Royal Prick (A Stepbrother Romance #2)(31)

“You’re worthy enough, Royal, you’re so worthy and you’re a good person, I know you are. You are so much more than you believe you are; so much more than what other people think,” I said, almost begging for him to believe the words I spoke, all while wanting his touch so badly it’s almost killing me.

“No, Noelle.” Sadness laced his words. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m not. You’re worthy of so much more than someone like me. You’re going to go so far in life, and you don’t need someone like me dragging you down. You don’t need the violent person that I am and will be for the rest of my life. I know what you need, and it’s not me. It will never be me.” The sentence nailed me straight in the heart. I was dead.

I felt the air leave my lungs in a rush, and a searing pain ripped through my chest from the words he spoke. But what hurt the most was when he let go of me and slowly started to back away. As if he was afraid that if he didn’t he never would.

It felt like everything in my life changed the minute he ran after me. He turned my entire world upside down and now he was walking away from me, leaving me in a crumpled pile on the cold, dirty ground to pick up the pieces of my splintered heart.

“Royal, wait,” I yelled, but it was useless. He was already too far gone, and it wouldn’t have mattered if he heard me anyway. He wouldn’t have turned around.

All I could do now was sit and stare as I watched him walk back toward the house, back toward Sasha, and away from me. I was left there to wonder if what he said was true, or whether he just played me and my feelings.

Did he actually have feelings for me, or was he just going to walk right back into that bitch’s house and warm her bed for the night?





Chapter Thirteen


-Royal


It was days before I spoke to or even saw Noelle again. I didn’t know how to feel about what happened between the two of us out by her Jeep that night. All I knew was that I couldn’t get her out of my head no matter how hard I tried. No matter how many times I masturbated to the image of her perfect naked body lying on a bed waiting and willing for me to fill her up and completely devour every inch of her creamy white skin. Or pictured her first kiss with me, my body covering hers, my mouth owning hers, over and over again in my mind. I just couldn’t get enough.

She was etched into the deepest, darkest parts of my brain, and there was no f*cking way to remove her. What surprised me the most is that it wasn’t just the sexual things that I missed, it was her in general. Talking to her, looking at her, teasing her, shit even fighting with her. I wanted it all with her.

“How are things going at your dad’s house sweetheart?” my mother asked. I noticed that she seemed more cheerful, more upbeat than usual. Then again she didn’t have me around the house breaking shit or causing problems.

“They’re going, I guess.” I lied. Not much actually changed since I got here. I was still fighting, still f*cking with girls, and still making a point to disobey every single thing that my father told me not to do.

He wanted to give me the money, a car, and a college education in exchange for some stupid arrangement that he made with my mom. One that would apparently make sure that I didn’t ruin my future or some bullshit. I personally thought it was just another way to control me. Which was precisely why I refused to accept his pathetic offer. Minus the car of course since I didn’t seem to have much of a choice in that.

“Mark says you haven’t taken well to the deal we had planned out for you.” She sounded disappointed like she actually expected me to take the man’s money and run with it.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m not really all that keen on being controlled or bought for that matter, as you have seen,” I said with a bit of snark in my voice. “Although I am trying to steer clear of fights and shit that could get me locked up, but it’s not for him or because of the dumb deal. It’s not any easier here than it was when I was at home with you.” I walked around my room aimlessly, bored out of my mind. I couldn’t handle seeing Noelle, therefore I kept myself locked up in my bedroom.

“Just please be careful, and consider your father’s offer. I know it’s hard after everything that has happened, but you only know bits and pieces of the story. There is so much more to be told if you would just sit down and listen.” I sighed. I didn’t know why she always had to bring this up. I honestly wanted to listen to what my mother had to say, but my father not so much. It wasn’t fair or right that he left my mother and I without anything for years. Why the hell should I waste my time listening to his lies and excuses?

“He left us both without a backwards glance, Mom. He threw us out like yesterday’s garbage, and you want me to sit and listen to his bullshit excuses? How could you of all people ask me to do that?” I questioned her in outrage. I didn’t get how she could sit there and defend him like he wasn’t the reason our family was ripped to pieces.

“Enough of that shit, Royal. That’s not even true. I have no idea where you got that idea from, but you’re wrong.” Her tone changed from cheery to anger.

“When you decide to get over this shit, including the hatred that you have for your father and you actually want to know the truth, you can go talk to your father. There is so much more to this story than you can even begin to imagine, and believing only half of it because it gives you a reason to stay angry is ridiculous.” She carried on and it made me want to hang up the phone and ignore the entire issue.