Basil (The Brinnswick Chronicles #3) - Michele Notaro Page 0,38
reaching for me as if I was a long-lost friend.
My chest tightened further, and I slid my hand from his hip up to his chest so I could hold him tight to me as this myriad of emotions swirled inside me.
Basil was breathing hard, forehead resting on his forearm against the brick, his other hand still holding onto mine. I rested my forehead against the back of his head, holding him as tight as I dared, trying to catch my breath and get my thoughts and feelings in order.
We stayed there for a few minutes until his magic pulled back inside him, and I pulled my cock from his ass. I kept my arm around him and our hands laced because I still needed a minute.
But then suddenly he pushed away from me, dropping our combined hands and pulling up his pants in angry movements. As he tucked himself away, I did the same before he faced me.
When his sorrow-filled eyes met mine, when I saw tears beginning to form, when I saw one fall from his eye, my heart clogged up my throat.
“Are you happy now, Hiro?” Basil asked angrily as he straightened his shirt and fixed the weapons on his pants.
Another tear slid down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it away. Seeing the true pain on his face made my heart pound and no words came out. What had I done to him?
“You proved your point, okay? I know you hate me, I know you don’t want me, I know you don’t even fucking like me. But did you have to…” He seemed to choke on his words for a moment before he found them again. “Did you want to show me you could do the very thing you’ve been accusing me of? Did you have to… did you have to break my fucking heart so thoroughly? You kissed me, and I thought it meant… but it wasn’t…” His voice cracked and another tear fell down his cheek, then he pushed me again, making me stumble back a few steps. “Congratulations, Hiro Grimsby, you got what you wanted; you’ve figured out how to break a fucking witch.”
Before I could respond, he used his shadow magic to seemingly melt into the wall and disappear.
And all I could do was stare at the spot he disappeared from and realize he was right. I’d been playing with his emotions since the day we met.
He wasn’t the asshole, he never had been; I was. And I had no idea how to fix it.
Chapter Eleven
Basil
Tears kept falling as Blaze flew us back home. Sorrow and despair were gripping me hard.
When he’d kissed me, I’d had hope. I thought he was finally going to accept what he was to me. My heart had fluttered, and felt light for the first time in years. But then I realized he wasn’t kissing me, he was fucking punishing me. He didn’t care about me; he wanted to show me that I meant nothing to him. He wanted to use me.
And I’d let him.
Some sick part of me had wanted it even though I knew it would break me.
I’d known he was going to rip my heart out and stomp all over it, but I hadn’t known just how bad it would be.
Basil, where are you? What the fuck’s wrong? my little brother asked through our link.
I’m fine. Be home in a minute, I managed to send telepathically.
Like hell you are, Thayer said. What happened, Bas?
I shook my head even though they couldn’t see it. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Bas… Jorah sounded sad. Talk to us.
I… I can’t. Not right now. Not yet.
They didn’t say anything back, but I could feel their disappointment, concern, and resignation. I could also feel their love for me, but that wasn’t the type of love I was wishing for.
Since we weren’t far from home, it only took a few more minutes for Blaze to land on the overlook near my house. As soon as his feet hit the ground, I slid off him. He transformed into his bearded dragon form, I picked him up, and I rushed to my house.
I should’ve expected it, but it still surprised me when I found Jorah inside my doorway. Blaze hopped out of my arms just in time for Jorah to pull me into a tight hug. As soon as his arms were around me, a sob wracked my body, and I clung to my little brother and cried.