Page 5 of Absinthe Dreams
Chapter Two
Chloe
"You called Trystan," Igrowl at Jade, pacing a hole in the plush rug in the guest room Wyatt set up for me and my sisters when he bought this place a few years ago. My heart pounds like a drum against my breastbone, thundering with every step I take.
Thanos dodges me, crawling onto the bed to turn two complete circles before he flops in the middle to nap, completely undisturbed by my mental breakdown.
I'm mad as hell at Trystan, at Jade, at myself…hell, maybe at the whole world at this point.
Leaving a job I loved because my middle-aged, married boss is a creep was bad enough. He actually woke me up the night before last to tell me that he was dreaming about me. And then he proceeded to describe his frequent fantasies about me in gross detail before asking if I'd be interested in making them come true. I sent the messages to his wife and then packed up my desk first thing yesterday morning.
He called my parents, claiming he was worried about me becauseI quit for no reason. Yeah, right. As if learning that he gets off in his office while watching me through the window isno reason.
I didn't have the heart to tell my dad what really happened, mostly because I don't want my dad to go to prison for murder. So I just…left town.
I figured staying at Wyatt's for a few days would give me time to figure out how to deal with this. I did not anticipate finding Trystan here, however.
The man is a waking nightmare and my biggest dream all rolled into one. Once upon a time, we were friends. I'm not sure when that changed, but somewhere along the way, he stopped treating me like someone he cared about and more like someone who couldn't make her own decisions.
He's standoffish, domineering, and justrude.
And even though it drives me insane, he's still stuck in my head like a song. He's always been stuck in there. I've loved him for as long as I can remember. And part of me hates it because Iknowthere isn't a chance in hell that we end up together.
I have been and will always be a problem to him, something messy and out of place in his neat little life. I used to think that was because he felt the same way and just didn't know what to do about it. We're practically family. I thought maybe he was trying to figure out how to balance the way he felt with his sense of responsibility.
Now? Well, now I'm not sure it even matters.
No matter how long I wait or how hard I hope, he'll never color outside the lines, not when it comes to me. The sad fact is, he just doesn't like me. If anything, he tolerates me for the sake of our families. I'm the only one stuck with an undying crush.
"Uh, no, I did not call Trystan," Jade says. "I called Haven. Where are you? Mom and Dad are freaking out."
"I'm fine," I groan, flopping down on the plush bed beside Thanos to glare up at the ceiling. "I'm staying at Wyatt's for a few days." At least, that was the plan. Now, I'm not so sure. I probably should have left as soon as Trystan opened the door, but he pissed me off, so I decided to make a point.
He makes me irrational like that.
I really need to research justified homicide. Surely, smothering him with a pillow isn't actually a crime at this point, right?
"You left without saying anything."
"I needed space. Is that so wrong?"
"No," she says carefully. "But you quit your job."
"Yeah, because my boss is an asshole," I mutter.
"What did Donny do?"
I hesitate, not sure I want to tell her. I trust my sisters with my life, but I alsoknowthem. And there's no way any of them will keep a secret like this from my dad. We always go to him for help.
"Talk to me, Chloe," Jade murmurs.
"He texted me in the middle of the night to tell me about his inappropriate dreams about me. In detail," I grumble.
"What the fuck?"
"Yeah." My lips pull down into a frown. "And then he asked if I'd be interested in making it a reality. Apparently, he's beentaking care of himselfin his office while watching me for a while. He wants my help next time." I blow out a breath. "He even had suggestions on what I should wear."
"What the fuck?" she says again, her voice vibrating with rage.
