“So, they wanted to invoke it?”
“It seemed that way. But then Drake put the decision to a vote. One for each Knight, and he gave everyone time to discuss with their parents and their Maiden’s family before deciding which way they wanted to vote. When it was Percy’s turn, he voted for the statute.”
“Which way did Max vote?”
Landon grimaced and paused at the top of the stairs. “He voted to invoke it.”
I frowned, even if he’d been trying to protect me, it stung.
With a nod, I went into my bedroom and grabbed my things to bring them downstairs. “I guess that fits with the way he acted on the patio.”
“You saw him?” Landon took my suitcase, while I grabbed my backpack and crossbody. “Before the vote?”
“Yeah, I had to get away from the girls. Vivian, specifically. I was out on the lawn when he showed up on the patio. He was unreasonable, of course, and said I was stubborn. A bit of a stretch, if you ask me. Doesn’t fit with my personality one bit.”
“It’s like he doesn’t know you at all.”
Landon’s sympathetic smile only made me feel worse, but I appreciated that he played along.
“I know, right?” I bit my lower lip, recalling our interaction. “Then one of the parents came out and found us. Dark hair, ice-blue eyes, obnoxiously loud and fancy heels. Vivian’s mom, I assume?”
“Sounds like her. What happened then?”
“She told me I needed to go inside. When I didn’t because I’m so agreeable, Max started saying a bunch of weird stuff. I didn’t have a chance with him. Couldn’t pay him to slum it.”
“You know he didn’t mean that.”
“I know. It was like he’d been body snatched and his personality overridden by some Stepford Husband programming. Even in the parlor, what he said at the very end after all hisway to go, bros, it doesn’t add up.”
“What do you mean?”
We rounded the corner into Camelot Courtyard, and I laid eyes on the man in question.
Max was about to walk past us with his jaw set and his eyes resolutely on his path forward. Anger emanated off him in waves, and I considered giving him a night to calm down. But he was definitelynoton his side of the courtyard.
He’d come out of Vivian’s room at the far end of our row.
So, I did what anyone in my position would’ve done.
Pretending I wasn’t paying attention, Iaccidentallycrashed into him.
Whoops.
I gripped his arms to steady myself, and his biceps flexed under my palm. The guy just couldn’t help himself.
He tried to step back and put space between us. Feigning annoyance, as if I hadn’t heard his sharp intake of breath the second we collided, he growled at the imposition my clumsiness had caused.
And maybe I should’ve let it go.
Maybe I should’ve lethimgo.
But—surprise, surprise—I didn’t.
“Congratulations, Max. I…” I swallowed down the bile that rose with my next words, noting the way his throat bobbed at the same time. “An engagement, that’s?—”
“Thanks,” he said gruffly, and he flicked his gaze over my shoulder to Landon. “I need to go.”
Tightening my grip, I closed my eyes like everything hurt.
