Cruel King (Royal Elite 0)

But that would only be torture for the both of us.

Our fate was decided three years ago on a rainy night by a stray dog. Nothing short of a time travel machine would change the past.

Maybe then, Mum would be alive and married to Dad. Maybe then, Levi’s father would be alive, too.

Maybe there wouldn’t be a feud between Jonathan King and Lord Henry Clifford.

Maybe we would have met under different circumstances.

But there are no maybes in my life. There are no time travel machines either.

Truth is, we were over before we even started.

And that hurts.

“Astrid…” He trails off as if he can’t find the word. “I love you. I’m fucking crazy about you, princess.”

Tears barge into my eyes, but I push them back.

Be strong.

You have to be strong.

“And I love you, Levi,” I murmur the words as if I’m afraid of them.

I’m afraid that now they’re out there, I doome

d myself to a harder fall.

He smiles as his lips capture mine.

It’s impossible to resist him. I can’t.

I’m crashing and burning, but I still enjoy every hit. Every lash. Every burn.

The kiss is filled with so much passion and unspoken words. It’s like he’s begging me to stay with him. To never leave him. And I’m tempted to do just that.

But I can’t.

I place both hands on his chest and push him away, shaking my head.

“No.”

“Why the fuck not?” He ruffles his hair, almost ripping it. “We love each other.”

“That’s never enough. It wasn’t for my parents and it’s certainly not enough now.”

“You said that you wouldn’t leave me no matter what. I told you not to say something you don’t fucking mean, but you still promised. You fucking promised, Astrid.”

I fist a handful of my hood where my heart lies. “It hurts, Levi. Seeing you hurts so much.”

His body freezes as if someone threw ice water on him. That someone is me.

His shoulders droop and he nods before he turns around and leaves.

My knees crumble and I fall down, realising that I’ve succeeded.

I broke us apart for good.