Cruel Prince (Royal Hearts Academy, #1)(94)

Dylan said he was hanging out with Heather so maybe he…

Nope. Not a chance.

Liam’s been in love with Dylan since the second he laid eyes on her.

I swear it was like nothing I’d ever seen before. He was a heartbeat away from turning into a cartoon with little birdies circling his damn head.

I didn’t give a shit at the time, Dylan was my best friend and I still thought most girls were annoying and had cooties.

But then the same bug that bit him, turned around and unleashed its venom into my veins.

From that moment, everything changed.

Dylan Taylor was no longer meant to be my best friend…she was meant to be my everything.

Problem was, Liam had already staked his claim.

Didn’t matter that she was technically mine first.

I figured he’d get over his crush and move on, but he never did. If anything, his feelings for her continued to grow.

Right along with mine.

I tried to tell him so many times, but I couldn’t get the words out.

Maybe if Liam was an asshole like Cole—or me, for that matter—it would have been easier.

But he’s not. He’s sensitive and compassionate. The kind of person who would give you the shirt right off his back if you needed it.

Life had already handed him a shit deal between his stuttering caused by anxiety from being in the crash that killed our mom, some facial scars from the accident, and the bouts of depression he tries to hide from everyone.

Just like our mother.

But every time he saw Dylan, he said it was like the sun was finally shining on him.

As his brother and friend, I refused to be the one to tear that away.

No matter how much I wanted her, I couldn’t do that to him.

For years, I ignored my feelings and pretended they didn’t exist.

Until the day she dared me to kiss her.

It confirmed my greatest desire and my worst fear.

She had feelings for me too.

I just hope like hell Liam will understand, because this thing between us…it’s too powerful to ignore.

I sense the shift the moment I walk back into the gymnasium. Something’s off.

People are looking, some of them are whispering…others are laughing.

And there’s no sign of Liam.

I catch Cole in my peripheral vision and grab him. “Where’s Liam?”

He shrugs. “What do I look like, his keeper?”

No, but as the oldest, I am. And right now, there’s a brick in my gut the size of Texas.

“Cole,” I grit through my teeth.

“He ran home crying like a little bitch.”

“Why?”

A hint of sympathy flashes in his eyes. “I’m not sure. Tommy and Liam left the gym for a few minutes. When they came back, Liam was crying and Tommy was grinning like a cat who ate a goldfish.”

“Shit.”

“It gets worse.” He winces. “Tommy started pointing and laughing at him. Calling him a prissy fag. Pretty soon everyone else joined in.” He averts his gaze. “Liam tried defending himself, but he was so upset he—”

“Got stuck on the first word.”

He snorts. “More like the first letter. It was pretty brutal, even I felt bad for him.”

Not bad enough to step in and do anything about it.

But I don’t have time to worry about Cole and Liam’s lousy relationship. I have more important shit to take care of.

Rage lights me up like an inferno and I scan the gym for Tommy. “Where the hell is he?”

I’m gonna shove my fist down his throat and rip out his goddamn tongue so he can never talk shit about Liam again.

“Not sure. I saw him leave a few minutes after Liam did.”

I check my watch. “Dad won’t be here for another half hour.”

If he gets here, that is. Most of the time he’s still working at his office and it’s easier to walk the twenty minutes to our house rather than wait for him to remember his kids.

“I’m gonna walk home.”

Cole nods. “Have fun. I’m gonna find Hay—”

I grip his jacket. “The fuck you are.”

Annoyance twists his features. “This isn’t my problem. Why do I have to—”

“Because you’re his brother, too.” I shove him. “Start acting like one, prick.”

“Fine. Whatever.” He looks over at Hayley and sighs. “Let’s go.”





We make it home in fifteen.

Bianca’s parked on the sofa painting her nails. Given I see no signs of Mrs. Garcia—the babysitter my dad hires on the rare occasions me and my brothers aren’t around—I assume Liam is home.

“Liam is so mad at you,” Bianca says when she spots us.

Cole and I exchange a glance.

“It’s not my fault he ran out of the dance crying,” Cole says with a scowl. “Blame Tommy DaSilva.”

Considering Cole didn’t defend him tonight, Liam has a right to be pissed at him.

“Not you.” She looks at me. “You.”

“Me?” That doesn’t make any sense. “Did he say why?”

She thinks about this for a moment before replying, “Nope.” Smirking, she looks up at the ceiling. “But he did ask me where the bat was.”