she stoops down, snatching the sketchbook off the floor. “I’ll save you the trouble.” She storms towards the patio door, stepping outside as I follow behind her, watching as she slings the balled-up drawing and hardback into the swimming pool.

My eyes stay on the piece of myself I willingly handed her—that sketchbook, with only the word love written in it, may have been otherwise empty if not for symbolizing the contents of my heart. So it’s fitting that there my heart lays, destroyed, floating alone in the water. “One word. That’s all I needed. Something to hold onto, but you were never mine to begin with.”

“Done. That’s the only word I have left for you.” She steps away from me, casually walking back into the house. I don’t make a move to follow, and a second later I hear her car crank up, the engine revving as she speeds away.

She’s gone so there’s no point staying in. Numbly, I make my way to my car, driving on autopilot to Wade’s house where I have a bottle of whiskey in my hand before I’ve even said a word to anyone. I drink down a generous gulp, plaster a big smile on my face, and join the party already in progress. The liquor numbs almost everything, the only thing lingering in my mind is her sad eyes. The ones that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Drinking until I eventually pass out, I’m woken not by a nightmare, but instead by the need to empty the contents of my stomach. Which I do well into the morning, praying to the porcelain god until Asher drags my ass to my last day of detention. Thankfully, that sentence is coming to an end. Unfortunately, I’ve created a new punishment that I fear will imprison me forever.