Page 56 of Origins
“Why?” he mused, frowning. “Is it because I didn’t leave you alone that day? Miles tells me that I am too pushy and overbearing. But I was only concerned about you, and you were walking alone—”
I couldn’t take it anymore. Hehadbeen nice to me, even then. Pushy or not. And even though I had physically attacked him, he still welcomed me into the group without question. Even now, hestillwanted to help me. He had gone out of his way, despite hardly knowing me.
He was a good person. I knew that, too. Scary, but good. I couldn’t let him feel guilty about something that wasn’t his fault.
“Stop.” I pressed my fingers to his lips—standing on the stairs made the action easier. His stunned gaze locked with mine as his words trailed off. “It’s not you,” I told him. “I’m damaged, quirky. I have very weird instincts. Outside of the initial creepiness, you did nothing wrong.”
Titus blinked at me in confusion, his face relaxing. He seemed to have no idea how to respond.
And for the first time I became curious. He seemed clueless about social norms—not that I was an expert. But I was certain that most people didn’t just show up at a girl’s house after she kicked him in the balls.
Finally, he appeared to make up his mind. And his voice was low as he asked, “What do you mean by damaged?”
During the silence, my focus had been captured by a loose curl. It had fallen seductively in front of his eyes, and I was entranced. But at his question I realized what I had done—what I said.
How much I nearly gave away.
These guys seemed to be able to do that to me. They had a knack for catching me off guard. It scared me—but also drew me in. I desperately sought the peace they offered—but not right now. Not until I figured out what this friendship meant, and how our dynamics would play out.
I blinked and stepped back. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant.” I grinned, trying to nonchalantly brush off what I had said. But I didn’t think he had been fooled. Nevertheless, we weren’t going downthatroad. Not now, anyway.
Besides, that had nothing to do with the current topic.
I had promised to be honest about my feelings. “I am scared of you. But it’s not because of that.”
Titus frowned, clearly displeased. I sensed that—by my words—I tainted something irreparable in our budding friendship. “Are you afraid of the others?” he asked. At the back-and-forth shake of my head, his frown deepened. A flicker of hurt flashed in his green eyes. “If it makes you feel better, I can leave—”
He started to walk past me, to go up the stairs. If I didn’t stop him now, any hope of friendship between us would be shattered forever. Even if he was scary, I wanted to get know him. I couldn’t just be friends with the others and reject him.
And I also wanted to overcome this irrational fear.
My arm shot out before I could second-guess myself, and I caught his wrist.
He was infinitely stronger than me, so he could have easily broken my hold and left me—severing our weak connection forever. However, as soon as he felt my touch, he froze. It was almost as though he didn’t want it to end this way either.
“I’m sorry.” I stared at my hand, noticing that I couldn’t even span the circumference of his wrist. “I don’t want you to go. I’ll get over it. I don’t mind talking to you—or the touching.”
Titus pivoted in front of me, placing his hands back on my shoulders. He lightly moved his thumbs in comforting circles on my arms. But still, he didn’t say a word.
I glanced up, and he raised his arm until one of his fingers trailed the side of my face and reached the lobe of my ear. He was watching me with the most indescribable look on his face, and I didn’t understand at all.
Then he spoke, and there was an underlying thread of hope in his voice. “What can I do to ease your fears? What are you afraid of—exactly?”
My breath hitched. I couldn’t believe it—he was trying to understand. To be accommodating. But I couldn’t describe this irrational fear that I was experiencing.
“I really don’t know,” I admitted. “For some reason, I’m afraid that you’ll hurt me. Your presence is overwhelming. I don’t know how to take it. I feel like you could easily destroy me.”
Understanding crossed his expression—which confused me because none of this made any sense. But then his face relaxed, and he smiled—that same seductive grin that he wore when we first met.
Somehow, I got the impression that everything was going to be all right. That he knew what to do now. “Don’t worry, beautiful.” His finger caressed my cheek again before he stepped back. “The last thing in the world that I’d ever do would be to destroy you. You’ll always be safe with me.”
Then he turned away and returned to the pile of electronics as if nothing had happened. In fact, he seemed to be in a much better mood at that point, and even started whistling.
Meanwhile, I felt dazed. I returned to my seat at the bottom stair and watched him in confusion. Seeing him so open, so accepting, put me at ease in a way nothing else could have. In fact, his reaction only sealed the fact that Titus was inexplicably a good person. Of course, my heart still pounded. I wished I understood what had just transpired.
Chapter Nineteen
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