7. River

River

I ’m wandering around mine and Finn’s dorm, searching for my wallet. The place is a mess, mainly because Finn is a slob. We’ve always had a housekeeper until we came here, and I think he’s struggling with the concept of that, though he keeps insisting he’ll clean up.

He’s currently sitting at the table, eating a bagel and drinking a protein shake. He has his feet kicked up on the table, and he’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt that stinks because he hasn’t cleaned up since he got back from practice.

“You smell,” I inform him as I rummage through a stack of papers and other crap piled on an end table.

“So? You’re the only one here, and I’m not trying to impress you.” He stuffs the bagel into his mouth, a trail of crumbs falling on his shirt. “What’re you even looking for?”

“My wallet and keys.” I pat the pockets of my pants, even though I’ve done that like a million times. “Have you seen them?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. Sorry.”

I internally grimace. “When are you going to clean up?”

“When are you going to clean up?” he quips, lowering his feet to the floor.

“I clean up after myself.” I swing my arm toward the sofa where the athletic bag, three pairs of socks, and a shirt are tossed about. “You’re the one who keeps leaving your shit everywhere.” I wander over to the kitchen to check the counter area.

His gaze tracks me. “You’re nervous about something.”

I open a drawer. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” he insists while resting his arms on the back of the hair. “We’re twins, bro, so I know these things.”

“Well, your twin telepathy isn’t working because I’m not nervous.” I am, and I don’t even know why.

Okay, that’s not true, but the reason makes me feel like a dumbass.

Maddy and I have hung out a ton of times, and tonight isn’t any different. Sure, we’re not training, like we usually are, but we’re just hanging out as friends. And yet, my heart rate is up a bit.

“It’s not broken.” He assessed me. “Where are you going?”

“Out.” I’m vague on purpose.

“Out where?” he asks as I shut the drawer.

“Nowhere if I can’t find my wallet and keys.” I leave the kitchen and head to my bedroom, my anxiety increasing. If I don’t calm the hell down, I’ll reach a point where my brain will be a mess, and then I’ll never find my keys.

Finn trails after me with his protein smoothie in hand. “Out where?”

“Just somewhere.” I stand in the middle of my room, taking a few breaths to try to calm down.

Chill out, River. This isn’t a date.

I’ve never even been out on a date. My parents and Isla’s tried to force us to go on one when we were fifteen, but Finn came with us because he knew I didn’t want to go. Isla wasn’t into it, either. Part of me is relieved she doesn’t want to marry me. It gives me a drop of hope that perhaps, one day, we can figure out a solution to the problem. But that hope gets dimmer the older I get and the closer we get to the day we’ll be married.

“If you tell me, I’ll help you look for your wallet and keys,” Finn says from the doorway of my bedroom. He takes a sip of his protein shake, the corner of his lips quirking.

It’s not that I don’t want to tell him what I’m doing tonight, but he’ll make a bigger deal out of it than he should. When I check the time on my watch, though, I realize I should be heading to Maddy’s dorm already.

“Fine,” I cave, raking my fingers through my hair. “Maddy and I are hanging out tonight.”

“What?” Some of his amusement fizzles.

I’ve had a bit of suspicion that he might like Maddy, but Finn won’t ever act on it. He doesn’t date, only hooks-up, something he started doing when he was fifteen.

“Just as friends,” I feel the need to explain. “I think it’s time I told her what we learned about that necklace and maybe give her a heads-up about the society. By the way, do you have any more info about that?”

He momentarily stands there like he can’t quite figure out what I said. Then he snaps out of it. “Not really. I haven’t had much time to look into the necklace thing. And the society meeting is tonight, so I might have more information later.” He rotates the cup he’s holding between both his hands. “Where are you guys going?”

This conversation deepens my assumption about him liking her.

“To a taco truck, and then the lake.” I glance at my watch again then pat my pockets idiotically for the tenth time. “If I can ever find my wallet and keys.”

Finn scratches his wrist. “Check the sofa cushions. I was sitting on the sofa earlier, and they more than likely fell into the cracks.”

“Thanks.” I rush past him and check the cushions. Sure enough, there they are, wedged in the crack right beside the remote and an unopened granola bar. Shaking my head, I toss the remote and granola bar onto the coffee table then stuff my keys and wallet into my pocket before heading to the front door.

