Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(49)

I reluctantly take a bite.

He’s right…it’s not bad.

But it’s also not what I want.

Needing to get rid of the weird aftertaste it left on my tongue, I stick my fork into the red velvet cake and eagerly shovel it into my mouth.

So fucking good.

“This one is my favorite,” I affirm, going back for more. “It’s perfect.” And because I can’t resist, I go for a third bite. “What kind of frosting is this? It’s amazing.”

Realizing I’m being rude, I offer Stone the rest so he can try it. “Damn. This is good.”

I fight the urge to tell him I told him so.

The woman laughs. “That would be our cream cheese frosting.” She starts writing something down on a notepad. “We get a lot of compliments on our red velvet cake. It’s an excellent choice.”

Stone rubs his nose against mine and then kisses the tip of it. “It’s settled then. We’ll go with the—”

“Lemon raspberry,” Stone’s mom interjects.

Oh, no she didn’t.

I fight the urge to throttle her. “I’m sorry. What?”

She points to the lemon raspberry cake. “We’re going with this one. It’s simple but classy.”

It’s boring.

Not to mention, the last time I checked it wasn’t her wedding and unlike my father, she wasn’t shelling out a dime for the ceremony or reception.

Clearly uncomfortable, the cake lady looks between us. “I can come back—”

“No need,” Stone’s mom assures her. “We’ve made our decision.”

“No, we haven’t,” I grit through my teeth.

Stone looks like a deer caught in headlights. “Maybe we can try a few mor—”

“No,” his mother insists. “This is the one.” Looking at her son, she sulks. “It was your grandmother’s favorite. She would have wanted you to have this cake.”

Her manipulation game is hella strong, I’ll give her that.

The cake lady—who looks even more uncomfortable now—taps her pen against the pad nervously. “Should I put you down for the lemon raspberry then?”

“No,” I say at the same time his mother hisses, “Yes.”

We both turn to Stone who looks like he’s contemplating the best way to drill a hole through the floor so he can escape.

“Let’s let Stone decide,” his mother says.

I cross my arms. “Fine.”

Stone takes a bite of the red velvet cake. “This one is delicious.”

I’m about to gloat, but he takes a bite of the lemon raspberry again. “But I like this one better.”

Of course, he does. Mama’s boy.

I start to protest, but he gives my hand a gentle squeeze under the table. “Come on, Bourne.” His lips find my temple. “Just let her have this.”

I try to ignore the look of sheer satisfaction on his mom’s face when I mutter, “Fine.”





Chapter 22





Bianca





My steps slow when I spot Oakley sitting on the bench by the lake, inhaling a gigantic sandwich.

I probably shouldn’t be so fascinated by the sight, but there’s something about the savage way he tears into it with abandon.

I can’t stop myself from staring.

Some people are just so unequivocally interesting…everyone else becomes boring in comparison.

“Hey.”

Oakley scoots down on the bench, making room for me. “Hey.”

I place my purse and the Styrofoam carton containing some cake samples down next to me.

Given we—correction, Stone’s mom—already made the decision, I suppose there was no reason to take any home, but I figured I deserved some goodies.

“It’s a nice day out,” I declare, looking around the lake.

Pausing mid-bite, he gives me a pointed look. “Don’t do that.”

I bristle. “Do what?”

“Talk about the weather.” He gulps down the rest of his sandwich. “We’ve never done the bullshit small talk.”

Part of me wants to remind him that I don’t remember everything we’ve done or haven’t done—and he’s no help because he won’t tell me—but it’s oddly refreshing how open and honest he is.

And how at ease I feel in his presence.

I’m suddenly struck by how I’ve never felt more myself than when I’m in his company.

Which is weird because I’m still trying to figure out who I am.

“Okay, no small talk.” A nervous feeling zips up my spine when I see a few students walk by the lake. Jace and Cole could stroll by and spot us at any moment. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

His response is gruff. “No.”

Okay then.

It’s almost comical because Stone avoided my brothers like the plague…yet Oakley isn’t scared one bit.

Not that I should be comparing them. They’re totally different. Like apples and oranges.

Reaching down, I pick up the container and open it.

The cake lady must have felt bad for me because I notice she slipped three red velvet samples inside.