She took a seat at the open chair beside Morgan and huffed.
“What’s wrong?” Izzy asked.
With a scoff, Angela waved her hand in Elaine’s direction. “Oh, Elaine is just on some trip that she’s going to be Queen of Camelot Court.” Skirting her gaze to mine, she shrugged a shoulder. “She’s set her sights on Kingston now that Landon is…otherwise occupied.”
“Sounds like her. If it’s not one, it’s someone else. Remember how she used to tell us all about her boyfriends in school?”
I kept my mouth shut, listening to the gossip for a sign Elaine has said too much. So far, it didn’t seem like any of them had learned about her secret threat. Another stroke of luck.
Since Elaine never shut up.
“And Peter!” Izzy added. “She said he was so into her, but he told me during the Honor Challenge he never touched her.”
“Ugh.” Vivian wrinkled her nose. “Please don’t talk about my brother’s sexual past in my presence.”
“What sexual past?” Izzy laughed. “Elaine lied, Vivian. She was bluffing about anything happening the whole time.”
“Still.” That was all Vivian said in response.
“It’s mind-blowing what someone can make you believe. It’s like we see the truth we want to see, and miss all the little signs.” I sat back in my chair, contributing to what they’d already brought up. “What about that boyfriend of hers that used to go crazy over garter belts?”
“He was a professor, and she stalked him,” Vivian blurted.
All our eyes went wide, the three of us at the table squawking at the same time. “What?”
“That’s what my mother said.” Vivian shrugged. “And technically, she didn’t lie. He did go crazy, just not like she made it sound.”
Morgan coughed as she said, “Restraining order.”
While we shared a laugh, Vivian shrugged. “Lie or not, it served her in the end, so I doubt she cares what we think.”
We all agreed on that. At least, where Elaine was concerned, empathy for others didn’t seem to be a strong suit.
Vivian shifted awkwardly, like she’d realized she’d spent way more time with us than she’d planned to, and she didn’t know how to leave. Or if she should stay.
Her eyes darted to me. “As long as she’s happy with her future husband, and doesn’t get in my way, who cares?”
I frowned, officially over friendship time since Vivian had to knowIcared. Even if she didn’t know how close her words had come to hitting the mark.
“That’s my cue, everyone.” I pushed up from the table and forced a smile at Izzy, Morgan, and Angela before saying good night. Glancing at the Ice Princess, I jerked a nod. “Vivian.”
She frowned but didn’t say anything.
I pushed her from my mind as I left Camelot Courtyard. Since my two Knights were cleaning up and would probably be busy for a while, I went in search of Kingston.
As I walked up the stairs, my thoughts circled over everything that had happened that day. I still couldn’t believe what Vivian had let slip about Elaine, and I was shaking my head when I knocked on Kingston’s door. But my mind drifted to thoughts of waking up with Kingston and Landon, and then searching for Max.
I hadn’t been able to find him before we left for the challenge, and like my trauma not being cured by his dick, my stellar blow job skills hadn’t completely erased what had been on his mind.
He was in a better mood than the day before, but with needing to focus on the challenge, I’d had to accept that I wouldn’t get to check in with him fully again until tomorrow.
As I waited for Kingston, I glanced down the hall at the bathroom, knowing he wasn’t in there but just hoping he was okay. Worry prickled my skin like goose bumps, but I fought the fear and doubt from overshadowing the happy feeling I’d had in my chest after what happened the other night. With him, and with Landon and Kingston.
When Kingston opened the door to his room and let me in, he sensed my distraction and gave me a quick kiss before pulling me inside. “You were incredible today,” he murmured against my neck.
“You heard about what happened?”
“I got to watch it.” He nodded toward the laptop on the chair. “There were cameras in the main room, so the trial could be scored.”
