Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6)(12)

Since then, he’s been making it his mission to instigate battles and wars. Or rather, it’s become our mission. Me, because I’ll take any chance to meet Chaos again, even if it’s brief. Him, because he loves the challenge. He isn’t labelled Conquest for no reason.

They came up with these names for us at school because of football. Xander is War, which is understandable, considering he’s like a bull striker. Ronan is Death because he kills any attempt at attack from the midfield. I’m Famine. According to them, silent but deadly.

I’d say I’m always hungry for more. More information, more books, more chaos.

“Admit it, Aiden.” Ronan directs his imaginary mic at him. “It’s because of my recommendations.”

“Fuck off.” Aiden doesn’t miss a beat.

“You don’t have to say it out loud. I get it in the small space in my heart.” Ronan grins, running his fingers through his messy brown hair in a smug way. “I was the first to lose my virginity. You’re the last. Guess who wins?”

A slight smirk crosses Aiden’s lips. “How about Knight and Nash?”

“Knight was right after me.” Ronan squeezes Knight’s shoulder. “Was that night with that twin fun or what?”

“Are you sure, though?” Aiden glances at Xander, who flips him off with a dimpled smile.

“Mais bien s?r,” Ronan dismisses Aiden. “Cole was… Hey, wait a second. When was it?”

“Miss Goldman,” I say and focus back on my book.

They don’t need to know the details. Besides, if they find out, Ronan will make a fucking show out of it. He makes it his job not only to start a rumour, but also to spread it until it reaches other schools.

He’s shit with secrets.

“Ooh, right.” Ronan grins, then pouts. “You’re the winner in quality, but I’m the winner in quantity. Aiden is last.”

The latter flips him off and he returns it as the door clicks open.

Only six people have access to the Meet Up. Four of them are here and the fifth is Levi, Aiden’s one-year-older cousin, but he disappeared with a girl, which leaves just one option.

My head lifts from the book as she comes inside, holding a grocery bag and juggling her backpack on one shoulder.

Chaos.

My entire body sharpens whenever she’s in my vicinity. It’s been getting more noticeable over the years. Every time she’s there, I have this urge to get up, grab her, and take her…somewhere.

Anywhere.

It doesn’t help that every day, she’s been growing from that kid Barbie doll to this girl with long, toned legs and an hourglass figure that keeps sharpening with time. Her tits are perky, high, and big, straining against her jacket whenever it’s closed — like now.

Her face has this symmetrical quality to it. Her eyes are huge and a clear blue, and when you’re close enough, you can see the grey flecks in them. Like a symphony of colours. The small freckles on her nose have been slowly disappearing over the years and she’s been hiding the traces with makeup. Her lips are full and have a perfect teardrop at the top that I haven’t been able to stop staring at since the day I sucked on it about a year ago.

No. It’s not only her lips that I haven’t been able to stop staring at.

It’s her.

All of her.

And it’s not only because of that kiss or the almost-kiss before that.

It all started that night. It started with chaos and refused to end.

I still don’t like Silver Queens. And not because she acts like a bitch to everyone at school, but because she’s not actually a bitch. She’ll go out of her way to snitch to the principal on anyone who bullies Kimberly, but she won’t talk to her. She’ll even hurt her if she feels her ex-best friend, Kim, might get close to her.

She shuts Summer and Veronica up when they make the other students do shit for them while she sits at parties like she’s a queen, accepting the peasants’ offers at her feet.

The sorry fucks line up to ask her to dance, only for her to tell them she’s not feeling like dancing, but they can sit with her.

She’s plastic. She’s becoming more and more a replica of her mother, and the worst thing is, I don’t think she even realises it.

When her eyes meet mine, she pauses for a fraction of a second before she harrumphs and directs her attention at the others.

Since that day in our guest room, Silver has made it her mission to avoid me and never stay alone with me. Whenever we meet at my house by accident — because I make her think I won’t come back at that time and then show up anyway — she pretends I don’t exist.

Like now.

It’s a game we play. Pretending the other doesn’t exist.

I still pull on her hair every chance I get. She’s lost that awed, surprised look over time, but it’s one of the rarest moments where she’ll stare up at me with wide eyes. They usually morph into glares way too soon, but that brief second is worth it.

Silver still tries to compete with me every chance she gets. She loses most of the time. In the beginning, I used to forfeit to see her eyes widening in a different type of way — with happiness — but lately, she’s been pissing me off with all the fuckboys she sits with at parties, so I make sure to see her lose.

I make sure she falls at my feet.