Page 3 of Brutal Titan

“What are you doing in here?” Still in utter shock from the rude awakening, my eyes dart around. Grant is the only other person in the room—a space that should be vacant and, party-wise, is categorically out-of-bounds.

“I just wanted to check on you.”

My eyes stay on him as I shove away, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Rubbing my eyes, I try to figure out if this is a drunken nightmare or reality. Grant hasn’t given me any reason to not trust him in the years I’ve known him, but this feels different. Wrong. Like a violation. “How did you get in here?”

“The door wasn’t shut. I saw you slip in.” His hand releases my thigh only to move further up, heading in the wrong direction as he leans forward. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Ramming against him, I stand, finally free from his unwanted touch. “You shouldn’t have followed me. I told you I was fine. Go back to the party.”

Blowing out a defeated breath, he rises from the couch, walking to me as I stand rigid. Only the sound of faint voices from outside can be heard. “I can hang out here for a while.”

“No.” I move to walk away as he shifts in front of me, blocking my path as both anger and fear fill my mind. “Get out of my way.”

Something shifts in his features as he steps closer to me. Backing up, I hit the wall as his hand reaches forward, gripping my waist. “I can make you forget all about him if you give me a chance.”

“Get your hands off of me.” I can’t consider his words—although unsettling—because his unwelcome touch is the only thing I can focus on.

“Are you sure? I think we could be good for each other.” His voice is smooth yet harsh. Undeterred, he leans in, pressing his lips to mine. I shunt him away, struggling to move his solid mass from in front of me. His hand drops to my leg, brushing up as full-blown panic sets in.

“Stop!” I scream, propelling as hard as I can. He finally stumbles back, releasing his hold on me. I waste no time and move to walk past him.

Too quickly, he reaches out, his former tender grip is replaced by a harsh grasp as he looks to me. Bending forward, he places his lips next to my ear. Although I pull away, he holds me in place, whispering, “Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll fuck you better than Bass ever has.”

My mind races at the mention of Elliot’s name, but my current need to be out of this situation overpowers everything else. In the moment, there’s a part of me wondering if my simple refusal will stop Grant—he seems hell-bent on taking our friendship somewhere it will never go.

“Back the fuck off before I ensure the only person touching your dick will be the doctor trying to stitch it back on.”

A low chuckle leaves his lips, but I don’t care because his hand drops, releasing me from his vile grip. “Have it your way, but I’m guessing you might come around eventually.”

The underlying meaning of his words feels sinister as I look at him, seeing a different person than I’ve known all these years. I know he’s not the best of friends with Asher and Elliot, but I’ve never glimpsed this vile, monstrous side of him.

Heading for the door, I throw it open, hurrying outside. After being cornered, I’ve never been so thankful for the feeling of freedom, at least until I step out of the doorway and Allison appears in front of me.

“I’ve been looking for you.” She glances back to Grant who is walking out of the door behind me. “Ah. Never mind.” Her smirk is an even clearer indicator of her lack of knowledge regarding anything about me. Not to mention that Allison is less than modest about her conquests, and Grant happened to be one of those on several occasions.

“It’s not like that.” My stomach turns at the thought of all of it. I really need a new friend, or just an actual friend in general, because I’m not sure I’ve ever had a true one.

Walking home would’ve been the smarter choice. But there’s no arguing with the exhaustion that weighs on me, and I just want to get away from the two idiots standing around me. Walking away without another word, I head to the back door. Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak back inside unseen and head to the room I’d originally planned to stay in because the only place that’s worse is back in the guesthouse alone—although I’m almost certain Grant and Allison slipped inside while I was doing my damnedest not to look. I didn’t want to think about Allison and Grant together again.

The party has wound down a bit, but there’s still plenty of people scattered throughout the house, making it easier to blend in and head upstairs. Finally, I slip into the guest room, glancing around to confirm my solitude. It’s quiet and serene—the opposite of my mind, which races from everything that’s happened. Swiftly, I lock the door, tugging on it to make sure it’s closed and secure. I move over to the bed, crawling under the covers. Even feeling safe within the familiarity, my eyes remain wide open, staring into the empty room as I wonder why I feel the same way inside. Empty.