Page 113 of Pretty Obsessed

“I understand how hard my job is on relationships of all kinds. I’ve been living it.” The sadness in his words punctured straight to my heart.

“Nothing about you is hard.” My chest tightened. I hated that he thought that about himself.

“The lifestyle I’ve chosen is. I know that. I think about it every day. I watch what it’s doing to Iris and how hard having friendships and relationships are when I’m constantly on the move. If I didn’t love music as much as I do, I would have quit a long time ago. But I can’t.”

“No one should expect you to. The right people will stay.”

He turned his head and met my eyes. “Will they?”

“Yes, they will.” I wanted to be the constant and the friend he’d believe would stay. No matter what. Even if it hurt. “I’m trying—”

He held up his hand silencing me. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. You gave me your terms. I'm not going to argue about them. I will adhere to them."

"Then when we are in the same space, we have this.”

"Yes, my dearest. Our space, only us." He forced a smile to his lips, and I hated it.

I nodded. I didn't like leaving it there. I didn't like the space between us but I also didn't want to ruin our time together.

"Are we okay?"

He rolled to face me again. "We will be."

I reached for him. "I've missed you."

He didn't pull away. "I've missed you, too."

It wasn't the answer I hoped for, but since I'd given my terms, I couldn't expect him to merely swallow them and be normal right away. I pressed my face into his chest, willing myself not to break. Trying not to replay to Pat’s words in my head. How could I even tell Octavius?

"Do you want to own me right now?" Slowly I lifted my gaze to meet his.

"Leaning into this hard?" His words came slow.

"I thought you liked it." I brushed my fingers down my chest needing to feel close to him again. "I figured you'd give me some examples of that since you get anything on your birthday. Do you want?"

A smirk curled over his lips. "I do want, dearest.”

"How do you want me?" My fingers brushed down my abs.

His eyes followed the path and his chest rumbled. "I want you raw again."

My brows shot up and I swallowed hard. "What?"

"Do I own you?"

"Yes…" I stopped myself before I could say all the things crowding into my mind.

"We've both been tested, and I haven't been with anyone else."

"Oh." I barely heard him over the hammering of my heart. He'd not been with anyone else since. A hundred questions popped into my head.

"Have you been with anyone else?" he said carefully.

I shook my head. "No."

I didn't want to be. Not when my mind stayed with him even when he was going.

"And if we need to be tested before seeing each other, we can do that?" He pointedly didn't say anything about being with others.

---