Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High 3)

I force my steps steady as I make my way to my room, but my feet carry me to hers instead.

I drop down, my ass on the floor, back against the bed.

Hours must go by as I sit there alone.

I take my time, replay every moment from the first glare to the last kiss, and I gulp when I’d swear my fucking chest plate is cracking open.

I’m so fucking sorry, baby.

Footsteps shuffle in, and after a moment a shoulder hits mine.

My eyes peel open, sliding sideways.

Royce glares as he passes a fresh cracked bottle of Crown. He looks away once I grab it. We take turns, passing it between us in silence until our hands are no longer steady and the bottle drops to the floor.

Both our heads fall to the mattress behind us and stay there until the sun is gone and rises again.

It’s futile, the time spent.

With the new light only comes more darkness.“Fuck school,” I whine, glaring at the clock. “I feel like crap.”

“I feel you.” Captain fishes clothes from the drawer, glancing at me over his shoulder. “But Maybell said the boys didn’t go yesterday either, and Victoria told her Collins was there. We can’t abandon the school. Our people don’t feel safe when Graven is around and we’re not.”

“We are Graven.”

“Not yet, we’re not.” He shuts the drawer and spins, leaning against it with a frown. “We need them to see while things are changing, we aren’t, and they can still trust us to do what’s right there.”

With a huff, I push off the bed and move for the closet. I glare at the pile of shit I let fall to the floor the first night.

“I’m not wearing any of this garbage.”

The same time I say it, there’s a knock on the door.

I glance at Cap as he rubs a towel over his wet hair. He winks and disappears into the bathroom again, so I move to open the door.

My eyes widen in surprise, then close in relief when Victoria tosses a bag into my chest.

“I don’t have much, but I brought you a couple days’ worth of shit,” she says.

“Fuck yes.” I drag her inside, shutting the door behind her.

She slides her hands in her back pockets, looking around the room. “Fancy.”

I scoff, pouring out the bag and picking up the faded black jeans and long sleeve shirt covered in mini cheeseburgers. “Yeah, check out the freakin’ buffet, breakfast for two they said.” I roll my eyes.

She walks over to the expensive golden trimmed table, running her fingers across it.

I push the boxers down and tug on the pants. I grab one of the ridiculous bras from the drawer, sliding it under my sweater to clasp it.

I toss the shirt over my head, and right as I’m sliding my arms into it, Cap’s voice peeks out the bathroom.

“You changing?”

My eyes happen to hit Victoria’s right as he speaks, and a grape freezes at her lips. She frowns, slowly setting it down.

“I’m done.” I frown right back.

Captain steps out and she shoots up straight.

He nods at her, then moves for the closet for his shoes.

Her eyes bounce around the room, then lock on the bathroom door before the balcony and it hits me.

“No one else is here.”

Her eyes fly to mine. She wants to ask, and she might if Captain wasn’t here. She’ll have to work on that if she wants to make it in this place, and I need her to, so she’ll have to find her voice on her own.

I drop beside Cap on the bed.

“You ready?” he asks.

For day one in our new roles.

“Do we need a plan? I mean are we walking up in there announcing or are we letting them connect the dots.”

“We’ll help ‘em out a bit, but I’m sure Collins will make sure word spreads.” He eyes me a minute. “You good with that?”

I nod.

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t ask me that, Captain. I’m here.” I glare. “I’m sure.”

His eyes snap over my shoulder and hold, so I look and Victoria’s staring at us.

She takes the hint, silently stepping onto the balcony.

I turn back to Captain.

His eyes soften. “I don’t wanna push you. Everything may have changed as far as the next steps, but nothing has changed apart from that yet, if it ever even does. I need you to tell me when it’s too much.”

“I wouldn’t hesitate,” I admit. “So you shouldn’t either if it’s ever not enough. This world is fast-paced and we have to keep up.”

“I agree.” His eyes move to the balcony.

“Why did she seem like she expected Maddoc to walk out of the bathroom?”

“Because I asked Maybell to send her here with clothes for you.” He shrugs. “She had no reason to assume different.”

Right.

He looks to the food. “You didn’t eat.”

“I have no appetite.”

“You need to eat.”