“So you and Maddy keep saying, but then I found out you’re going up to the lake, and we all know why people go up there.” Her grin is beyond annoying.
“Is Maddy here?” I ask, glancing behind her and noting the empty living room.
“Yes, she is!” Maddy calls out. “She’s coming! She just can’t find her wallet.”
I press back a smile at the fact that I was struggling with the same issue minutes ago. “Have you checked the couch cushions?”
“Good idea.” Her voice floats across the room.
And then I see her.
She walks hastily into the living room, making a beeline for the sofa. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of her long legs in those tights she wore the first day I saw her at the academy. Although it wasn’t the first time I saw her. That was while we were in jail.
I still haven’t told her that I paid her bail bond. I worry if I do, she’ll try to pay me back, and I don’t want her to.
On top of wearing those tights, she has on a short dress, along with a leather jacket and boots. She’s so gorgeous in a way I’m not used to—all wild and beautiful, in an effortless way. I try not to stare at her ass as she leans over to stick her hand down the crack of the cushion, but I fail.
Lily notices and lifts her brows at me.
Thankfully, before she can comment, Maddy announces, “Here it is.” She removes her hand from the cushion and holds the wallet up as she spins toward me.
As I get a full view of her, I damn near lose my breath again. Her hair is down in untamed waves, her beautiful big eyes are lined with eyeliner, and her lips are shiny with gloss. She has a splatter of freckles on her nose that are so adorable, and her smile is the most amazing thing I’ve seen, so real and genuine.
“How’d you know it was going to be in there?” she asks as she approaches me.
“Because I couldn’t find mine tonight, and that’s where it ended up being.” I stuff my hands into my pockets, unable to take my eyes off her.
She grabs a mini backpack as she passes by an end table. She unzips it, drops the wallet in, then slips it on before walking up to me.
Lily is still standing in the way, but she inches to the side. “You two kids have fun,” she calls out as she backs away.
I want to press my fingers to the brim of my nose. Why are my siblings so annoying?
“You look stressed out,” Maddy remarks as she exits her dorm and closes the door behind her.
“My brother and sister are driving me crazy,” I explain as we start down the hallway.
“I don’t have any siblings, so I can’t relate.” She adjusts the handles of her bag. “However, my parents are annoying, so there’s that.”
Maddy has mentioned her parents a few times, and I also overheard her talking to her mother when she was in jail. She hasn’t given many specifics, though.
“You want to talk about it?” I offer, watching as a lock of hair falls into her eyes.
I have this strange compulsion to reach over and tuck it behind her ear, just like I did right before I kissed her the other day. It was a brief kiss but long enough that I still remember how soft her lips felt. Part of me wishes I hadn’t done it because it only makes me crave her more. But I can’t act on it, so I’ve been pretending it never happened. And Maddy seems to be on board with that.
“Do you like your parents?” she wonders as we turn into another hallway, our footsteps echoing against the domed ceiling and thick brick walls.
“I like my mom. To be honest, I’m not a fan of my father. He’s a cheating asshole, as you already know. Plus, he’s the main factor behind me being betrothed.”
Maddy falls silent for a second, and I worry I’ve freaked her out. Why the hell did I have to bring that up? Being betrothed in the royal world isn’t uncommon, but I highly doubt it’s that way on northside.
Then she says, “Do you still talk to her? Isla, I mean.”
With my lips pressed together, I nod. “We used to talk.” I pause as we reach the exit doors and hold one open for her. “We were friends when we were younger, but that got ruined when we realized the massive responsibility being put on us. I think when our parents first started talking about the arrangement, it didn’t register because we were so little. But the older we got, the more reality set in, ruining our friendship because neither of us saw each other like that.”
“Yeah, Finn told me that you all used to be friends.” Maddy steps outside, and I follow, letting the door fall shut behind us. The crisp night air is laced with darkness, and the sky is covered with sparkling stars and moonlight.
As her words register, I slow down. “Wait … Finn talked to you about this?”
