Chapter 12

Arsen

My words hit their mark,the tears shimmering in his eyes irrefutable proof even as he attempted to hide them. Turning away, Matthew fidgeted with his clothes as I tucked myself back into my boxers and pants.

God, I could have stayed in the warm silk that was his mouth for hours. It was just a quicky blowjob. In a locker room, with my pants only partway down. But the best BJ I ever had. And not to brag or anything, but I’ve had my fair share of BJs. Being a DJ had its perks.

But this was not a perk. Prism’s mouth was not just a place to get off. This was everything. So much that I could barely comprehend what it would be like if I got him in my bed.

His reluctance at first only made it that much more intoxicating. No, I didn’t take pleasure in his hesitance, but the rush I got from him trusting me in spite of it was unmatched. His reactions were pure and uninhibited, pleasure turning him into this quivering, needy mass of a man. The way he clawed at me like he couldn’t get close enough, how he whimpered and whined while stuffed full of my cock. How his dark eyes glazed over with bliss like my dick was his new obsession. It was almost as though he forgot he was pleasuring me because having me in his mouth was what he loved.

And damn, his pleasure heightened mine. Every glide of my shaft against the inside of his cheek, every stroke of his tongue and lick over my slit was done with erotic reverence. It was like being edged without intention. He didn’t tell me I couldn’t come. He didn’t bring me to the brink and then hold back.

But I was on the brink of explosion almost from the minute those lips wrapped around my engorged head. My abs hurt from how tight they clenched. It was me who held myself off as long as I could because watching him so satisfied with his lips stretched around my dick was something I had to prolong.

Thank fuck this wasn’t actual edging or even orgasm denial because I would have epically failed with how fast I came. I tried, though, even if it was a losing battle. Disappointment chased the epic glow of my release because I didn’t want it to be over.

But it wasn’t.

He cuddled up to my thigh and kept sucking.

Listen. Looking down and seeing his dark head pillowed on my thigh, lashes swept down as he gently sucked my softening dick, inverted my heart. Fully turned it inside out. He was so calm in that moment. So soft.

Did I mention I fucking loved his softness?

“How much of that did you hear?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

He meant his conversation with Kruger, and by the set of his shoulders, I knew he was bracing himself for the answer.

“Enough.”

He made a choked sound. “So all of it.”

“Does it matter?” I asked, glancing at the back of his neck and imagining placing my hand there to claim him.

Surprise turned him around. “Yes.”

I tipped my head to the side. “Why?”

“Because it was a private conversation. What I said…” He paused. “Was personal.”

Closing the space between us, I braced my forearms against the lockers on either side of his head and leaned in. “No more personal than having your dick in my mouth.”

His cheeks, which were still flushed from before, deepened, the vibrant pink such a striking contrast against the onyx of his eyes. God, he was adorable. In all the time I’d been watching him, I never once would have guessed.

He came off as the strong, silent type. Tall. Dark. Muscular. He hung with the popular crowd, seemed almost aloof and indifferent to everyone around him.

But he was not at all what he appeared. Well, physically, he was. But the rest? A smoke show. Armor. Nothing but a disguise.

Matthew was vulnerable and shy at his core. It was clear he had needs no one had ever met. Maybe because he refused to voice them or because voicing them in the past had gotten him hurt.

He wanted to trust but had been broken, which made the moments of trust he’d given me seem like a big fucking gift. He was also hypersensitive to the world around him, his silence the product of him trying to shut out most of it.

These glimpses I’d stolen made me ravenous for more. Made me churn with impatient anger because I didn’t want just the small glimpses I’d gotten accidently. I wanted everything. All of him. Anything less would never be enough.

That softness in him called to the slumbering dominance in me, turning what I thought was docile into something potent and aggressive. I didn’t just need to protect him; the most basic part of me demanded it. Something so essential I found it braided in my DNA.

Laying a palm against my chest, he pushed. “We should go.”

Caught off guard by the intensity of my feelings, I dropped my arm, and he scurried down the row to his open locker where he jammed his feet into a pair of Nikes and grabbed the discarded hoodie lying across the bench.

“It’s just a few questions, right?” he asked. “Are they going to separate us like last time? Is your lawyer going to be present for us both?” As he spoke, he reached into the locker for his phone to slip it into the pocket of the dark-colored joggers he wore.

