Vicious Prince (Royal Elite #5)(60)

Someone slams into my arm, and I startle. An electric current shoots through my limbs. My breaths shorten and my legs become unable to carry me.

The attack comes on so fast, without any warning. It could be because I was lost in my head or because I was too at peace with my surroundings.

I shouldn’t have been.

My environment has always been the enemy.

I was trapped in that unknown and I couldn’t do anything about it and — Warm hands wrap around my cheeks, wrenching me back from those memories.

“Hey…” Ronan’s voice softens as he makes me face him.

My gaze slowly slides up his chest and to his deep brown eyes. There’s something calming about them, like the lullaby I never had.

“You’re okay,” he continues. “You’re going to be okay.”

“How do you know that?” I murmur. “How can you be so sure about it?”

“I’m only sure about one thing, and it’s you, Teal. I have no doubt you’ll get through this. Do you know why?”

Something stings my eyes, and I refuse to believe it’s tears. “Why?”

“Because you’re the strongest person I know.”

I don’t allow myself to think about my next action.

I rise up on my tiptoes and seal my lips to his. I kiss him as deeply as he’s touching me.

Fuck people.

He’s the only one who’s visible in the crowd.

Even if things between us started for the wrong reasons.





26





Ronan





“Are you going to reply or should I show up and fuck up your peace?” Cole’s bored voice recites the text I was supposed to send to Teal two weeks ago but ended up sending in my fucker friends’ group chat.

“I never thought I would say this” — Aiden clutches my shoulder — “but I’m proud of you.”

“Answer…please?” Cole reads on. He’s sitting on the sofa, leaning on a hand and clutching his phone.

Aiden releases me with distaste. “I won’t get behind that, so no, not proud of you.”

“Fuck you.” I motion at Cole. “And you.” Then I point behind me at Xan, who’s going through his texts. “And you too.”

“What?” the latter protests. “I haven’t said anything.”

“You were about to, so that’s a fuck you in advance.”

I throw my weight next to Cole. We’re having a small gathering at the Meet Up after the game. The other players are either drinking or trying to convince girls to shag them.

Loud music thumps from the walls. It would’ve been better in my house — just saying.

But, oh well. Not only would the mighty Earl Edric rip me a new one, Mum would be disappointed, and I would never do that.

Parties at the Meet Up can be fun, except you don’t find places to shag and stuff. Not that I’m interested in that — or maybe I am; depends on whether or not Teal shows up.

I’ve been watching the entrance like a fucking creep for the past hour or so. She was at the game with Elsa and Kim earlier. Kim has forgotten all about me now that Xander is back. She used to call my name, but now his repulsive number nineteen is all she cares about.

Teal was more interested in her phone than me — I know because every time I raised my head, she was engrossed in that fucking thing. Next time, that phone and I are having a word.

I can’t believe I’m jealous of a phone.

Wait. Jealous? No. I don’t do jealousy. The feeling is beneath me and would never exist in my vocabulary — especially not for Teal.

My phone vibrates and I pull it out faster than a junkie in need of his next pill. The name of the sender on the screen makes me grip the phone harder.

It’s definitely not the text I’ve been waiting for.

Eduard: Edric says he’ll have a family gathering to announce something. Do you have any idea what it is?

I don’t, and even if I did, that fucker wouldn’t get anything from me.

Dear old Dad has been acting a bit weird lately. I thought the time he spends with Mum is because he has a control freak diploma from the eighteenth century, but Lars has been saying annoying shit lately.

“Pay attention.”

“Young lord, you are being blinded by that girl and losing focus.”

“Did I mention that you should pay attention?”

When I told him to be more specific or to fuck off, he chose the latter, huffing like a damsel in distress.

Fucking Lars. I’m going to corner him one of these days or steal his little black book and have a look.

What does he want me to pay attention to? His lordship being a control freak or Mum calling him her love when he’s actually her tormentor?

And Lars is wrong — I’m not blinded by Teal. I stare at my phone after making Eduard’s message disappear. Why the fuck isn’t she texting me?

“Green is on her way.” Xan grins like an idiot.

“Elsa, too.” Aiden takes a drink of his soda. He never drinks, like ever. He and Cole say it diminishes their logic, and they’re the type of fuckers who need all their neurons to plot chaos.

“Teal?” Cole asks.

“No clue. I’m not the clingy type.” I grin. “I do know Silver is somewhere upstairs though.”