Heartless Hero (Crowne Point 1)

Before I could think too long on who had actually sent me away, turbulence jostled the plane. Both Abigail and I lost our footing. I fell backward into a black leather chair, catching Abigail in my lap. The plane steadied, but neither of us moved.

She pulled the bracelet she’d given me out of her pocket.

I thought she would’ve thrown it away.

“I always assumed you left me,” she said, fiddling with the beads. “Because you wanted my sister and were tired of pretending to like me.”

Her quiet confession cut through me. All this time she’d been hurting just like I had.

I stroked my thumb across her cheek. “Sweet girl, I would never leave you, not willingly, not unless I had to.”

Her eyes found mine, lips parted. Warmth radiated from her clay eyes, affection a luminous glow. My eyes landed on her lips, when all at once she jumped off me. She took two quick steps back until she was almost at the door.

“I-I don’t believe you, Theo.”

There wasn’t determination in her voice; if anything, she sounded afraid. She tugged on the bracelet, pulling the beads apart, the white twine shiny.

I tilted my head. “Yes, you do.”

She mashed her lips together, eyes darting around the room. I stood up, walking to her leisurely, grasping her wrist and anchoring her attention on me.

“This could all be another elaborate trick,” she said, allowing me to drag her into my embrace.

I don’t know if I was ready to completely forget five years of resentment and pain. When your view of someone is stained in heartbreak, it’s hard to completely wash that away, even if that view is wrong.

But love or hate, I couldn’t go another minute without Abigail.

“Could be,” I admitted.

I rubbed my nose along her cheek slowly, her sharp inhales spiking my heart rate.

“You say you… care… about me, and you don’t actually like my sister, and you even tattoo me, yet you wear someone else’s bracelet—”

I crushed my lips against hers, quick and harsh, shutting her up. Enough to bruise and leave her breathless.

When I pulled back, her eyes were hooded, locked on mine.

I thumbed her bitten-red lower lip. “You gave me that bracelet.”

Sixteen

ABIGAIL

Theo was in my room.

A nervous laugh bubbled out of me. I quickly smothered it with the back of my hand, trying to pretend it was a cough.

Theo shot me a curious look, the one that said he saw right through me, then turned from me, busying himself with something I couldn’t see on my nightstand. Grateful for the momentary respite from him, I breathed.

Mother was furious we had to reschedule the flight. It appeared no serious damage was done, yet a full top-to-bottom inspection had to be done before we could fly out, which meant a night back at Crowne Hall. A night alone with Theo…

I fiddled with the bracelet on my wrist. All these years I’d wondered who gave him the bracelet. Making up ridiculous stories like he had a girlfriend he pined for, or a long-lost soul mate, and all this time it was me?

My heart cracked open.

For all his bluster, Theo hurt the most.

Another laugh threatened to burst.