Moving to his side, I leaned a shoulder against the locker next to his, crossing my arms over my chest. “Niles will be there the whole time, okay? And I won’t let them separate us this time.”

“It’s not like you have a say,” he retorted, reaching for the metal door.

Straightening, I grabbed his arm, drawing him around to face me completely. “You’re not going to be alone in there. Even if, for some reason, we get separated, I’ll make sure Niles stays with you.”

Confusion muddied his features. “But he’s your lawyer.”

“And having him take care of what’s mine is his job.”

Instead of answering, his hand shot out to snatch the familiar AirPod case out of his locker before pushing the door around. I caught it before it could latch.

Matthew looked at me, confused. “We’re going to be late.”

Nudging the door back open, I reached to the top shelf where a white and black tube of ChapStick stood next a stick of deodorant and a brush.

I pulled it down and uncapped it, then crooked a finger for him to come closer. He was wary, staring at me like I had grown a second head.

Instead of making him come to me, I went to him, lifting the small tube to his luscious mouth. “You need to take care of these lips,” I told him, applying it to the meat of his bottom lip and then gliding to the top. His lips parted automatically, letting me finish the job, even if his eyes were wide with astonishment.

I took a little longer than needed, applied a little extra than necessary, but fuck me, the electricity that crackled around us from this simple act was addictive.

“Keep them soft for me, princess. I won’t be able to get enough.”

I felt the exhale of his breath as I pulled the stick away, my eyes not once leaving his as I replaced the cap. The slight sheen on his mouth coupled with the haziness of his gaze made me want to have him all over again.

Holding his stare, I whispered, “Should I borrow some, princess? Do you like soft lips too?”

His lips pressed together, but he took the ChapStick from my fingers and held it out for me to use. I took it and chucked it back into the locker. The sound of it knocking against the inside of the box echoed in the empty room.

He made a face and glanced to where I’d thrown it. “I thought you wanted to use it.”

I cupped the back of his head, flexing my fingers deeper into his silky hair. “I do,” I murmured, stepping so close the toes of our shoes bumped.

His swallow was audible, as was the intake of his breath. Still holding his head, I pressed us together, kissing him fully on the mouth. His lips turned lax, giving in to mine before reaching out to deepen the kiss. I kissed him longer than I intended, but in my defense, there was just no getting enough of Matthew.

After a thorough taste, I drew my tongue back, gentling the kiss. Our lips rubbed shamelessly before I pulled back completely, pressing my lips together to smear the ChapStick over my skin.

“Thanks for sharing, baby.”

He made a sound, rolling his mouth in on itself. As he stared, I latched the locker and turned. “Come on. Time to go.”

“I’m not yours.” He threw the words at my back.

Tucking my hands into my chinos, I angled to look at him. “That so?”

He made a sound of agreement.

“Then whose are you?”

“No one’s.”

Backtracking, I caught him around the waist, pressing my body against his. “You feel like mine.”

He looked everywhere but at me. “I’m not.”

“Do you want to be?”

Forgetting he was avoiding my eyes, he looked up, his espresso irises probing mine as if he were trying to decide if it was a genuine question. After a moment, he lowered his gaze. “We don’t fit.”

“You don’t have to fit to belong to me, baby,” I whispered just because I knew it would amplify the words for him. “I want you as you are.”

Something shifted behind his stare, and his teeth sank into the fleshy part of his lower lip. Anticipation buzzed in my stomach as I waited for what that busy mind of his would let slip.

The locker room door banged open, and he jolted against me.

“I said I’d give you a minute, not the whole fucking day! P! Are you okay? Do you need help disposing of the body?” Kruger bellowed.

“That guy is the reason the middle finger was invented.”

Scowling, Matthew shoved me away. “He’s my best friend,” he said, leaving me in his wake. “I’m coming,” he called, disappearing around the corner.

I caught the door right before it slammed and slipped through just in time to see Kruger grabbing Matthew’s chin to inspect his face. “You okay?”

Jealousy coiled in my belly like an angry snake, and with it came the urge to push myself between them.

“I’m fine,” Matthew muttered, pushing his hand away. “Why didn’t you guys go eat with the rest of Elite?” he asked, glancing around to the empty natatorium.

“I told you I’d drive you to the station,” Kruger said.

“And I told you I was driving him,” I intoned.

