Page 49 of Lethal Truths

Forcing myself to focus, I frown and sign, Hey, is everything alright?

Prudence stares at me, chewing on her lip for a moment. “I need you to look me in the eyes and promise me something,” she demands, her voice quiet but firm.

I nod, swallowing back my nerves. Fuck, this girl could order me to turn around and walk away, never bother her again, and I’d comply. It’s the least I can do after the way I hurt her… But if she gives me the chance, I’ll spend every waking minute of the rest of my life trying to make it up to her. My fate is in her hands, and I’m willing to do whatever she wants.

Prudence heaves in a shuttering breath, wrapping her arms over her chest. I can see her goosebumps from here, and I ache to draw her into my arms and warm her up. It takes all of my resolve to hold myself back.

“Promise me you’ll never do it again,” she breathes. “I was right at the party, when I asked if something had happened, wasn’t I? You weren’t yourself that night, no matter how much bullshit you tried to spew at me about our friendship being fake. You were pushed into that situation, and I can sympathize with that, Griffin. I really can.” She stops to bite her trembling lip, blinking up at the ceiling for a second to gather herself. “But friends don’t do that to each other. You hurt me and then you left me on the floor like I was nothing.”

I know. I’m so sorry, I sign, not trusting the strength of my newfound voice right now.

Prudence blows out a harsh breath. “When I was down there, when I thought I was going to die… I wished that I had talked to you. I hated the thought of leaving things so broken between us. That’s why I came to your room yesterday, but then you were with Asher, so I never said anything. But I don’t want to have this regret sitting heavy on my chest anymore, and I couldn’t sleep, and Creed got this shit in my head about—“ She cuts herself off with a shake of her head. “Anyways, that’s why I’m here now. Because I’d like to try to be friends again. I want to try and move on. But you have to promise me that next time, you’ll just talk to me.”

My mouth opens, the promise right there on my lips, but my voice fails me. No matter how much I want to soothe her with a spoken vow, I can’t form the sounds past the anguish at my throat. Instead, I offer my most open, honest expression, hoping she can see past my betrayal and find the real me beneath everything else. I promise, little flame, I sign.

Some of the tension lining her muscles eases away. “Okay… so we’ll start over, then. From scratch, and I expect a hell of a lot from you. My trust won’t be so easily given this time,” she explains. A crack of thunder rattles the old hotel, and she flinches, looking past me into my room and toward the window. She gives me a weak smile, saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.” Then she takes a step back as if she’s planning on going back to Creed and the warmth of his embrace.

I don’t fucking think so.

My hand snaps out and circles her wrist before she can turn away from me. Prudence blinks at my touch in shock. I tug her closer to me, forcing my raspy voice to work. “I’ll do whatever you want me to, I’ll beg for your forgiveness every single day if I have to. But I don’t want to be your friend. I never wanted to be just your friend.” And before any protest can form on her perfect pink lips, I drop my mouth to hers and finally steal a taste of the girl who’s flipped my entire world upside down.

And as it turns out, there is no protest to give.

Prudence stills but then melts into the kiss in the next breath, opening her lips to me as she smooths her palms up my chest and laces her fingers together at the back of my neck. She’s shivering from the cold, so I pick her up and carry her into my room, kicking the door closed on the way. Prudence wraps her legs around my waist, her lips chasing mine as I gently lie her on my bed.

I pull back long enough to look at her, and fuck me, what a goddamn sight. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips kiss-swollen, and her red hair fanning out like angry flames on the white sheets.

“Griffin?” she asks after a moment, propping herself up on her elbow.

“Yeah?” I whisper.

“I’m still upset with you. I’m angry and hurt, and I hate what you did, even if you convinced yourself that it was to protect me…” she trails off, her eyes watering as she bites down on her bottom lip.

Fuck, it kills me. I did this, I put those tears in her eyes and that shattered expression on her face. I drop to my knees at the edge of the bed, putting myself below her, where I belong. My hands rest on her thighs while I wait for her to cut me deeper, to turn me down, to tell me that she won’t have me as anything more than a friend. It’s what I deserve, though, so I ready myself.

“But you can start to mend things by showing me what I mean to you. No audience this time, no showing off for watching eyes… Just you and me behind a closed door. Show me what it should have been like between us,” she whispers, breaking my chest open with every word. “Rewrite that night for me, and maybe I won’t hurt so much.”

The way her voice cracks would bring me to my knees if I weren’t already kneeling before her. A heavy exhale rushes from my lungs. I hold her broken gaze as I nod and lean down, pressing my lips to her thigh, right above her knee. I move my hands up her legs and settle them on her hips, holding tightly so she can’t leave me.

Prudence trembles as I press light kisses up her thigh. Halfway up, I stop and lean back, catching her eyes again as I hook my fingers into the hem of her silky panties. I lift my brows, silently asking for permission before I move any further.

With a shaky nod, Prudence whispers, “Please.”

She lies back and lifts her hips enough to let me peel the material from her legs. My heart stops dead in my chest when I drop my eyes to her pussy. Fuck. Me. A soft groan spills from me, and I want nothing more than to rut into her like an animal claiming his territory. The only thing holding me back from snapping and taking her so brutally is the nervous, guarded look in her eyes.

She doesn’t need me pawing at her like a madman. She needs me to reassure her. To worship her and undo the damage I created between us. I won’t screw up this opportunity.

With her underwear forgotten on the floor, I curl my hands under her thighs and spread her legs further apart. Just the view from my position on the ground is enough to have my cock throbbing beneath my boxers. When I finally get inside her, I’ll have earned it properly, though. It won’t be right now. Tonight is just the first step in making things right between us, and that doesn’t involve getting myself off.

Her pale skin is covered in scars, old and new, and a wave of anger floods me. She’s been through so much, and like an idiot, I only contributed to her suffering. If I hadn’t ruined things at the party, would the following night’s events have been different? Would I have followed Asher out into the woods and rescued her the second he left?

I’d like to think so. All I’ve ever wanted was to keep her safe.

I can’t go back and change it now, but I can try to absorb her pain. Take it for myself and leave her lighter.

My lips trace a path up her thighs once more, this time chasing each pink scar as I get higher. I press my mouth to every reminder of Fright Night, wishing I could wash it all away for her. When I reach the smooth skin where her thigh and hip meet, I bite down softly. Prudence hisses, fisting her hands in my sheets, her back arching. It urges me on, and I want so badly to leave my own mark and know that she’ll carry a part of me with her forever.

Maybe one day, but tonight I won’t add to her broken skin.

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