Page 58 of Loathing My Boss
My mind takes another turn cosplaying sealife. I know Crimson said it, and Zakery said it, but this is the first I’m hearing it directly from Viktor himself. I ask, “You…love…me?”
“I don’t know what else to call it.”
I am livid.
I don’t think I’m going to be able to eat tonight. All the hunger and excitement I possessed going through the line has fizzled into a cavern of nothingness.
Floating in the void, I ask, “How would you definelove?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “You told me during our interview years ago that you’ve read my books. That’s how.”
His books, featuring overwhelming affection that topples kingdoms. His books, with characters who give up everything for the sake of their love. His books, that I fell in love with over a decade ago because the care depicted in them resonated deeply with my desireto be loved.
“You said they were emotionless,” I offer, hollow. “You don’t care about them.”
“They are, and I don’t, but I still have to get the content from somewhere. Whether I like it or not, my beliefs find their way into the pages, watered down. They are a fraction of how I’d like to love you, Crisis. If you’d allow me the privilege.”
Privilege.
Loving me is a privilege.
This has to be a joke.
He figured out that I hated him, and now he’s getting even.
Zakery overheard me conspiring with the cat, and he told his big brother, and now they’re all plotting against me.
It’s the only thing that makes sense.
So I say, “Prove it.”
He arches a brow. “Are you sure you want me to?”
“Why wouldn’t I be sure?”
“Proving something involves persistence, tests, experiment data provided via Canva Whiteboard.”
He needs to stop bringing up Canva Whiteboard before I lose my mind and agree to get married, only to have this prank blow up in my face.
“Are you going to force yourself on me?” I ask.
His head shakes. “Absolutely not. Proving love shouldnot involve anything physical.”
“Then, yes. I’m sure.”
He nods, refreshed somehow. “In that case, I won’t hold back.” He points at my food with his spoon. “Eat. Part of loving someone is making sure they’re taken care of, and I know you well enough to know that you were hungry when we came in here, so I’m not going to let this conversation mean you go to bed hungry.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I can be assertive when it comes to feeding someone, Crisis. I have four younger brothers, and I had parents who didn’tparentany of them.”
Considering that sounds like a threat to bottle feed me broccoli soup, I ignore the pit opening up in my stomach and pick up my spoon.
Chapter 20
?
Her smile is everything, but her anger’s fun, too…
