Page 10 of Absinthe Dreams
"Don't take him to the park."
I narrow my eyes at him, but before I can even say anything, he holds up a hand. "That'snotme telling you what to do. That's me telling you that the Chihuahua next door is a bully, and a cat at the park scared the shit out of him this morning."
I glance down at Thanos, my expression softening. "Was Tom mean to you again, buddy?"
"Tom?" Trystan asks.
"The Chihuahua next door."
"Jesus Christ," he mutters. "The old lady named the dog Tom?"
"He chases mice," I say, shrugging.
"He's a terrorist," Trystan growls, glancing down at Thanos. "Every time we walk by, he loses his shit."
"Huh. He likes me and Thanos just fine." I bat my lashes at him, sashaying toward the door. "Must be you. Can't really say I blame him for wanting to murder you. You seem to have that effect on me, too."
"Fucking hell," Trystan mutters behind me. I don't think I'm supposed to hear him, but I laugh anyway.
Chapter Three
Trystan
Living under the sameroof with Chloe is hell on my peace of mind. It hasn't even been eight hours, and she's already driving me to the brink of madness. But I'm too goddamn stubborn to leave, especially if it means leaving her here alone.
I spend half the fucking day replaying our conversation in my mind. Does she really think I stopped talking to her because I was pissed she decided to go to prom?
Contrary to her memory of events, that's not what happened.
The night she called me to show me her dress, she looked like a goddess. And then she casually fucking mentioned that some asshole asked her to go with him. All I could think about was that prick putting his hands on her.
Maybe I said some shit I shouldn't have said.
Perhaps I didn't call for a few days because I would have lost my mind if I had to listen to her tell me about her perfect night with someone who wasn't me.
But she's the one who iced me out.
Hell, she was icing me out long before that. I don't remember when she stopped sharing shit with me the way she did when we were kids, but it was years before her senior prom. She became downright arctic after it, though. And she hasn't thawed at all over the years.
If anything, she's grown even colder, even more distant. The only goddamn place I have in her life is the one I've forced myself into over the years—not quite a friend, but not someone she can ignore, either. Maybe it's fucked up or immature, but I'm petty and desperate enough to make sure she can't forget I exist, no matter how much she wishes she could. I pop up like a goddamn car salesman, showing up when she least expects it.
Family dinner? Surprise, princess.
Mia's birthday? Can't ignore me now, baby.
I take any little scrap I can get, because it's better than having no place in her life at all. It's better than just being someone she used to know.
I want every piece of her, starting with the truth. Why the fuck did she quit her job? Whatever happened, I know it's botheringher. I saw it written all over her face when I asked in the kitchen. But she blew me off, refusing to tell me.
I've never wanted to spank the truth out of someone as badly as I do her. I am not that fucking stupid, though. Chloe would rip my balls off and feed them to the Chihuahua next door if I even tried it.
Instead, I cook dinner for her while Thanos supervises from his bed in the corner. I guess their afternoon walk went better than our morning walk did.
I'm sure we came home looking like we were both done with life after our disaster of a morning. He came home from their walk with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging. She was smiling.
I amnotjealous of the dog for making her smile.
I'm also full of shit.
