I had never been enough. I had never been enough for the women around court who only wanted Xavier and Oliver. I never felt like I did enough for our family. I never felt like I did enough around the palace or for my staff. And I hadn’t been enough to make Birdie stay.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, reading the text message.
Vince
Birdie’s gone.
I’m aware.
What the fuck did you do to her, Knox? What is wrong with you?
Anger boiled in my chest. I turned my phone off and returned it to my pocket.Fuck you, Vince. You don’t even know the half of it.
I spotted a bare tree that looked like it was about to fall over. Clearly something had gotten hold of it and torn it to shreds. Probably a moose or buck shedding their antlers, or possibly a bear had tried to climb it, not realizing it was too fragile. I pulled out my axe and went to work.
Whack, whack, whack.
I’d never been enough.
Whack, whack.
I should have fought harder for her.
Whack, whack, whack.
I betrayed my best friend.
Whack, whack.
I’ll never be chosen for who I am and what I offer.
Whack, whack, whack.
I’ll be alone forever, and this is my lot in life.
Whack, whack, whack.
The tree fell and a few branches detached as it hit the ground. This was Eugene’s heaven. He scurried to grab one of the biggest branches and carried it over to me, setting it at my feet and giving an excited bark. I gave him a half smile and a pat behind his ear.
“Good job, buddy.”
I cut the rest of the branches off and piled them on the sled. Eugene chose a branch that was about four times his own length as the one he would carry himself.
The weight of pulling the sled back to the shop and the energy it took to cut down the tree had given me a brief respitefrom my wandering mind. I opened the back door to the workshop and was met with a large figure sitting at my worktable.
“We missed you at the rest of the party.” Oliver’s deep voice echoed through the room. “I was worried when I didn’t find you in your office at the palace this morning.”
“I’m fine,” I said as I carried a load of lumber into the room.
“You don’t look fine.”
“Yeah, well, I just chopped a tree down. I wouldn’t expect you to know what that looks like.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” I knew that I shouldn't take my anger out on Oliver, but the irritation took over as soon as I saw him.
“No. Go on. Tell me how you really feel.”
