Page 56 of Doesn't Count

Shaking out of my stupor, I barrel out of the room and drop myself into the booth across from Hypnos. He’s rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, but it doesn’t stop him from noticing the scowl on my face. He pops a brow in question.

“How are you friends with such a heathen?” I grumble as if blaming Hypnos for his friend’s attitude.

He sighs. “There’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. You just have to be patient with him sometimes.”

“Please enlighten me because I have yet to see it.”

“He’s been through some shit, you know? Like dark shit, stuff he doesn’t talk to anyone about. It affects him randomly and I guess having someone new around has really put him on edge.”

“You can say that again.” I roll my eyes.

“Just give him some time. He’s a good guy.”

"Well, he’s doing a fine job hiding it.” I scoff.

The back door slams open and Khaos storms through the bus like a tornado ready to destroy everything in his path.

“Or maybe it’s you that’s hiding, Ash, pretending to be better than you are.”

“That’s rich!” I can’t help the edge of hysteria clouding my laugh.

“The second you’re confronted with the truth, you’re already digging a grave, readying to bury it.”

“I’m not some groupie that wants to share my sexcapades with the whole world. Forgive me if I’d like to keep those private... deep deep deep inside a box in the back of my brain where no one will ever find them!”

“Apparently not that deep considering you climb into MY bed every night.” He counters with a scoff.

“I’m tired of sleeping on the couch, you act like it means anything! If it were Hypnos in that bed, it would be him I would be sleeping with!” I shout pretending it’s the truth.

“Really? Would you give him your virginity too? Oh wait, you can’t because you already gave it to me.” He bites out.

Sweat starts to gather at my hairline as my veins pulsate with a fury I’ve never felt in my life before. I can feel myself start to lose it, my inner demon clawing its way out, ready to show herself.

“It. Doesn’t. Count!” I scream. “If Hypnos wants it, he can have it just as long as he erases everything between us. I want the feeling of your fingers touching me gone! I want the taste of your skin out of my mouth! I want someone else to fuck you out of me!”

I don’t even know what I’m saying at this point, but everyone is silent. Hypnos is covering his face like he can’t watch this train wreck and Khaos is physically writhing in anger so palpable I can taste it where I stand. It’s bitter and nasty.

I stretch out my fingers, my bones aching from clenching them too tightly, and wipe the sweat on my shorts. I want to run, to hide from the wrath that scorches me like a heat wave. How did we even get to this point?

The second the bus parks, I grab my computer bag and make myself lost. I’d rather be anywhere than on that bus with an atomic bomb seconds from detonating.

Space.

I need space from Khaos, the tension, the guys, so I decide to spend my day exploring and running errands with every intention of skipping tonight’s concert.

By the end of the night, I find myself settling inside a mediocre bar with a sexy ambiance, struggling to ignore the fact that Khaos is probably wondering where I am right now.

To distract myself, I finish writing my piece on Than while sucking down my second lemon drop martini, tucked away in a booth at the back of the bar.

I slam my laptop shut after posting, taking the last sip of my drink, when a server comes by and drops off another one.

“I didn’t order this.” I tell her.

“He did.” She says, pointing to a man sitting at the bar.

“Oh, thanks.” I grumble and she walks away.

The guy takes it as a cue to walk over and join me. As he gets closer, I realize he’s good looking. Tall, dark hair and eyes, nice shapely trimmed beard. He’s handsome, someone I could see myself with or maybe it’s the alcohol thinking.

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