Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(62)

“I know it looked, bad, but he was angry and—”

“Goddammit,” he snaps. “Don’t be that girl. You’re smarter than that. The Bianca I know would never take that shit from him or anyone else.”

It would hurt less if he slapped me.

“Well, I’m sorry but you’re stuck with this Bianca now.”

His blue eyes soften. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Yes, it was.” Sitting up, I draw my knees to my chest. “Everyone in my life expects me to be a certain way since the accident, but I thought you were different. I thought…” I shake my head because it no longer matters. “I’m trying to put myself back together, okay? But it’s hard when I don’t have all the pieces, and the few pieces I do have…aren’t so great.”

Except the pieces I have with him.

Goose bumps break free when he runs his fingers down my back. “I don’t expect you to be anyone else but you, baby girl.”

I press the heels of my palms to my eyes, so I don’t do something dumb like cry. “I don’t even know what that means because I don’t know who I am.”

And the worst part is? I’m not sure I ever did.

“I get that.” Worry etches his features. “For what it’s worth, I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just wanted to make it clear that if he ever fucking hurts you…” His nostrils flare on an indrawn breath. “Well, let’s just say I’ve gone to jail once, and I’d gladly go back for you.”

There’s so much conviction behind his words he leaves me no choice but to believe him.

However, he has no reason to worry. “Stone’s not like that. Sure, he gets upset every now and then, but he’d never hurt me.”

Not physically anyway.

That’s when I remember some of my flashbacks. “And you’re one to talk. You haven’t always been Mr. Nice Guy to me.”

Granted I deserved his wrath back then, but still. Pot meet kettle.

His brows furrow. “You’re right, I haven’t. But even when I was a dick, I still knew where to draw the line.” Concern fills his face. “I’m not sure he does.”

It takes everything in me not to laugh. “You’re worrying for no reason. Stone’s never put his hands on me. Not once.”

My words do little to squash the anger simmering beneath the surface of his gaze. “I hope for his sake he never fucking does.”





Chapter 29





Oakley





A sharp knock on my front door jolts me out of a dead sleep.

Muttering a curse, I stagger out of bed ready to give whoever’s on the other side of it a mouthful for waking me up on my day off.

“What the fuck do you—”

My sentence falls by the wayside when I open the door and see Dylan and Sawyer standing there.



Ah, hell.

“I was sleeping,” I inform them, hoping they’ll leave because I’m not in the mood to be read the riot act about staying away from Bianca.

Dylan raises one dark blonde eyebrow. “It’s one in the afternoon.”

I shrug. “So?”

Sawyer waves a paper bag in front of my face. “I brought some chicken from Cluck You.”

As if on cue, my mouth waters.

Dammit. They came armed with the good shit.

Begrudgingly, I move to the side and let them in.

After converting my futon to a couch, they plop down and Sawyer starts emptying the contents of the paper bag onto my coffee table.

I stare at them. “Do Jace and Cole know you two have gone rogue?”

They exchange a glance.

“They don’t control us,” Dylan says.

“We’re big girls,” Sawyer adds. “We don’t need their permission to see you.”

Yeah, that’s a no.

I’m about to protest, but Dylan huffs, “I love Jace, but I love you too, Oak. And nothing will ever change that.”

Sawyer nods. “Ditto.”

And just like that, guilt floods my chest.

Dylan has every right to walk away from me and my bullshit, yet here she is…still in my corner.

And Sawyer harbors no malice toward me even though she should, because I caused her to have a goddamn heart attack.

Sawyer hands me a plate. “Eat some chicken. It will put you in a better mood.”

After grabbing a pillow, I take a seat on my floor and dive in.

I can feel their eyes studying me intently the entire time.

“What?” I snap when I’ve had enough.

“Nothing.” Dylan’s eyes wander around the room. “I was just wondering if maybe you had something you wanted to get off your chest.”

Sawyer stops eating. “Because you know you can tell us anything.”

Dylan nods. “And we mean anything.”

“Like what’s going on with you and Bianca.”

Dylan nudges Sawyer in the ribs. “Sawyer.”

Sawyer holds up her hands. “What? There’s no point beating around the bush.”

Subtle. Real fucking subtle.

Keeping a straight face, I look them in the eyes. “Nah.”

Then I go back to eating my chicken, ignoring the way their mouths drop open.