Page 138 of Twisted Legacy

“Sure. Whatever. Like I said, I’m cool. But for the record, you didn’t have to run off like you did. It’s not like I was going to ask you to cuddle or anything.”

“So, the reason you sat at your old table has nothing to do with me running off after sex?”

“Nope.”

I shove my sunglasses on, pushing them up the bridge of my nose with my middle finger. “Later.”

He grabs my arm, preventing me from walking away, and pulls my shades off, sticking them in his pocket. “What are you doing?”

“I should explain what happened.” He scrubs his hand through his hair.

“Don’t stress yourself out trying to come up with an excuse. I’m fine with it. Really.”

“I freaked out after we had sex.”

Freaked out could mean so many things. But I’ve only had one guy freak out on me before. “Did the condom break?” That would explain his MIA status for three days, but shit, a heads up via text the next morning, would have been nice. You know, in case a girl needs to get a morning-after pill.

“The condom was still intact.”

“Were you embarrassed? Did you think you came too quickly?”

“I’m fine with how long I lasted, and even if I did, you got off first.”

I shrug. “Then I don’t understand what you were freaking out about.”

“We fucked, Thea. And I didn’t have all the protections in place I was supposed to, even though I promised Pax I would.”

“I don’t know why it’s any of Pax’s business, but you tell the head Coxsucker, that we used a condom, just like I’m told he did when he fucked me under the influence. I’m also on birth control. So what other precautions can he mean? Was I supposed to wear a female condom, too? Add some extra spermicide?”

“I was supposed to have you sign an NDA. I would have, and I meant to get that out of the way before I ever touched you, but… you were so lost when you came back to school. So shattered. I just wanted to help you mend yourself back together. Every time I saw you, I couldn’t help myself. I had to touch you. And then you showed no fear of me when I beat that guy to a pulp or afterwards when you were on your knees for me.”

“There was nothing to be scared of.”

“I was out of control, Thea. With anger and with lust, and even though I said I was fine, I wasn’t. I wasn’t fully in control when I came into your room that night, but I couldn’t stop. I needed that outlet. And when I finished and realized how far I went, I panicked, because I didn’t have the paperwork in place. I didn’t have a binding agreement that you wouldn’t tell anyone.”

His voice gets huskier the longer he talks, and by the time he finishes, the last words are barely a whisper.

“You freaked out because you’re worried I’m gonna tell someone you have a pierced monster peen and fuck like a god?”

He’s nodding. I chew that over and blurt out, “You know, most guys would love for me to brag about that, but whatever. You didn’t need to stress out about it. I don’t go around volunteering details about my sex life to absolute strangers.”

“It’s not about my dick. Enough people on campus know it’s pierced. It’s the other aspects of sex that I need kept quiet.”

“What’s so wrong about a little choking and degradation between consenting adults?”

He sighs, as if exasperated with the conversation, or with me, and averts his gaze. “It’s something that can be used as blackmail, so like I said, I screwed up and I freaked out.”

With a shrug I say, “Well, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. It happened. But if you need me to sign your little paper and back date it, I will.”

That regains his attention. “You will?”

“Why do you look so surprised? Was Pax talking shit about me? Fuck, I wish he’d mind his business. If you were avoiding me for three days because you were afraid I’d say no…”

“I wasn’t avoiding you for three days. I had some things to take care of at home, and it was easier to stay at my parents’ house instead of commuting everyday just to sleep in the dorm.”

“I notice you didn’t say Pax wasn’t talking shit about me.”

His lips twitch. He’s holding back a smile, so I know I’m right. “I’ll sign your paper. Just bring it over to my room whenever you get it. And you have my word that I won’t tell anyone that we hooked up between now and the time I sign the form.”

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