Page 37 of Unholy

“No.”

“Why? It isn’t like I haven’t seen you naked, Ash.”

“This isn’t the time. We need to talk about this.”

“We already did,” he says, bringing his cigarette to his lips.

“We didn’t. You can’t go around cutting people, Tristan.”

“Don’t like it, there’s the door, baby.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m dead serious.” I know he’s only saying that out of anger and that’s fine. I get it. I’m pushing him more than most people would, but he can’t keep doing this. He can’t keep hurting others just because of something they said.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Nothing. Strip for me.”

“I’m not stripping for you!”

“Well, we’re done fucking talking, so there isn’t much else to do.”

“Why can’t you just talk to me?”

“Okay. Okay. Fuck. What do you want to talk about?”

“What goes on in that head of yours,” I tell him. He laughs again and shakes his head.

“That’s the last thing you want to hear about, Ash.”

“I do want to hear about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I care about you.” Those words are like a brick to his chest. I can see the way the breath rushes out of him, and his eyes narrow on mine. He isn’t sure what to say because he’s not used to having anyone care about him. I know his mom loves him but I also believe she finds him a hindrance at times. I’ve heard her and my dad talking about him, not knowing how to handle him.

Tristan is one of those people who are hard to love, but I think deep down, he has a heart that needs all the love and caring it can get.

Chapter 17

Tristan

“So you slept with her?” Doc asks me as I shake my head.

“Not slept. Fucked.”

“You fucked her?”

“That’s exactly what I did to her. Multiple times, too, Doc.”

“And how do you feel now?”

“Even more obsessed than I was before. I think if she asked me to jump off the goddamn bridge for her, I would do it.”

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