Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(116)

Goddammit.

I turn to Dylan who’s shuffling her feet, looking anywhere but at me.

“Hand it over.”

Grumbling, she pulls my notebook out of her purse and slaps it in my hand. “Fine. But just so you know, I really love them.”

That does nothing to ease my nerves because I’m positive I’m not cut out for this shit.

Landon rubs his hands together. “Ready to make some music?”

Dylan grins. “And that’s my cue to let you two work your magic.” She must sense my uneasiness on her way out the door because she stops and grabs me by the shoulders. “You’ve got this, Oak. Even if you don’t write a single word, I’m still proud of you for stepping outside your comfort zone.” She smacks a kiss on my cheek. “Love you, butthead.”

“Ditto,” I grumble.

She gestures to Landon. “Take care of my boy.”

Landon raises his glass. “You got it, boss.”

The moment she leaves, Landon assesses me. “Do needles freak you out?”

Yeah, not what I was expecting him to say.

Then again, he is a musician, so I guess it’s not completely out of left field.

My chest coils and my palms begin to sweat. “I don’t fuck with drugs.”

And I know enough about myself to know I need to get the fuck out of here. Fast.

Landon blinks, noticeably confused. “I don’t mess with that stuff either.” He holds up a thick blue pen. “But I’m diabetic and have to take my insulin. Sometimes needles freak people out so I always ask first.”

And just like that, the ball of tension in my chest dissipates.

“Nah. It’s cool. Do what you gotta do.”

Nodding, he lifts up his shirt, pinches some skin on his stomach, and jabs the needle into his flesh.

“I’m in recovery,” I explain, feeling like an idiot for losing my shit before.

If there was any judgment from him, he doesn’t show it. “That’s awesome. How long?”

“One year, six months, and eight days.”

But who’s counting?

His smile is genuine. “Good for you.”

Since we’re exchanging medical info and shit, I disclose my own. “By the way, I have epilepsy. So, if you see me shaking and jerking, that’s not me attempting to twerk.”

Concern lines his face as he sits down at the piano. “Anything in particular you need me to do if you have a seizure?”

I shake my head. “Nah. I mean, it would be cool if you could make sure I don’t crack my head open, but sometimes shit happens. I won’t hold you accountable if it does.”

“Well, I’ll try my best to make sure it doesn’t,” he assures me with a half-hearted laugh.

His eyes scan the room, stopping on the guitar. “Do you have a preference? I can play either, but the piano is what I gravitate toward.”

Safe to say I feel like a fish out of water.

“I don’t really know. To be honest, this emo shit isn’t really my thing.”

Cue the awkwardness.

Making a face, he assesses me. “Dude, you’re looking at it all wrong. Chicks dig the raw emotion that comes from leaving parts of yourself in a song.” His lips curve. “Dudes, too.”

A couple years ago I would have used that to my advantage to score some pussy, but nowadays there’s only one pussy I give a fuck about.

“That might be true, but I’m not looking to get laid.” I take a seat next to him at the piano. “Not that I don’t like sex. Hell, I fucking love it, but…” I let my sentence fall by the wayside because I’m not used to being so candid with anyone.

Well, except her.

Landon raises an eyebrow. “But what?”

Fuck it. “Well, there’s this girl.”

His eyes lock on something in front of him. “Every great love song always starts with a girl.” He smirks. “Or a guy.” Dark eyebrows dance with humor. “Sometimes both at the same time.”

I’m not exactly sure what the fuck to make of that obscure statement. However, I soon connect the dots when I follow his line of sight to the picture frame on his piano.

A thick girl with long red hair and tons of freckles is in the middle, attempting to pull what looks like a jersey out of a golden lab’s mouth. To the right of her is a tall dude with blond hair who looks irritated as hell with the dog.

And to the left is Landon—who’s watching all three of them with a giant smile on his face.

As if sensing my curiosity, Landon says, “That’s my girlfriend and boyfriend,” He chuckles. “And our crazy dog.”

“Oh.” Yup. It all makes sense now. Although dating two people at the same time has to be complex as fuck. “That sounds…”

“Complicated?” He nods. “Yeah, at one point it was, but now…I don’t know…it feels right. We just fit together.”

Good for him.

“Hey, man. Whatever works.”

He places his fingers over the piano keys. “Ready to write some emo shit?”

Hell motherfucking no.

“I don’t know. I’ve never done it before.”

“Well, it’s simple.” He presses down on the ivory keys, filling the room with a melodic sound. “I just need you to give me the good, the bad…and the ugliest parts of your heart and soul.”