Page 49 of Brutal Titan

28

Elliot

The groan from Victoria is hilarious as she lifts her hand, waving to Quinn as she leaves the room with Asher. Her head remains on the table as she drops her hand to it.

“Did we learn anything last night?” I ask, leaning back in the chair as Victoria raises her head. If looks could kill, I’d be a goner for sure. Although I’m already a goner for her, but I’m not ready to completely admit that.

“Yes. That you talk too much.” Her head drops back to the table. “Ugh. Why are we awake so early?”

“I have detention and you have a killer hangover from all that spite drinking you did last night.”

“I was not spite drinking.”

“Okay.” I pat the back of her head as she slaps my hand away.

“You’re such a dick.”

“Yes. A big one that I hope you will ride tonight.”

Slowly lifting her head, she looks around the kitchen realizing we are still alone as she looks to me, biting back a smile. “Yep. You definitely talk too much.”

“I’m not so sure. I think we need some more research on the topic. Lots and lots of testing it out. In all positions.”

“I can’t even with you right now.” She shakes her head, pressing her fingers to her temples.

I’m not enjoying the fact that her head is throbbing from consuming an abundance of alcohol last night, but I am enjoying that she’s not forcing me away. Now I just have to work up the nerve to talk to Asher. That has to wait because I need to get to detention on time for a change. Repeating senior year while Victoria and Asher go off to college would be miserable on so many levels. Hopping up from the table, I walk over to the cabinet and grab some aspirin before reaching into the fridge for a bottle of water. Walking back to the table, I set both in front of Victoria as I lean down to bring my lips to hers, lingering a moment longer than planned because I don’t want to lose the feeling so quickly. It’s crazy enough to even chance such a move in the middle of the kitchen, where someone could walk in, but it doesn’t stop me from remaining a second more before asking, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

She pauses for a moment before saying yes.

“If you don’t want to, I’d rather you tell me now.”

“I’ll be there,” she whispers as her smile puts me more at ease than her words.

“Perfect. I have to get going.” I pop a grape in my mouth, standing from the table. “It’s time for my sentence, wonder if anyone there needs a spanking.”

She narrows her gaze, flipping me off as I laugh and saunter out of the kitchen.

Rushing to my car, I drive to school, arriving just in time to jog into the classroom without a mark against me. I’ve got a smidgen of hope that I can pull this off, not just keeping my word to Huntington, but also holding onto Victoria without losing my best friend. I should do it sooner rather than later since I’d already had to lie to him this morning about where I’d been last night. I couldn’t exactly say I was in Victoria’s bed with her naked body draped over mine.

Damn it. Shifting to adjust my automatic response to the image in my head, I pray that time flies until tonight, then I want it to slow so I can relish in every moment while it lasts. Deciding rather quickly to put off outing the secret, I drop my head onto the desk. Closing my eyes, I relax at the notion of both sex and sleep on the agenda for tonight. That is if she shows.

Shit. I’m pathetic but I can’t help myself. I retrieve my newly replaced phone from my pocket.

Me: Miss me yet?

Victoria: No. The alcohol wasn’t the cause of my headache after all.

Chuckling as I read the message, Grant glances over with a smirk, nodding to the phone in my hand. “It does feel nice, doesn’t it?”

My fingers grip the phone and it takes every ounce of strength not to wrap my hand around his throat. “Even better when she’s a conscious and willing participant.”

His face tightens as he awkwardly looks away.

That’s right, fucker.He can’t use her to get under my skin, but it doesn’t satisfy the need to pummel his face after what he’s done to her. It’s not over by far, but if it happens now, here at school, these weekend hostage situations will extend longer, or worse, Huntington will flunk me, leaving me here another year.

I focus my attention back on the phone.

Me: Are we still on to test that theory?

Victoria: Yes.

I smile at the phone before pulling up the number for Pizza Roads. It’s her favorite place to eat, but it’s usually the last place our group ends up because she’s usually outvoted and has to settle for a burger. The last few times our group has eaten there, she’d opted not to join us. Her absence was definitely felt; I missed the grumbling as she ordered and the complaining that we never listen to her. Maybe she’ll realize I had been listening all along. I schedule an order for her favorite pizza to pick up on my way home. Not that I hadn’t already realized it, but this further proves that I’m way past gone. She has me hook, line, and sinker … and I’m ready to drown in her.