Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite 3)

“Mum says you have to love someone to marry them.”

“Then you can just love me.” She throws her hand in the air. “What’s so hard about that?”

I remain silent. This girl is crazy.

“Hey, Grey Eyes.” She scoots closer. “When I give you the bucket of Maltesers, are you going to share it with me?”

I laugh and she laughs with me. Her laughter is like the sunshine after a rainy day. It’s the sun peeking through the cloudy sky.

As I watch her, I realise

I want to see her laugh all the time.

Maybe she’s right. Maybe after we grow up, she needs to stay close so I can see her laugh this way every day.

She has the most beautiful laughter I’ve ever seen.

“Promise you’ll marry me.” She holds out her pinkie.

I curl mine around hers. “I promise.”

11

Aiden

Present

School is the last place I want to be.

However, every day I wake up, get ready, and hope against hope she’ll show up.

I don’t even do the hope thing. I’m a doer.

It’s been more than thirteen days since she left to Birmingham and didn’t return.

Five days since the Rhodes’ fundraiser.

Five whole fucking days of sleepless nights.

Five days of angry handjobs while thinking about her.

Five days of contemplating how to barge into her world without making her hate me even more.

How the fuck am I supposed to get her back if she’s on the other side of the country? How am I supposed to reach her if she won’t hear me out?

The numb, apathetic expression on her face at the party still guts me every time I think about it.

As a result, all my handjobs end with a pathetic, non-satisfying release.

Elsa is slowly pulling away from me. I can feel it down to my soul and damn bones.

I can’t even push back when she’s volatile.

Elsa is so closed off about my involvement with Queens, she won’t hear anything contrary to what she already believes in.

Stubborn fucking girl.

I slam my car’s door shut and walk the small distance to Nash’s black Jeep.