Page 34 of Lust
“You are lying,” he said calmly. Conversely, his fists were clenched, with his jaw ticking visibly. Even his right eye twitched once or twice.
Frowning, I struggled with the accusation. Why would I lie about something so trivial?
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him. “I’m not lying, but it’s fine if you don’t believe me. Now, can you please leave my room?”
Tristan raised an eyebrow, mocking me with a bemused smile. “Leave? This is my house.” Technically the statement was true, but he had never thrown it in my face before. “I have the right to be anywhere in this house, go anywhere I see fit. You, on the other hand, have no rights at all. Don’t forget that you live here because I let you.”
I stiffened.
Of all the things I could accuse Tristan of, petty was never one of them.
But I could barely focus on the newfound flaw. From the contempt laced in his voice, Tristan was tethering at the edge of something sinister.
With a deep breath, I reminded myself that Tristan wouldn’t physically hurt me. There’d always been an invisible line that neither of us had crossed. There was no real danger, especially with our parents under the same roof.
The bravado only lasted until he moved closer, the enormous body towering over me. Without meaning to, I stepped backward and bumped my hip against the edge of my desk so hard that blood gushed to my head.
Tristan stalked me. A few more steps and he’d be at arm’s reach. I still didn’t know his intentions, but a siren went off to warn me this wouldn’t be like all the other times.
Each time we tricked one another, we upped the ante. At some point, we had graduated into the major leagues. Whatever he planned would make those past competitive stakes look like child’s play; that much was evident.
I needed to leave immediately if he intended to launch such a vicious attack. “Fine, I’ll leave then,” I declared with indifference. “Stay here by yourself.”
“By myself?” he repeated in a low voice. “That’s fitting, isn’t it? It’s how I was always meant to be—alone,” he spoke as if to himself.
I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me. For a lone moment, it appeared as if Tristan was desolate… sadness clouding over the same man who was too popular for his own good.
As quickly as I had seen the expression, it was gone. He was back to being aloof and cold. With two considerable strides, he took the last steps to reach me.
I took a sharp inhale to suppress the urge to scream. He stood uncomfortably close, closer than two siblings should ever stand, the nominal distance causing his breath to mingle with mine.
Hooking my hand back, I gripped the edge of my desk for support. I tried to breathe but couldn’t silence the panic.
“Why are you being this way?” I hissed.
My heart was in my throat. I needed to leave this room at any cost, but Tristan’s large frame stood between me and my freedom. Exiting wasn’t an option anymore, I determined. But I couldn’t help giving my bedroom door a forlorn look.
He noticed. “Don’t even think about it. You are not going anywhere till we are done.” The calmness on his face surprised me, given the foreboding threats seeping out of his hateful eyes.
“What do you want from me?” I chewed out, ignoring the hint of a spicy smell making me dizzy.
“Only the truth. Where were you today?”
Frustrated, I gritted out, “I told you, Tris. I went to the waterfront. I even bought ice cream if you want to log into my account and look at my credit card statement?”
Tristan frowned. “Who were you with?”
I felt like crying. It was too late in the night for this torture. I gave him the truth multiple times, but he refused to believe me. “I was alone, I swear,” my unsteady voice quivered with part exhaustion and part frustration.
Perhaps it was the desperation in my tone that finally invoked sympathy. “You are not lying?” he relented.
“I don’t lie, and why the hell would I start with something so stupid?”
Tristan appeared undaunted by my frustration, distracted by something else entirely. His eyes moved over my face before dropping lower to track my neck, my chest, and finally, my exposed legs. When they had tracked my entire body, he only repeated the process more leisurely. A deliberate power move to make me uncomfortable in my own skin.
It wasn’t easy to remain composed, but it was imperative to do so. Tristan obliterated anyone who showed weakness. If his opponents didn’t give back as good as he doled it out, Tristan lost respect for them. Such was his twisted perspective.
“Why are you staring at me like a perv?”
