Heartless Hero (Crowne Point 1)

It shouldn’t bother me, but I couldn’t stop bouncing my leg. It shook the table. After last night and this morning, my insides were filled with fire ants.

It was just like before. I’d pushed and pushed and pushed, and in the end, scared him away.

Scared him off to Gemma.

He was with her. I was with Edward. This was not how it was supposed to be. Why couldn’t I just tell him the truth?

Edward grabbed my hand and clenched so hard my bones felt like they were breaking.

I gasped, forced to look at him. “Ow!”

“Are your eyes caught in a glue trap?”

A tight smile wrinkled his cheeks, but there was nothing warm about it.

I tried to wrangle my hand free. “Let go.”

He tightened his grip and I swear my bones caved in. I think a normal individual would feel a life-preservation instinct looking into the face of their stalker. Would at least weigh the pros and cons of their next move.

I bit my lower lip.

Bad idea face…

I knocked over his wineglass and plate of braised turkey, spilling them onto his lap.

He released me at once, jumping up.

I’d accomplished what I wanted, so I definitely should act like it was an accident and return to my food.

I grabbed my wineglass and, with shoulders back, stood up and threw it in his face. Pink liquid splashed and blinded him. He sputtered and scoffed, wiping it with both hands before blinking at me like I’d just killed his dog.

“Now you look a little bit more handsome,” I said, folding the arm with the empty glass over the other. “But not by much.”

The table grew quiet. My mother and grandpa, his parents, and my siblings were no doubt watching this unfold. No one had seen what Edward had done, and, honestly, they wouldn’t care. So what if he’d grabbed me a little harshly? It was much worse to make a scene.

All this would be blamed on Abigail Crowne, fire starter.

Edward raised a hand like he was going to slap me, and on instinct, I closed my eyes. When nothing happened, I opened them.

My heart sank.

One of my new guards had stepped between us. It was just like every other guard I’d had before Theo. It didn’t matter if I was about to be hit, you can’t make a scene.

A part of me thought Theo might have saved me… I looked over to where he stood behind Gemma. He hadn’t even so much as spared me a glance.

I couldn’t fucking take this. I couldn’t watch him choose Gemma. Screw third course or dessert or the fact that this was supposed to be for my engagement.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Edward snapped at my back.

“Darling?” my mother’s voice trilled over my shoulder.

One word, but her tone spoke so much more.

Don’t make a scene.

Edward had a dirty secret. He stalked and terrorized me, but all the wealthy had dirty secrets, some dirtier than others. No one gave a shit so long as they didn’t air it.

“Literally anywhere but here,” I said coolly.