Black Knight (Royal Elite 4)

He also took my hand and made me eat with him – small bites instead of large ones so I don’t end up in the toilet.

Lewis visited, too, and I crossed paths with him in the Knights’ household. He didn’t address our biological relationship, but he told me he’s there for me if I need him.

But above anyone else, there’s this person who’s now hugging me from behind as I snuggle between his legs. The one who kisses my body from top to bottom and tells me I’m the most exquisite thing he’s ever seen.

I’m beginning to believe him, too, because even if words can lie, the look in his eyes can’t. The way his body reacts to me, the way he hugs me definitely can’t either.

He’s just that person, the one you know you can close your eyes with and when you wake up, he’ll be there.

We’ve been going to the places where we played as kids. We’ve visited every park and every shop and goofed around with scarfs and pistachio gelato and M&M’s. I might have eaten my weight in them by now.

Being with Xander is like finally finding a missing piece of myself and slowly sewing it back in place.

I’m still trying to have him quit drinking and fighting, though. The fights have become sparse since I keep him ‘busy’ – his words, not mine. But he still sneaks alcohol into his juice and coffee. He still wakes up in the middle of the night to drink on the balcony.

Every time he returns and hugs me from behind, I bite my tongue to not start a fight.

I can’t lose him now that I’ve found him, and the alcohol is slowly but surely taking him away from me.

“Just so you know, I would rather have you underneath me right now.” His breath dances on the shell of my ear as he speaks. “Or above me. I’m not picky as long as I’m inside you.”

My face heats and I discreetly elbow him. “Stop it.”

“Or we can leave.”

“No, we agreed to this.”

“We can always change our minds.”

I shake my head. Did I mention he always tries to get what he wants whichever way he sees fit?

We agreed to watch the game with everyone else in Aiden’s house. We kind of interrupted this habit after he got together with Elsa for the same reason Xander now wants to leave. Aiden is so possessive about Elsa and her time, he doesn’t like other people around when they’re together.

Elsa said he only approved of this night because he’s having her do something later as payment for it.

Even now, he has her on his lap and his hand wrapped around her waist. He’s not watching the game. Instead, he keeps whispering things in her ear that sometimes make her blush something fierce. But most of the time, she’s an expert at keeping an indifferent expression.

Unlike me.

Ronan, Knox, Teal, and Cole are here, too. And I still can’t look the latter in the eyes without feeling flustered. I can’t get over the fact that he heard me and Xander the other time at school.

Ronan and Knox are standing and fighting like die-hard fans – for different teams. Ronan – and everyone else here – cheers for Arsenal, and Knox prefers Chelsea.

Knox doesn’t seem to be scared about being outnumbered as he threatens to end Ronan’s life.

“You’re going down, Astor.” Knox makes a motion of slicing his throat.

“Stop acting like a certain goth and admit that we’re stronger than you.”

Teal, who the jab is directed to, doesn’t even look up from her phone. Her T-shirt for the day reads, Nope. Not Today.

She’s sitting beside Cole, who’s leaning his head against his hand and watching the game with a neutral expression.

Now and then, he tells Teal something that she answers with a simple nod and no words.

Teal doesn’t care for football or the school’s hierarchy, so she can’t be here because she’s delighted by the horsemen’s company. If anything, I think she secretly dislikes all of them – except for Cole, because she speaks to him sometimes and doesn’t give him that ‘why are you talking to me’ look.

She must’ve tagged along because of Elsa and Knox. While she doesn’t show it, she’s a bit attached to them.