“Bro. If you want to act like a turd, go lay in the grass,” he hollered in my direction.

“Ben!” Jess gasped.

“Don’t give me that look, final girl,” Kruger grumped. “I told you he was eavesdropping.”

Jess turned to me, long dark hair falling over her shoulders. Planting her hands on her hips, she said, “Arsen, were you listening to their private conversation?”

“They were talking about me.”

Jess huffed and rolled her eyes, dropping her hands she walked swiftly over to stand directly in front of me. She wasn’t a short girl, but not many people made it to my height. Except Jamie.

Her finger jammed into the center of my chest, and she regarded me seriously. “What are your intentions toward my brother?”

I felt my eyebrows shoot up.

Matthew groaned. “Jess, come on.”

She looked over her shoulder. “Would you rather I say ridiculous things to him like Ben?”

“It’s only ridiculous if it’s not true,” Ben muttered.

“You don’t need to say anything at all. He came because we have to go to the police station. So let us go so we can get back to moving.”

“We are paying for the truck by the hour,” Jess allowed.

“I told you not to worry about that,” Kruger told her.

Jess turned back to me, her dark eyes assessing. “Are you gay?” She was blunt.

Matthew practically choked.

I grinned. “Yep.”

“You aren’t just here for a police interview, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Jess,” Matthew said, a hint of anxiety creeping into his tone. “Please don’t.”

“And what would you do, Matty, if some guy was coming around for me?”

“Dig his grave,” Matthew and Kruger deadpanned at the same time.

It was worse than I realized. They appeared to share a brain.

“And women are the dramatic ones,” Jess muttered sarcastically.

“I’m leaving,” Matthew announced and started for the door.

Kruger appeared, wrapping an arm around Jess’s waist. “Come on, baby.”

She went with him but glanced back at me. “If you hurt my brother, I’ll dig your grave.”

I smiled.

It seemed to offend her because she said, “I know lots of ways to get rid of a body. I love horror movies.”

“I prefer sci-fi.”

She considered that. “How about scary movies about aliens?”

“I’ll bring the popcorn.”

Kruger snarled. “You aren’t invited.”

Jess elbowed him in the stomach and said something low beneath her breath, but I didn’t pay attention. I was looking at Matthew who was already outside. Through the double doors, I could see him pacing on the sidewalk.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” I vowed.

“Says the guy who’s literally on his way to the police station after getting my best friend arrested,” Kruger retorted.

“Pretty sure I heard him tell you we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Bro! How much of our convo did you hear?” He accused me.

All of it. “You saying he’s a liar?”

Kruger spun away from Jess so fast it caught me off guard, and before I knew it, my back was pressed against the glass of the double doors and Kruger had his forearm pinned against my chest.

“Listen here,” he said, ominous and slow. “I know you think I’m a moron, but I’m telling you right now that if you try and pit me against my brother, you’ll find out real fucking quick that I’m your worst fucking nightmare and the only moron in this equation is you.”

“Ben.”

His eyes never left mine when he spoke. “Go outside, Jess.”

The door beside us opened, but Jess didn’t go out. Matthew came in. Hooking one arm around Kruger’s waist, he hauled him off. “Kruger, what the fuck?”

Kruger held his hands up and stepped back. “Let’s go.”

All of us went out into the lot where a two-door Audi was parked right by the door. The spots around it had been full when I pulled in, so I was one row back.

“Is that your car?” Matthew asked, gazing across the pavement at the black Mercedes G wagon.

“Sweet, right?”

“P! Let’s go,” Kruger said from the open driver’s door of his sports car.

“You guys go without me,” Matthew said. “I’ll just go with Arsen.”

Kruger left his door open and jogged over to where we stood on the sidewalk. “You sure you wanna do that?”

“We’re going to the same place. Just go have breakfast with Jess and pick up the moving truck.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

“If you need anything, call me.”

Matthew nodded and then smashed his fist against Kruger’s when he held his out.

On his way back, Kruger glanced at me. “Arsen.”

“Kruger.”

The second he was gone, I slipped my palm against the small of Matthew’s back and directed him toward the wagon.

“I’ve always wondered how these drive,” he said, staring at my shiny black SUV.

I fished the keys out of my pocket. “You wanna drive?”

His feet stuttered against the blacktop as he looked at the keys. “Ah, no.”

