Page 69 of The Secrets of a Sin

“There was a shovel in the basement that was obscured by a pile of trash and other miscellaneous items. One day, I decided to grab it. I climbed up from the basement, knowing he was asleep in his chair upstairs. I walked over to his overweight body that had passed out and began bashing him in the head.” He admits. “I hit him over and over again until brain matter began to mix in with his blood. I needed to make sure the bastard was dead, so at the age of only twelve, I slammed the tip of the shovel into his skull. With all my pent-up hatred and fury towards the man who supposedly saved our lives and took us in, I finally killed our monster.”

I was crying now. As much as I tried not to, I couldn’t help it. His bravery and courage struck me hard that all I wanted to do was hold him tight and never let go. Even if he was an adult now, I wanted to save him from the evils of the world. I never want him to have to experience something like that ever again. The inhumanity, the torture a human being can inflict on two children, was as heart-wrenching as it was sickening.

“Don’t cry, angel.” He squeezes, and I spin my head around to face him.

“Arsen…” I cry, needing to touch his skin and softly rub him.

“It’s over now. My past no longer holds a grip on me, and I plan to keep it that way.” He says to calm me. “I never thought life had a purpose after enduring everything that I did. I accepted who I was and embraced it, but now everything’s changed.” I can feel his eyes bore through mine despite the darkness in the room. “I didn’t expect you to come along and invade every fucking thought of mine.”

Scooting in closer into his warm body, I reach for his face and cup his cheeks. “We found each other for a reason, Arsen, because you invade every one of my thoughts too.” I stroke his skin softly.

“Good.” He breathes while intertwining our legs and pulling me to his chest. “Now, let me hold you so I can sleep some more.”

You can hold me as long as you want.

Preferably forever.

* * *

The morning comes way faster than it should have, and I reluctantly wake Arsen up and make him take me back to school before anyone notices I was gone. Eventually, on a low growl and lots of cursing, he finally gave in.

“You seriously can’t skip one day?” He rests his hand on the back of the headrest as his eyes cast over to mine briefly.

“Not if you want me to get into serious trouble and possibly be kicked out.” I half-smile in his direction before peering out the windshield.

“Get kicked out. I don’t like you in that cursed fucking school anyway.” He smoothly shifts lanes and starts playing with the back of my head. “You can stay with me.”

My heart flutters, but I knew there was no possibility of that happening any time soon.

“I need to graduate, Arsen.” I groan. “I have to prove to myself and to others that I’m not some fucking freak.”

“You’re not a freak, Charlotte, and so help me God if you call yourself that again…” He snaps angrily as I cut in.

“It doesn't matter if I am or not. I can’t just drop out and come play house with you because you don’t like the school.” I shake my head, somewhat liking the idea of us living together and imagining all the normal couple activities we could do.

“Who said anything about playing house?” He raises a dark brow in a mischievous manner that has my interest peaking.

“I’m being serious, Arsen. I can’t just drop out and live with you.” I scoff.

“Sure you can.” He turns the steering wheel before leveling it out. “I can tell Welch you’ll no longer be attending their school, and then I can pack all your shit myself and bring it to my house.” He tells me as if it’s actually a plausible idea, and I shake my head.

“I don’t doubt you could do that, but honestly, I’m not looking to be one of those girls who rely on their boyfriend for everything.”

“Boyfriend?” He raises a brow as he eyes me deviously.

Crap, did I really just say that?

“You know what I mean.” I grunt with flushed cheeks.

“I’m more than just your fucking boyfriend.” He mumbles like he’s pissed off with the label. “I’m everything you’ll ever need, angel. And if one day you decide to run, I’ll fucking chase you.”

My core vibrates from his greedy words, and I can’t help it when a groan escapes my lips.

“That’s how devoted I am. How fucking possessed you have me.” He pulls us into the St. Catherine’s parking lot and stops beside the entrance. Putting the car in park, he shifts his eyes over to my lust-filled ones and reaches for my arms before tugging me over the center console and setting me onto his lap. Straddling each leg, I can feel his cock press against my mound, and I, on instinct, grind down. “You think I have all the power?” He asks on a tight groan as his hands seek out my ass.

Of course, he had all the power. I’d do anything he asked.

“I don’t. For the first time in my fucking life, I don’t.” He squeezes my cheeks as I grind myself slowly in his lap and let my head fall back. “You have all the power, Charlotte.”

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