Royal Prick (A Stepbrother Romance #2)(64)

I headed back into my bedroom and took one final look around. Years of memories rushed back to me at once. If things went the way I hoped they did then I wouldn’t be coming back here. I grabbed the bags from beside the door, walking past Royal’s empty room. The absence of him could be felt throughout the house; at least by me. I hated it. I hated feeling alone, and I hated being here without him.

Worst of all I hated not knowing what was going on inside of his head? Did he miss me like I missed him? Did he crave my touch like I craved his? I hustled down the stairs my bags in tow, praying that I wouldn’t run into my mother.

She stayed out of my way for the most part, but she always made her opinions known. I felt as if I was in the clear when I entered the garage, opening my Jeep door so that I could place my stuff in the back seat. Just as I was about to slip into the front seat, the entrance to the garage door opened, and my mother’s face appeared.

“Where are you going?” she questioned me with accusing eyes.

“Out. I’ll be back later.” I lied, climbing into my Jeep and starting itt. She continued to watch me, unmoving from her post by the door. I hope she gets a good look because it would be the last would see of me if I had anything to say about it. I wasn’t going to tell her what I was doing just so she could try and stop me. I backed out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the airport. It was less than a twenty-minute drive, and as I pulled into the parking lot I realized that I was actually going to follow through with this. I was actually going to be free and follow my own desires.

I was going to go to Royal and get the answers I needed. I was a nervous wreck, knowing that I could be walking into something unexpected, but I had to know if he felt the same. I was tired of thinking about him when I wanted to be kissing him. I was claiming Royal as mine own, and I wasn’t letting go this time. I headed into the airport. My heart beating out of my chest. Fear of the unknown and excitement for what’s to come was making me almost giddy.

I was going to capture love.





Chapter Twenty-Seven


-Royal


The nights were by far the worst. During the day I had school and other things to distract me. But the night time hours seemed to go on forever. Before the sun would peek up over the horizon and even after, I couldn’t seem to get Noelle out of my mind. Images of her and the time we spent together were on constant replay in my mind.

No matter how I looked at it, I felt as if I betray her. I made certain that she understood that I needed to get away from it all and that I wasn’t running from her, but I still felt the distinct ache in my chest from being away from her. The pain I felt was self-inflicted, of course, but knowing that didn’t make it hurt any less.

It’s only been a week that we’ve been separated, and I already wished I hadn’t left. It took everything in me to not send her a text message, to unblock her number and call her. I just wanted to hear her voice or see words she had written flash across my screen. Something to let me know she was thinking about me as much as I was thinking about her.

She meant the world to me, and all I wanted was for things to be better for her, for both of us, but especially for Noelle. If putting space between us would do that for either one of us then that was how it needed to be. Which meant I had no other choice but to keep her blocked so I wouldn’t cave into my own wants.

All I could do was try my best to do the right thing, even if it killed me to follow through with it. That night when Noelle was in the hospital, after I got off the phone with my mom, I tracked my dad down and asked him if we could talk.

Mark agreed to allow me to fly back home, and we made a deal. He promised that he would watch over Noelle while I was here, and he would also make sure that Viviana didn’t lay a finger on her. He also paid me a lump sum of money so that I could take care of my mom and give her some much needed time off.

Since they divorced before he started making tons of money he technically didn’t have to pay her a dime in the settlement, but I reminded him of the fact that she gave birth to me and raised me for the last seventeen years. In exchange for Mark’s promise and his money, I agreed that I would do my best to stay out of trouble and be a better son to my mother. All in all, I thought it was a fair deal.

“Dinner is ready, sweetie,” my mother called from down stairs. I’ve held up in my bedroom for days now. I felt sick to my stomach every time I got up out of bed. I was heartsick. Missing someone what wasn’t even fully mine yet and probably never would be.

“I’ll be down in a sec.” I replied, forcing myself to get up from the bed. I hated leaving Noelle like I did. I hated myself even more for doing it. I just needed time.

I hustled down the stairs and into the kitchen, the smell of cornbread and chili smacking me in the face. Forcing a smile onto my face, I stepped over the threshold and into the kitchen, my mother’s face meeting mine.

“I hope you’re hungry.” She gestured toward the dishes she had set out. I took one of the bowls filling it with a two heaping spoonfuls of the spicy goodness. Walking over to the table and setting my bowl down, I took a quick bite before going to grab a drink. The spices from the chili hit the back of my throat causing a cough to escape me.

“It’s… spicy,” I commented. My mother’s face lit up with laughter as I took my glass of milk and sat down at our old kitchen table. I hadn’t told her about the money I had gotten from Dad yet, but I would soon. There was so much I planned on doing with this money— all of it for her— after all, she sacrificed so much for me. First on my list was getting her out of this shit hole house we lived in and buying her a good reliable car.