“No?”

He shook his head and avoided eye contact.

Interesting.

At the front of the Mercedes, he side-eyed me when I went with him toward the passenger side. Even though I felt him stare, I said nothing and slipped ahead to open the door for him.

Surprise flitted over his features, and he cleared his throat, stepping forward to get in. Once he was in the passenger seat, he reached for the door to pull it closed. Tsking, I caught it and held it ajar, stepping into the opening and right up to his side.

“You wanna tell me what that was about?”

“I’m not used to people opening doors for me.”

I gave him a baleful look, and he looked away to roam over the interior of the wagon. “Try again, Matthew.”

He ignored me.

Gripping his chin, I brought his face back, putting enough pressure on his cheeks to make his lips pout out a little. “Try again, baby.”

He made a little huffing sound, and I loosened my grip so he could use those lips. “I don’t like to drive.”

“You don’t have your license?”

“I do, but I don’t like to drive. I don’t even have a car.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged.

“Matthew,” I warned dangerously. He was tapping into that dark part of me that wanted all the information about him and wanted it now.

“It makes me nervous,” he rushed out. “There’s so much going on at once. The other cars, all the buttons. The signs. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on one thing.”

“It overstimulates you,” I surmised, not surprised because it aligned with everything else I’d learned about him.

He nodded.

“I knew you were a princess,” I mused.

His eyes narrowed, and he scowled. “I am not.”

“A passenger princess.”

Groaning, he turned away.

Laughing, I hoisted myself into the cab of the wagon and leaned over his lap. Surprised, he plastered himself against the seat, but there was nowhere else for him to go. After pecking a quick kiss on his mouth, I leaped out and jogged around to the driver’s side.

“You can’t just kiss me whenever you want,” he informed me, and I started up the engine.

“You like it,” I refuted.

“Ben is my best friend. My family. That’s not going to change. Ever.”

“Okay,” I said, driving out of the Elite parking lot.

“He’s always been there for me.” He pressed.

“Yeah, princess. I see that,” I said gently even while I seethed with jealousy. I knew it was wrong and likely just me feeling threatened because someone else knew more about Matthew than I did. One thing was for sure, though. Me not accepting Kruger as part of his life would be an instant deal breaker.

Guess I was going to have to figure out how to get along with him.

“You know,” I said, proceeding with gentle caution. “Maybe you have some more room in your life, though? For more than just Kruger and Jess? I’d like to be there for you too. Anytime you need.”

Matthew said nothing, but I felt his eyes on my profile as I kept my attention directed ahead. Finally, he relented, turning his face to look out his window. “I’m high-maintenance.”

Frustration welled up inside me because it was clear he was repeating something he’d been told. “Whoever put that idea in your head was a shit mechanic.”

Startled, he turned to blink at me.

Oh, I loved catching him off balance and feeling the full weight of his surprise.

“There is no such thing as high-maintenance if the mechanic knows what he’s doing.”

“And you think you do?”

“I’m willing to learn.”

He turned his face out the window again, and I didn’t say anything else, instead pulling into a nearby drive-thru.

“What are you doing?” Matthew asked.

“All passenger princesses need coffee, don’t they?” The urge I had to fill the glove box with snacks and shit he didn’t even need was irrational, yet it persisted in the back of my mind.

“My friends are bringing me breakfast.”

It’s not their job to feed you. It’s mine. “It’s going to be a while until you see them. You sure you want to go to the police station on an empty stomach?”

His stomach rumbled angrily, and it was all the answer I needed.

At the screen, I ordered a classic latte and a breakfast sandwich. When that was done, I glanced at Matthew. “Caramel?”

His nose wrinkled. “That’s for trauma.”

“Right.” I agreed. It seemed I had a lot to learn about Elite and their traditions. “So…”

“Mocha.”

My lips cracked into a smile, and he shot me a hard look. “Don’t you even say it.”

I pressed my lips together and turned back to the order screen. “Can I also add a large mocha latte, extra whipped cream, and another one of those breakfast sandwiches.”

After she told me the total and I drove forward, I succumbed to the death glare burning a hole in the side of my head, turning to look at his adorably irate features.

“Extra whipped cream?” he questioned.

I smirked. “Princesses who like chocolate also like extra whipped cream.”

He gave me the finger. Both of them.

