Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(27)

However, I still want her in my life as a friend.

“Yeah,” I agree. “Call me this week with a place and time.”

“Cool. Have a good night.”

“Peace.”

With that, I hang up and call Morgan.

“Hey—”

“Lose my motherfucking number.”

She starts to protest, but I tap the end call button on my dash.

We were only friends with benefits, so I didn’t give a shit if she hooked up with other people, but shorty did me dirty and not the way I enjoy.

Therefore, fuck her.

Fuck them both.





Chapter 11





Bianca





“Thanks,” I tell the Uber driver before I step out of the car and start trekking toward Stone’s apartment building.

Stone won’t be off work for another hour, but I have a key to let myself in.

I’m so busy trying to give the Uber driver five stars and a tip while digging in my purse for the key, I end up barreling into someone on my way up the stairs.

My purse goes flying and so do the contents in it…but I can’t focus on that right now because all I see is him.

Oakley looks equally surprised by my presence as I am by his.

I eye him warily. “What are you doing here?”

He gestures to the big box he’s holding. “Moving in.”

That’s…interesting.

“Oh.”

I bend down to sweep my stuff back into my bag…at the same time he does.

Our heads meet with a loud crack.

“Fuck,” he growls.

“Shit,” I hiss, my hand flying to the spot where it throbs.

And then before I can stop myself, I laugh because this would be the monkey wrench life decides to throw at me right now.

Seriously. What are the odds that the one guy who can help me but refuses to would be moving into the same apartment building as my fiancé?

Evidently good, because it’s freaking happening.

“What floor is your apartment on?” I blurt out.

He stares down at me for several seconds, as if debating whether or not to tell me.

Finally, he says, “The third.”

I jut my chin up the stairs. “I’m on the fourth.” And then, because my mouth refuses to put a cork in it, I add, “Well, not me…my fiancé. Although I’ll be moving in with him and his mom after we’re married.”

His expression turns darker than a storm cloud. “Right.”

Awkwardness lingers in the air between us.

“Well,” I say, brushing past him. “Have fun moving in. If you need any help, or change your mind about talk—”

“I won’t,” he says curtly.





Past…





I’m swinging my legs over the edge of the cliff when my phone rings. Hayley’s name flashes across my screen.

Annoyed it’s her and not Oakley, I chuck it into the universe, laughing when it goes silent. Whoops.

There’s a beach on the horizon, and by the sounds of the violent ocean waves slapping against the boulders and rocks, I’m guessing there’s a storm brewing.

I look down into the abyss of darkness.

I wonder how long the fall is.

Would I have a heart attack and die before I reached the bottom? Would the crows swoop in and eat the flesh off my bones, or would the waves be kind enough to carry my corpse out to sea before then?

Moving closer to the edge, I dangle my flip-flops from my toes and finish my last sip of rum.

Prince Charming isn’t coming to rescue his wicked princess after all.

Knowing Oakley, he got distracted by something more important.

Drugs, or another ho.

It doesn’t matter though, because the alcohol swirling through my system gives me the courage to follow through with my plan.

“See you soon, Liam.”

Just so we’re clear. I know exactly what you’re thinking. This girl is a suicidal hot mess who should be locked away in a mental institution.

However, there’s one teensy little problem with your assessment there, Dr. Freud.

I don’t actually want to die.

I just want to stop missing them.

Turn the agony off.

A jittery breath escapes me as one of my flip-flops disappears into the night.

A moment later, the next one follows suit.

It’s now or never.

I can’t help but wonder if Liam was this scared when he fastened the noose around his neck and jumped off the chair in his closet.

Did he have a moment of regret before he lost consciousness?

Did he think about his family before his last breath was wrung out of his lungs?

Did he know how much it would destroy us?

How much it would kill me when he selfishly took every broken piece of my heart with him as he left this world?

Big, ugly sobs wrench out of me.

I’m so hollow inside if someone placed their ear to my chest they wouldn’t hear a thing.

Just the reverberating echo of my pain.

Fortunately, it will all be over soon.

Swallowing the ball of nerves lodged in my throat, I lean forward and open my arms.

I’ve always wanted to go sky diving, and if I close my eyes, this will be exactly like that.