Vicious Titan: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Golden Olympus Academy Book 4) by A.J. Logan

Author:A.J. Logan [Logan, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-08T06:00:00+00:00

20

Victoria

No. It can’t be true. But the more I shuffle through memories, the more it’s all adding up. The bruises, the black eyes, the broken bones … it wasn’t football, falling out of a tree, or whatever excuse Asher or my mom gave me. It was my dad. I still can’t wrap my head around it, can’t fully comprehend it. Even being a young child, how had I not known? How had I not seen what was happening in front of my face?

Messaging Asher, I wait less than a minute before calling him, thankful when he answers.

“Where are you?”

“Almost there. Why?”

“I just wanted to ask you something.”

We end the call as I make my way into the garage, waiting as he pulls to a smooth stop in his usual parking spot. Standing with my arms folded across my chest, I impatiently linger as he exits his car and walks to me.

“What made you claustrophobic?”

His face tightens and he stands motionless, silently answering my question.

“It’s true. Dad did all those things, and that’s why he and Nathan didn’t speak for years.”

I pace around in a tight circle as Asher stands unmoving. He should be the anxious one, not me. I’m sick about all the times I blamed him for egging Dad on, saying it was Asher’s fault for challenging him. There was a grave reason behind all of it. All the hostility Asher has towards our father, all the tension between Nathan and my father.

“I want to know all of it. Tell me what he did to you.”

“Seems like you know the basics.”

But that’s not what it feels like. There’s an ominous feeling inside me that says Elliot just scratched the surface of the pain Asher has endured. “I’m sorry for defending him.”

“It’s fine.”

“No. It’s not. But what I don’t understand is why you hid it from me. Why does Mom hide it from me too?”

“I can’t speak for her, but I didn’t want you to cry. I was worried he would do the same to you if he saw you crying for me.”

A cold chill runs down my spine at the ruthless insinuation. “Why did he only hurt you? I don’t get it.”

Asher’s jaw clenches as he looks to the floor, speaking in a flat tone. “Because he couldn’t control me. He’s always had control of you.”

He’s right. I never challenge our dad, but Asher has at every turn, for as long as I can recall. Stepping to Asher, I do something I haven’t done in forever. I wrap my arms around my brother, pulling him into a secure hug.

He tenses but returns the gesture. “Stop being nice to me. It’s freaking me out.”

“Shut up,” I say, stepping away from him.

Asher glances towards the door leading into the house before turning a serious expression on me. “I just need you to do me one favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Pretend like everything is normal. Don’t let Dad know that anything’s up.”

Pretend. I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing lately, the biggest of which is pretending Olivia hadn’t confessed that her husband tried to murder her.

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