I was still laughing when I stopped beside the pickup window.

“Oh, Arsen!” the girl working the drive-thru exclaimed. “Hey! How are you?”

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for people to recognize me. I did DJ a lot of campus parties. Plus, I was on the radio.

Glancing through the window, I smiled. I didn’t know her but was fairly certain I’d seen her around campus a few times. “Hey. How’s it going?”

“I loved the playlist you played yesterday afternoon,” she told me.

“Thanks,” I said. “Wanted to change it up a bit.”

“I loved it. Got me through an intense workout.”

“Love to hear it,” I said as she passed a latte through the window to me.

When I turned to put it in the cup holder, I noticed Matthew staring straight out the windshield, unmoving.

“The other afternoon DJs play slower stuff, and it nearly puts me to sleep. Don’t they know we need something to beat the midday slump?”

As the girl kept talking, the muscle in Matthew’s jaw jerked, and he reached into his pants for his AirPods.

I realized then that he hadn’t put them in his ears since I’d met him this morning.

“Hey,” I called.

He paused, the open case in his hands.

“You don’t need those right now.”

“Her voice is annoying,” he snapped.

I smiled. “Are you jealous?”

“No,” he was quick to say, jamming a pod into the ear closest to me.

“Here’s the mocha with extra whip,” the girl called. “Oh! Is that… Prism?”

His face turned toward the window where the girl was looking past me to where he sat.

“You’re Elite, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” he answered, bobbing his head.

“I didn’t know you guys were friends.”

I wanted to yell, We aren’t. He’s mine. But I didn’t think it would go over too well, especially remembering how he said most people didn’t know he was gay.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the coffee and handing it over to him.

After grabbing the bag with the food and tapping my card, I drove off with barely a see-you-later to the girl. Instead of driving into traffic, I steered into the back of the lot and put the wagon in park.

Leaning over, I plucked the pod out of his ear. He moved to snatch it back, but I closed my fist around it. “You really need these right now, or are you doing it to put something between us?”

“The only questions I have to answer are from the cops.”

I wasn’t sure of his limits. My instinct told me to push harder, but I was also afraid I’d do something to inadvertently set him off and lose whatever trust I’d gained. What made you so skittish?

And yeah, I realized most of the trust I gained was by default. But I would use it. I was determined to prove to him any trust he gave me was not misplaced.

In the end, I decided to back down. We were on the way to the place where he sort of lost his cool, so why stress him out more before getting there?

“All right, princess,” I said, opening my hand between us so he could grab the pod. “Here you go. Put that back in and drink your coffee, okay?”

He looked at me suspiciously as if he thought it was odd I was giving in. Like maybe he didn’t want me to.

When he didn’t take the white bud, I laid it on the leather between us and turned back to the steering wheel. Before putting her in drive, I grabbed my cup to take a sip of the coffee. As my lips wrapped around the lid, his voice filled the interior of the Wagon.

“I don’t want to be jealous.”

I paused, my stomach doing a little flip. After lowering the cup, I rotated so my upper body was facing his. “But you are?”

“Oh, Arsen.Your music is so hype. Please come back later and rail me in the back seat of your sexy, expensive SUV,” Matthew spewed while using a falsetto voice and pressing his hand to his chest.

When he was finished, he dropped his hand and snarled. “Could she be any more obvious?”

I stared at him, shocked at the outburst. Probably the most animation I’d seen out of him since our night in the slammer. But along with the surprise was something else… something hot and heavy.

When I continued to stare, he flushed. “Sorry, I?—”

Snatching the latte from his hand, I dropped it in the cup holder beside mine. Reaching into the passenger seat, I half dragged him over the center console, anchoring an arm around his upper body and pushing my fingers deep into the still-damp strands of his hair.

My low growl vibrated our lips as I smashed them together, and I felt his nostrils flare, the reaction inciting even more heat within me. His hands twisted in the front of my shirt, tugging himself a little closer, our tongues fighting against each other like it was some sort of competition. The slight hint of chocolate lingered on his tongue, and I growled again, the flavor of my passenger princess hitting my veins like adrenaline.

Our chests were heaving when our mouths popped apart, the interior of the car seemingly much more humid than before.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, breathless.

“That was me being incredibly turned on that you are so jealous over some barista whose name I don’t even know.”

