“That was so weird,” I mutter, peering over my shoulder at the grocery store. “Dude, he’s watching us drive away,” I state at the sight of Grey standing in front of the entrance doors with his gaze fixed on the car River and I are in.
River cranes his neck and glances out the window. “Why is he acting like that?” he questions as he places the bags of food we bought beside our feet. “He’s a pretty respectable guy in the royal world, but right now, he’s acting like a creep.”
“Maybe he has a creepy side to him? You never know.”
“Maybe.” He twists back around with a crinkle between his brows. “I don’t know. I never got creep vibes from him before, and I have had them with people.”
“Do you have a sixth sense or something?” I playfully nudge him with my elbow.
“No, I’ve just been around some shitty people, and you start to notice patterns—characteristics that those types of people have.” He crosses his arms, tension rippling through his body.
I can tell there’s something deep in his words, but I don’t want to pry.
“I get it,” I tell him instead while shifting my weight. “I’ve spent my entire life around those types of people, too. Although, some wear their masks better than others.”
He nods, strands of his dark hair falling into his pretty eyes.
We stare at each other silently, and I’m sure it’s weird as hell for the driver. Doesn’t mean I want to stop doing it. I feel this connection with River that’s both wonderful and tarrying. I think he might feel it, too. It’s making him uncomfortable, though, something that’s evident when he clears his throat a few times and looks down at the food on the floor.
“Should we eat these here? Or wait until we get back to the academy?”
“Let’s wait.” I recline back in the seat. “We can eat outside, if you want.” I check the time on my phone. “It’s not super late. Plus, look at the sky right now.” I lean to the side to glance out the window. “It’s so clear out here. On the northside, there’s more pollution because of all the industrial buildings, so the stars and moon are rarely this visible.”
River could have peered out his own window, but he choose to lean toward me and look out mine. It puts him right by me, within smelling distance. I inhale, and the scent of his cologne kisses my nostrils.
God, he smells so good.
God, I am so screwed.
“I like that idea.” He smiles at me, and he’s so close.
My heart flutters.
Yep, like I said. Screwed.
CHAPTER 11
MADDISON
The driveto the academy is quiet. The driver makes no effort to talk to us, and River and I are content with that. River sends a text at the beginning of the drive, but other than that, we both just sit in the silence. It’s not awkward. It’s comfortable. I’d probably fall asleep, but so many things are running through my mind, like an out of control merry-go-round. Could this necklace in my bag be the real deal? If so, what does that mean? And what about that guy in the grocery store? Why was he acting so weird about my aunt?
And then comes the other questions …
Ones about River.
He is gorgeous, that has always been a given since the day I first laid eyes on him. It didn’t matter in the beginning because I assumed he’d be an asshole. He’s not. He’s the kind of guy that I could see myself breaking my no-dating rule for. But he’s also in an arranged betrothal, and that means if I go there with him—decide to break my rule—I’m knowingly walking into heartbreak.
“What’re you thinking about?” he unexpectedly asks, his fingers brushing through my hair.
You, I want to say, but instead I mumble, “The necklace and that Grey guy.”
We’re both angled toward each other, with our heads resting against the back of the seat, only inches apart. So, when he turns his head to look at me, he’s so close that I can see the streetlights reflecting in his pupils.
“I can’t answer the necklace thing for you right now. However …” He raises his hips so he can fish his phone out of his pocket. Then he swipes his finger across the screen and types Grey’s name into the search engine. “This is who he is.” He hands me the phone.
I assess the man on the screen. In some of the photos, he looks younger than he did in the store. In others, he looks the same. He’s a pretty big deal in the royal community. In fact, many of the articles list him as the best lawyer in the country. He defended a lot of wealthy men and got them off the hook for things like fraud, tax evasion, and even murder.
“I don’t know … I feel like he might be one of those lawyers who gets the bad guys off the hook,” I state. “The cases he’s on could easily be that.”
