Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(39)

He slumps back in defeat. “I’ll see if I can take out another loan.”

“You do that.” I start to turn the knob, but pause. “Oh, and one more thing, Mark.”

“What’s that?”

“You better warn your cunt daughter to stop spreading lies about me or I’ll release every goddamn thing I have, and our little deal will be off.” I blow him a kiss. “I’ll text you with the time and place you can drop off the check.”





Chapter 15





Bianca





Holy shit.

Hayley’s dad was Mr. Young, my mom’s psychiatrist.

And the man she was cheating on my dad with.

Head whirling, I leave the classroom in a daze.

It’s safe to say I know exactly why I was blackmailing him now. And that I was using Hayley to do it.

Not that it makes it right.

Part of me wants to call Stone and tell him about this new memory, but I can’t.

I can’t tell anyone.

I’m so out of it I don’t realize where I’m walking to until the lake comes into view.

My heart stutters when I spot Oakley sitting on my bench eating a sandwich.

Stomach churning with nerves, I approach him as one would approach a bomb…with extreme caution.

“Hi.”

His blue eyes widen and he pauses mid-bite.

“Can we ta—”

He’s already walking away before I can even get the words out.

“Please,” I plead as I watch him toss the remainder of his sandwich in a nearby garbage bin. “Just give me two minutes.”

I can tell he wants to argue, but to my surprise he begrudgingly sits back down on the bench.

Whatever nerves I had disappear as I take a seat next to him. Despite his hostility toward me…I feel a comfort in his presence.

“I set your weed on fire,” I utter, recalling one of my recent memories.

A flicker of amusement crosses his face. “That you did.”

I give him a rueful smile. “Sorry.”

He snorts. “It’s fine.”

Fidgeting, I wipe my damp palms on my jeans. “Do you still write poetry?”

I’ve clearly caught him off guard because the color drains from his face and he goes still.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ups—”

“Bianca.”

He utters my name like he’s on his last breath and I’m his lifeline.

“Yeah?”

His lips part on a sharp inhale and his strong throat works as he swallows. “I thought you had amnesia?”

“I do.”

For the briefest of moments, the despair lingering in his gaze evaporates. “Then how do you know—”

“I had another flashback.”

And just like that, the sadness is back. “Right.”

It’s as though I sucked the wind right out of his sail. “I’m sorry.”

His jaw tightens. “Stop apologizing to me.”

I can’t help it. For some strange reason I feel like I should.

I have no idea why, though.

My attention drifts to the lake and the two ducks fighting over a piece of bread in the water.

“I have to ask you something really awkward.”

Anxiety lodges in my throat, because despite him turning down my advances in every memory I’ve had, I feel like he knows me.

Intimately.

“Did we ever…you know…hookup?”

We stare at one another for what feels like an eternity. The intensity burning in his gaze makes my heart race.

“Your two minutes are up.”

Without warning, he gets off the bench.

There’s a heavy tightness in my chest the moment he walks away.

Irritation rushes through me and before I can talk myself out of it, my feet follow him.

“Why won’t you answer me?”

He stops so short I almost collide into his back.

The hurt swirling in his eyes nearly brings me to my knees when he turns around.

A breath shudders out of my lungs and my heart propels into a hard gallop when he grabs my hand. It feels like there’s a live wire connecting our bodies.

One that wraps around my neck and squeezes when he gestures to my engagement ring and bites out, “That’s why.”

Face twisting in a scowl, he drops my hand like it’s acid and stalks off.

And this time, despite the inexplicable connection I feel between us…

I let him.





Chapter 16





Oakley





For a moment I thought she came back to me.

I should have known better.

The muscles in my chest draw tight as I continue sweeping up the trash in the hallway.

Even if Bianca wasn’t marrying someone else, it still wouldn’t change anything.

She’s gone…

Because of me.

And now I have no choice but to man the fuck up and live with the consequences of my actions.

The sound of someone laughing callously has the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

I know that laugh.

I’ve heard it a hundred times before.