Page 154 of Psycho Gods

I dug my nails harder into her skin and nodded.

“I agree.” My voice was hoarse as I struggled to process the influx of unfamiliar emotions filling my chest. The power she held over me was insane, and I was drowning in her. Gladly.

She shook our hands up and down. “It’s nice to meet you, Scorpius.”

“Same, Arabella.” My voice cracked.

Her breath caught as she inhaled, but she didn’t reprimand me for using her given name.

The unfamiliar emotion tripled in my chest, and it was like sunshine straight to the soul.

Something fragile burned between us.

It was delicate and new. It was everything.

It felt like hope.

Chapter 24

Aran

STEAM

Algophilia (noun): a morbid pleasure in the pain either of oneself or of others.

DAY 11, HOUR 20

Scorpius and I sat across from each other in the narrow tub.

When I’d told Scorpius to sit down fully clothed, I’d assumed he’d scoff and tell me to go fuck myself.

I’d thought he’d only wanted to play Protector and Revered, and I’d assumed if he did stay, that he’d leave after a few minutes. At most, I’d thought we’d talk through some things, spend thirty minutes going over our issues, then resume snarling at each other.

I’d been wrong.

Eight hours later, we still sat across from each other.

Neither of us wanted to leave.

Talking to Scorpius was one of the most intimate things I’d ever experienced. Our legs touched because we were both too tall to fit, but it wasn’t sexual.

Both our voices were scratchy from overuse.

I could tell from the way he clenched his jaw that he was worried I was going to try and leave.

He worried for naught.

Neither of us wanted the moment to end.

Scorpius broke the lull in our conversation and said, “It does something to you, never being able to see or understand the colors that everyone seems so in love with. It’s less about the sights themselves and more about feeling disconnected from everyone. Feeling different.”

He tipped his head back and showcased his cut jaw.

The eye tattooed across his neck glowed.

He whispered, “I’ve always felt disconnected from others. Trapped by their perceptions of me and the world.”

I sighed as I rested my head against the wall.