Page 23 of Lethal Truths

He takes a deep inhale, his nostrils flaring as his crystal blue eyes hold me hostage. I’m mentally preparing for the blow, readying my heart and body for whatever he’ll do next. But Griffin is an unexpected enigma. He’s proven that.

So when he slams his lips to mine, fingers gripping tighter around my throat, I’m rocked to my goddamn core. It’s like my mind goes blank, our past and all the betrayal wiped clean for a single, blissful moment in time. Griffin forces my lips to part, his tongue delving into my mouth and staking his claim, and all I can do is try to breathe through the shock and delight and horror ramming me from all sides.

The kiss is too long and yet far too quick, all at the same time. He pulls back, breathing heavily as he studies me. Letting me go, he signs, Just you. For some reason… I liked watching you.

I swallow roughly, willing my thoughts to make sense again. “Don’t ever do that again,” I breathe, my back glued to the wall still to keep as much space between us as possible.

Griffin’s eyes flash with something akin to a challenge. He cocks his head, the faintest hint of a smile turning up his kiss-swollen lips. Kiss you? Or watch while you get fucked? he asks with a smirk, the cocky fucking dick.

“Both!” I snap.

Because you didn’t like it? he clarifies, stepping into my space once more. Or because you did, little flame?

His use of the nickname he has for me is like an arrow through the heart. Once, I thought Griffin was my rock in this wild journey. Now, I don’t know what to think of him. And him showing up, ignoring me, or worse, kissing me, is not helping. At all.

“Just go,” I whisper, trying to hold on to my wavering strength. “Please. I don’t know why Creed thinks sending you to my rescue is a good idea, but I promise you, it’s a waste of your time. I’d rather not have you around.”

The teasing smile drops from his handsome face. Griffin frowns and then quickly blinks the expression away until he’s a blank mask again. Okay, he signs with a sigh. He turns to leave, crossing my room in seconds. When he pulls the door open, he pauses and looks back at me. You should know that what I did… I regret it, he explains solemnly. He scrubs his hand down his face and then adds, I’ll be in the hall if you need anything. Creed will be here later and then I’ll be gone.

My throat is too tight for words, so I offer a shaky nod and watch as Griffin slips out of the room and softly closes the door. The second I’m alone, the emotion I’d been fighting breaks free and my eyes fill with tears. Sinking down the wall until my butt hits the ground, I allow myself to drown in it for a few moments.

There’s anger and bitterness, longing and remorse, but most of all, there’s grief. I’m mourning the friendship I thought I had, the growing feelings that Griffin was coaxing out of me. The kiss he gave me tonight was a mockery of what could have been if he never forced me to my knees at that party.

And once again, I’m berating myself for feeling so strongly about Griffin when I have Creed. Even if I could forgive Griffin and try to move forward with whatever was beginning to blossom between us, it’s not possible anymore. How could it be when doing so would mean saying goodbye to Creed?

It’s an impossible situation, one where either choice could cause more pain. And I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.

Eventually, I pull myself up off the floor and climb into bed. I’m too exhausted to worry about anything. When my head hits the pillow, I close my eyes and almost immediately fall into a fitful sleep.

15

Asher

“Yeah, I’ll see you later, man,” I call out to Sam, the bookie for the fights in the woods. We don’t have any classes together, but we ran into each other as I was leaving economics and he was heading to some club meeting down the hall. It’s been too long since I’ve had a good fight, and my knuckles are eager for the taste of blood. Sam told me with the colder weather creeping in faster this year, he’s had to cancel the last two.

Pussies.

I’ll fight in the fucking snow if I have to. Honestly, it’d probably feel damn good, too, once my blood is heated and my skin is sweating. Whatever, though. Sam said he’d keep me posted on the upcoming one, and now I’m heading back home.

Halfway across campus, my phone rings, and I groan as I pull it out from my back pocket. It feels like more and more lately, it’s my dad who calls. If he’s not grilling me for updates on Prudence’s demise, he’s snapping at me for not getting this shit done sooner. It’s all I hear anymore, and honestly, I’m about over it.

I don’t know if I want Prudence fucking dead anymore, but I’d be lying if I said things would be a lot easier without her around. I just don’t know where that leaves me or what to do about any of this.

The number isn’t one I recognize, so with a relieved sigh, I answer with a bored, “Hello?”

“May I speak with Ashland Michaels?” a male voice asks, sounding carefully sterile.

My brows furrow as I hear that alias, and realization slams into me. Oh, fuck me, this is it. It’s finally happening. Picking up my stride, I rush off the busy path in the quad and cut across the grass as I reply, “Yes, this is him. What can I help you with?”

The man hums, and I catch the faintest sound of ruffling papers in the background. “I understand that you’ve been out of the country for schooling. Your visitation application processing was rushed through due to your special circumstances,” he drawls, his deep voice nearly monotone.

“How considerate. I really appreciate that, Doctor,” I muse. Perking up with a cautious smile, I’m almost running to Greek Row so I can get inside and jot down anything I might need to remember later.

“Right, well… Normally, I’d say that being around family might help a patient in Irene’s condition, but I’m afraid she’s too fragile right now for visitors, family or otherwise. For now, you’ll be added to the approved list and notified as soon as she’s stable again,” Doctor Bardot, Irene’s psychiatrist, explains.

A full-blown grin takes over my face as I burst through the Beta Ep. house. I’m almost shocked that I got approved and not, you know, arrested or something. Just another benefit of being in a powerful society.

It took longer than I had hoped for, but I finally got all my, uh, documents approved. Having records falsified and sent to Serene Acres wasn’t a big hitch in my plans. The Celestials have endless resources. I asked one of the techies to whip up a whole fake life and backstory for me, and it was as easy as breathing for the guy. It took some time, as I’m only a junior member, so he didn’t feel the need to rush, but it got done. That’s all the matters. The only problem is, the more time I’ve had to sit on this, the less I want to use Prudence’s mom to hurt Prudence. There’s got to be another way to crack her open and drain the fight out of her.

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