Page 76 of Atlas
When Atlas walked away, he’d left me with Nathan and Maximum, who were as shocked and confused as me about the sudden change in their brother. Atlas had switched from controlled, stoic, businessman to someone none of us recognized. But while Nathan and Maximum were disturbed, I was intrigued.
After telling them to stop apologizing for Atlas and that I wasn’t hurt, I accepted that going back into the bar with hickeys up and down my neck would require explanations I didn’t have.
My head lifted when I heard footsteps in the hallway, followed by a door opening and closing. Atlas was back!
Quietly, as to not wake River, I got up from the low pull-out bed and felt my heart race and my skin tickle. The clock showed that it was close to four in the morning.
I walked barefoot to Atlas’ room, and without knocking, I slid in and closed the door behind me. The room was dimly lit, with the only source of light coming from the small lamp on his nightstand.
“Atlas.”
He sat on his bed with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. His jacket was on the floor, but his shoes were still on his feet.
“Where did you go?” I asked. “You didn’t pick up your phone. I worried about you.”
Turning his head in a slow movement, Atlas stared at me, his eyes dark, and the smell of alcohol hanging around him. “You worried about me?” There was no slurring in his voice, so he couldn’t be as drunk as I’d first expected.
“You just walked off.”
“Nathan and Maximum were there. You were safe.” Atlas bent over and untied his shoes and pulled them off.
“That’s not what I meant. Would you look at me?”
His chest rose and fell in a heavy sigh, but at least he met my eyes.
“Can we talk about what happened?” I asked again and sat down on the foot of his bed.
“Are you going to sue me?”
“Sue, you?” I jerked my head back. “What would I sue you for?”
“Sexual harassment.”
My eyes blinked. “Why? Is that what it was?” My heart was pumping so fast in my chest that it affected my voice.
“No. Look, if you’re looking for explanations, I don’t have any. I don’t know what the fuck happened. It felt out of my control.”
“But you must have wanted it, Atlas. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it.”
He gave a low sardonic laugh and shook his head while looking down. “That part is pretty obvious.”
“It wasn’t one-sided. I kissed you back.”
Atlas got up from the bed and moved around a little before sitting back down again. It was like watching someone who couldn’t stand being in his own body.
“Jo, listen, I know you think I’m this good guy who saved you and gave you tickets to the Super Bowl…” He frowned and rubbed his forehead. “But at the end of the day, I will always be my father’s son.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Feeling cold in my bare feet and long t-shirt, I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself.
He pushed out air and threw his hands up. “It means that there’s a sinister and twisted part of me. That’s who you saw tonight.”
I remained calm and asked, “You talk about this part of you as if it’s detached from you. Is that how it feels?”
“Yes.”
“And does this part of you have a name?”
He was quiet for a moment before answering, “No. I think of it as a wolf, a predator.”
