Cruel Prince (Royal Hearts Academy, #1)(57)

Pot meet kettle. “I can say the same about you.” Placing my hands on my hips, I stare him down. “You came here with Britney Caldwell, remember?”

He averts his gaze. “I didn’t want—” Shaking his head, he wags a finger in my face. “It doesn’t matter what my reasons were. You have a lot of balls coming here with Liam and then ditching him to make out with Tommy. What the hell is wrong with you?”

I fight the urge to smack some sense into him. “Did hanging out with Britney rot your brain cells? Liam is in there dancing with Heather Gibson.”

He blinks. “That’s Cole’s date.” Before I can explain, he circles his ear with his finger. “I think your little tonsil hockey session with Tommy has you all screwed up. Liam is the twin you came here with.”

I roll my eyes. “I know that, you jackass. Cole ditched Heather in the middle of the dance to hang out with Hayley. She was crying, so Liam went over to check on her and now they’re dancing.”

His nostrils flare. “So you decided to come out here and make out with your new boyfriend.”

He spits the last word out like it’s rancid.

For someone so intelligent, he can be awfully stupid sometimes.

I start ticking things off with my fingers. “Okay, one—Tommy’s not my boyfriend. Two—we weren’t making out. But even if we were, Liam and I are friends, so I really don’t think he’d care. And three—stop acting like I did something wrong when you’re the one who came here with my enemy.” Anger spikes through me and I push him. “You are literally the worst best friend ever.”

“Yeah? Well, you’re not much better.”

He’s downright certifiable. “Screw you. I’m a great friend. I haven’t done a damn thing wro—”

“You ruined everything,” he shouts so loud I swear the lockers rattle. “We were fine, but then you had to act like some kind of lovesick puppy and dare me to kiss you.”

It would hurt less if he punched me.

Because he’s right.

We would still be friends and my heart would still be intact if I hadn’t fallen in love with him.

I ruined everything. Just like he said.

“Right, well, don’t worry. It won’t happen again.” Curling my arms around myself, I head down the hallway. “You should get your nose checked out. It looks pretty bad.”

“Dylan,” he growls.

Closing my eyes, I force myself to breathe. “Go back to Britney.”

I hate the way my voice cracks.

My mom used to tell me it was okay to cry if someone hurt me, but after the pain subsided, I needed to get up off the floor and dust myself off…because I didn’t belong there.

However, I don’t know how to get back up when Jace keeps kicking me down.

Every time I see him, he steals another piece of me.

Pretty soon there won’t be anything left.

“Dylan, stop.” His voice is rough, unsteady. Almost like he’s unraveling too. “Please.”

“Go back to Britney,” I repeat with conviction I don’t feel.

“I can’t.” He sounds out of breath, like he just got done running a marathon. “I can’t.”

That does it. I turn around. “Why?” I laugh, but there’s not a drop of humor. “Let me guess—”

“She’s not you.” The force of his stare has my heart pounding and my knees going weak. “She doesn’t make me feel even half the things I feel for you. I don’t think anyone ever will.” He looks utterly defeated. “God, I’m so screwed.”

My heart stops cold. “Why?”

A combination of turmoil and determination lines his face as he starts walking toward me. “Because what I’m about to do will change everything.”

Nerves pluck at my belly the closer he gets. I can’t tell if this is about to be the greatest moment of my life…or the worst.

I find my answer when he grabs my face and his mouth captures mine.





Chapter 26





Jace





I knew it was a bad idea the second I jumped in my car.

But like a moth to a motherfucking flame, here I am.

Watching in disgust as he wraps his arms around Dylan and hugs her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.

Part of me wants her to resist his advances. Kick him in the nuts and run inside.

But the other part—the one that’s winning—wants to walk over there, douse them in gasoline, and light a match.

Make them suffer for their sins.

Relief fills me as they break apart. However, it’s short-lived when he lowers his head and leans in.

Don’t kiss him.

For the briefest of seconds, her body goes rigid and I think she’s going to turn away…but then she rises on her tiptoes.

The hand around my steering wheel flexes as their lips meet.

He kisses her like she’s made of glass, liable to shatter at any moment.

It proves how little he knows about her.

Dylan Taylor is stronger than steel and tougher than leather.

There’s no way she’s enjoying Tommy handling her like a little porcelain doll.

I smirk when I see her hand flinch ever so slightly, like she wants to push him away, but she’s forcing herself to withstand it a little longer.