Page 127 of Heartless Sinner

“Who’s not to say I won’t spend the rest of my life chasing the Daphne high?”

I was staring at the old Brooks I knew.

Not the one who chased me through the woods with a fucking chainsaw.

The one who’d once had me convinced there could be an us.

For once, I had nothing smart to say.

I opened my mouth instead. He dipped the pizza into the ranch and slid the bite between my lips. I quietly moaned as buffalo sauce, cheese, and ranch hit my tongue. My stomach applauded.

He fed me another bite, stealing one for himself before bringing the slice back to my mouth. We continued like that in silence.

Me taking a bite. Brooks taking one. Me pretending this wasn’t weirdly intimate.

“You know,” I said as he reached for a second slice, “I could get used to this princess treatment.” I pointed at him. “Which reminds me, you owe me a tiara.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

“You know that’s a bad omen, right? Stealing a Caliran crown or tiara.”

“I had no idea.” He settled back on the bed. “Educate me.”

I straightened like I was about to give him a history lesson. “Caliran lore says anyone who steals from the royal family suffers great losses. The gods take their third-born child.”

He didn’t even blink. “Then I’ll only have two.”

“You’ll go bald early.”

He froze with the pizza halfway to his mouth.

I grinned.

“Now, you’re just making shit up.”

“I’m serious. They say it steals the three things Calirans treasure most. Their children, their vanity …”

Brooks chewed slowly, watching me. “And the third?”

“The ability to find someone who loves them.”

“Good thing I don’t want that either.”

“You may lie well in public, Brooks, but you don’t with me.”

“You think you know me better than you do, Fawn.”

“We’ll see …” I held his stare.

We knew each other too well.

Not every memory. Not every secret. But enough.

He knew what hurt me. I knew what pissed him off.

He knew how to make me smile when I didn’t want to.

And I knew when he was full of shit.