Filthy Gods (American Gods 0.5)(17)

“You do recall there was a war occurring then, huh?”

He glared at me. “It was proof how outdated the monarch was.”

“It doesn’t mean his entire family deserved to die,” I snapped back.

His hand covered mine and I froze. I hadn’t realized I had been stroking his chest, rubbing absentmindedly a trail across his muscular torso.

“We should stop debating,” he whispered, leaning his nose against my cheek. “You’re getting me hard again.”

I glared as he took me in his arms, feeling his hardening length against my bare thigh. “Stop dodging.”

He groaned into my hair and I swallowed hard. “I used to jerk off after each of our debates.”

He sat up, hovering over me as his hand traced my cheekbone.

I stared back at him, hoping the shadows hid my red cheeks.

“Did you ever think about me?” His eyes danced across my body, hidden beneath the sheet, but he had seen me naked, he knew what was underneath.

I clenched my teeth. “I hated you.”

He chuckled, still touching my cheek. “What did I ever do to you?”

I glared, sitting up. “Never mind.”

I picked up my blouse and pulled it on.

“Never mind?” He still sat on the mattress, but with one knee lifted, exposing his erection between his legs. “I wasn’t that much of an ass to you, Juliette.”

“You humiliated me in front of everyone,” I snapped.

His forehead wrinkled. “Tell me what I did.”

I sighed. “When I was talking about the Roman empire, you questioned me in front of everyone.” I thought back to that humiliating moment, still making my stomach twist. He had questioned me before I had even finished my statement. Saying my facts had been outdated. In my first debate. That superior tone, that smirk, that brow arch as if I was below him? He didn’t stop. He tore at every single phrase I had used in my speech, every single word he dissected and threw back in my face with a shit-eating grin of arrogance. He was on a completely different level than me. Higher educated. Powerful. A heat had burned every inch of my skin and my fingers dug into the wooden podium, begging to become invisible. The debate team’s laughter followed, echoing in the cathedral ceilings of the room. And when the professor asked me to rebut his statement, I froze. In fear, in shock. Again, he asked me, his voice firm, and I shook my head. When he declared Nathaniel the winner of our debate, anger surged through me. I made my way back to my seat and watched members pat Nathaniel’s back as he took his seat across the aisle.

The golden boy.

It cemented it in my bones that I would never allow myself to lose against him. That I would be better than that golden boy of Yale. Other students had laughed, some had even confronted me about it and Nathaniel hadn’t even realized what he had done. He was simply careless and oblivious to others.

He would always be superior. He was like a deity, destroying things for fun, without thinking of the consequences of anyone else around him.

“I don’t recall,” he said, shaking his head lightly.

I shook my head. “Of course you wouldn’t.”

I went to turn, but he jumped from the bed, uncharacteristically rushed.

“Now c’mon. That was what? Three years ago?”

I glared back at him. “It doesn’t matter how long ago it was. It happened.”

“Juliette,” he called, but I kept walking.

“I need to get back before someone notices I’m not in my room,” I said and tried to shut the door, but he caught it.

“Juliette,” he said, softer than before.

I glanced back at him, hidden in the shadows of the willow trees, as they danced across his handsome features.

“Goodnight, Nathaniel.” I turned on my heel and he didn’t follow.




It had been two days. I hadn’t gone back to the cottage and every time I saw Nathaniel at the club, I looked the other way. I knew he watched me and I felt him wanting to approach me, but I never gave him the chance.

I could hear the laughter and the chatter of a party happening outside around the pool as I lay on my bed. Everyone else had gone out or was working at the party tonight. I had the night off. Sitting alone, reading over my study notes for the upcoming year, my chest felt hollow.

I didn’t like the feeling, but I was too stubborn or had too much pride to leave my room. I was sure he would be at the party tonight, or he would be out with his friends.

A knock at my door didn’t startle me. It was most likely Mandy asking if I had any makeup she could borrow.

“Come in,” I deadpanned.

The door opened and when all I heard was silence, I raised my eyes from my sheets of paper to see Nathaniel.

I straightened my back and then pulled the sweater over my chest. I was only wearing a t-shirt, braless, and pajama shorts as I figured I’d only see Mandy and the girls around. My hair was piled unattractively on top of my head and I had no makeup on.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

He moved forward, glancing at the small room I stayed in. A double bed and a dresser were the only things in the room besides my suitcase.

“I thought I’d see you at the party,” he said, his eyes returning to me. “When you weren’t there, I thought it was safe to check here.”