“She knew yours,” he muttered, face dark.

I laughed.

His upper lip curled, and he flopped back into his seat. “It’s not funny.”

“I guess it makes me happy you like me enough to be jealous.”

“I don’t want to like you!” he burst out, the words ripping from somewhere deep inside him. Somewhere that must have also housed a lot of hurt because the words were pained. His whole body seemed to move with the way he felt as he dragged in a breath and used it to release yet another glimpse of who he really was.

“I’m not like other people. I’m intense. I hate change. I like routine. It’s impossible for me to do casual. For me not to get attached. People think they can handle it, but they can’t. And by the time they realize, it’s too late for me and I’m already… obsessed. Letting people in surrenders pieces of me, and there are only so many pieces left, Arsen. I’ve already lost too many. I know we have this mad chemistry.” He went on, waving a hand in the space between us. “And it’s already…”

He stopped talking to drag in another breath. I was captivated. Completely consumed by his expressions, his movements. His words. There was so much of him in this moment. So much to take in. I wanted more, more, more.

“Already what?” I encouraged.

“Already overwhelming. No one has ever made me feel the way you do. I want you to touch me. I crave it. The urge to move away when you are in my personal space isn’t there. I’ve never felt that before. With others, I’ve always kind of… endured it. Told myself I liked it.”

I growled, shooting over the middle of the seats to grab his face and stare into his eyes. “Who’s touched you? Who’s had you?”

He tried to shake his head, but I held him too tight. “I want names, princess. Names of every asshole who ever put his hands on what’s mine.”

“When you touch me, everything is just right. Like all this time, my body’s been waiting for you. Your name is really fitting, Arsen,” he whispered. “You set me on fire and make me burn.”

I went in to kiss him again, my heart pounding so fast I felt like I’d been out for a run. How the fuck was I supposed to respect his limits? How was I supposed to move at any pace that wasn’t breakneck speed?

He pulled back, denying me his lips, and my eyes narrowed.

“I can’t,” he said, slipping away. “I’m already jealous.”

“I like your jealousy, baby.”

“You have three names for me,” he said, turning his face to look out his window.

“I do?” I asked, tripping over myself to follow his train of thought.

“Mm,” he hummed. “Matthew. Princess. Baby.” He listed them. “I like the number three. Enough to make a pattern but not too much to be overwhelming.”

Something about that tugged my heartstrings, endearing him to me even more.

“My DJ name is Triple A,” I said, wanting it to be something he liked too.

He nodded like he already knew, and my heartstrings tugged even more.

“Three A’s,” he whispered, and I watched his pointer finger tap the top of his thigh three times. Then again.

I wondered if that tapping was some sort of self-soothing mechanism. But if it was, that meant something inside him needed soothed. Before I could ask, he told me.

“I hate it. It scares me,” he said, his voice suddenly small. Vulnerable. “Me being jealous is proof I’m losing the battle of not getting attached. It’s never happened so fast before. That night in jail crumbled me, and I feel like nothing but a pile of rubble at your feet. I can’t get attached.” He whispered the last part to himself. His finger moved against his leg. Tap. Tap. Tap. And then, “I can’t keep you.”

Leaving the engine running, I vaulted from the car, the outside world such an intrusion as I strode around the hood to the passenger side to rip open the door and haul ass inside.

He made a startled sound when I squeezed myself in, sliding into the seat while pulling him into my lap. The second he was there, he tried to get up, but I anchored my arm around him and shut the door.

“Settle,” I told him when he tried to get up again, and I anchored my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him into my chest.

Surprisingly, he turned to the side, drawing his knees up, and laid his cheek against my shoulder.

“We have to be somewhere.” He reminded me yet made no effort to move.

“They’ll wait.” I assured him. “Tell me why you can’t keep me.”

“Because you won’t keep me.”

A lump formed in my throat. It was large and uncomfortable, but no matter how much I swallowed, it refused to dissolve. I realized it was denial, so much of it that it backed up my entire esophagus in protest to his words.

I could promise him otherwise. It was on the tip of my tongue. But those felt like such easy words. Meaningless.

I wanted to know why he thought I couldn’t handle him. Why no one besides that moron Kruger seemed to be able to.

“Tell me why, Matthew,” I requested, stroking the side of his head and earning a strong whiff of chlorine.

Surprisingly, he did.