Page 38 of Demise

“Bingo! I just…it’s not like he betrayed me or anything. We were hardly even speaking back then, but still, I hate it. I hate knowing that others have been with him. I hate that he was still whoring around after supposedly loving me. I just…I feel stupid.”

I don’t have comforting words. I’m not an emotional, touchy-feely kind of guy. That’s more Liam or Ronan’s department. Need me to dismember a body twenty-three different ways? Want me to skin someone alive and turn their skin into jerky for the pig farm I frequent? I’m your guy. This…stuff, I’m no good at.

Slowly, I pull her into me, and she comes easily. Her arms wrap around my waist as I rest my chin against the top of her head and pull her in close to me.

“I can maim him,” I offer. “If you don’t want him to die, I can at least make sure he’ll never stray again. Can’t fuck whores without a dick.”

She lets out a quiet snort before looking up at me.

“The bad part is I know you’re being completely serious.”

I nod once, and she shakes her head.

“Why did you run out on me earlier? We were talking about something serious. You were letting me in, and then you just…bailed.”

An uncomfortability sets in as the topic of Nate is brought up once more. I like it best buried, cold, and dead in the ground, just like him.

“I’m sorry,” she says, catching me off guard. “For not listening with open ears. You were telling me about something that I know is not easy for you, and I met you with hesitance. That wasn’t right, and I’m sorry.”

I swallow roughly but nod my acceptance.

“But,” she continues, “I need the full story. I need to understand everything.”

“Why don’t you just ask Putnam?”

Her jaw clenches, and she nods her head.

“Fine.”

Pushing away from me, she opens the bedroom door and slips into the hallway. I hear her footsteps sound through the hall before a door opens. Ten seconds later and two sets of footsteps are coming down the hallway.

Asher’s hair is disheveled, as if he’s been running his hands through it like usual when he’s being a little bitch. His eyes land on me, surprise flashing in them before they harden, and he looks to Skyla.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

Skyla closes the door behind him, locking it as if that could actually keep us in here if either of us wanted to leave.

“Vincent told me that I should hear about Nathaniel from you, so we’re all going to talk because all of this animosity cannot last forever. Not if this is going to be forever,” she says as she gestures around the room.

I agree. She really should just cut Putnam loose now. No sense in dragging it out.

Predictably so, Asher’s posture changes at the sound of my bond brother’s name. His eyes drop to the ground, and he shrugs his shoulders as he speaks.

“He was found unconscious in his dorm room. He slipped in the shower, hit his head, and never woke up.”

“That is the furthest thing from the truth, and we both fucking know it, Putnam!” I seethe.

Asher’s eyes dart up to mine, fear like I’ve never seen him wear before absorbing all the color in his irises.

“That’s all that I know firsthand,” Asher defends. “I’m sorry you lost him, really, I am. He was a good guy, a hell of a lot better than you, but you need to cut this shit that I’m the one who killed him.”

“Just because it wasn’t your hands that took his life, doesn’t mean you’re not responsible,” I speak lowly.

Asher looks genuinely confused for a moment and it pisses me the fuck off. Maybe that dumbfounded look works for him with some people, but not with me, never with me.

“Stop,” Skyla intervenes. “This isn’t helpful. Asher, do you know why Vincent thinks you’re to blame?”

He opens his mouth to speak before he pauses, looks to me, looks to Skyla before his eyes go back to the ground.

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