“Have fun!” Finn calls out as I’m opening the door. “And make sure to wrap it?—”

I close the door before he can finish that sentence. However, a guy walking by at that precise moment chokes on a laugh.

I sigh, heading toward Maddy’s dorm room, my anxiety picking up the closer I get. The corridors are surprisingly empty for it only being six o’clock. It’s about dinnertime, so many of the students are probably in the dining room.

As I’m nearing Maddy’s dorm, my phone rings. I assume it’s her, so I fish it out with this weird fluttery feeling inside my chest. But when I note the caller’s name on the screen, my mood takes a nosedive.

It’s my father. I have no clue why he’s calling, but I’m not about to take a call from him right before going out with Maddy. He’ll put me in a bad mood, and Maddy doesn’t need to deal with grumpy River, as she so nicely nicknamed me.

I silence the call and am not surprised when the phone vibrates and announces he left a voicemail. I ignore it as I stop in front of Maddy’s dorm room. I knock then hold my breath, waiting for her to answer. The door swings open and?—

“Hey, big bro.” Lily is the one to answer. She’s grinning as she crosses her arms. “What’re you doing here?”

I grow fidgety. “Why do I get the feeling you already know the answer?”

“Because I do.” Her grin widens. “How does it feel to be going on your very first date?”

“It’s not a date,” I say flatly.

“So you and Maddy keep saying, but then I found out you’re going up to the lake, and we all know why people go up there.” Her grin is beyond annoying.

“Is Maddy here?” I ask, glancing behind her and noting the empty living room.

“Yes, she is!” Maddy calls out. “She’s coming! She just can’t find her wallet.”

I press back a smile at the fact that I was struggling with the same issue minutes ago. “Have you checked the couch cushions?”

“Good idea.” Her voice floats across the room.

And then I see her.

She walks hastily into the living room, making a beeline for the sofa. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of her long legs in those tights she wore the first day I saw her at the academy. Although it wasn’t the first time I saw her. That was while we were in jail.

I still haven’t told her that I paid her bail bond. I worry if I do, she’ll try to pay me back, and I don’t want her to.

On top of wearing those tights, she has on a short dress, along with a leather jacket and boots. She’s so gorgeous in a way I’m not used to—all wild and beautiful, in an effortless way. I try not to stare at her ass as she leans over to stick her hand down the crack of the cushion, but I fail.

Lily notices and lifts her brows at me.

Thankfully, before she can comment, Maddy announces, “Here it is.” She removes her hand from the cushion and holds the wallet up as she spins toward me.

As I get a full view of her, I damn near lose my breath again. Her hair is down in untamed waves, her beautiful big eyes are lined with eyeliner, and her lips are shiny with gloss. She has a splatter of freckles on her nose that are so adorable, and her smile is the most amazing thing I’ve seen, so real and genuine.

“How’d you know it was going to be in there?” she asks as she approaches me.

“Because I couldn’t find mine tonight, and that’s where it ended up being.” I stuff my hands into my pockets, unable to take my eyes off her.

She grabs a mini backpack as she passes by an end table. She unzips it, drops the wallet in, then slips it on before walking up to me.

Lily is still standing in the way, but she inches to the side. “You two kids have fun,” she calls out as she backs away.

I want to press my fingers to the brim of my nose. Why are my siblings so annoying?

“You look stressed out,” Maddy remarks as she exits her dorm and closes the door behind her.

“My brother and sister are driving me crazy,” I explain as we start down the hallway.

“I don’t have any siblings, so I can’t relate.” She adjusts the handles of her bag. “However, my parents are annoying, so there’s that.”

Maddy has mentioned her parents a few times, and I also overheard her talking to her mother when she was in jail. She hasn’t given many specifics, though.

“You want to talk about it?” I offer, watching as a lock of hair falls into her eyes.

I have this strange compulsion to reach over and tuck it behind her ear, just like I did right before I kissed her the other day. It was a brief kiss but long enough that I still remember how soft her lips felt. Part of me wishes I hadn’t done it because it only makes me crave her more. But I can’t act on it, so I’ve been pretending it never happened. And Maddy seems to be on board with that.

“Do you like your parents?” she wonders as we turn into another hallway, our footsteps echoing against the domed ceiling and thick brick walls.

“I like my mom. To be honest, I’m not a fan of my father. He’s a cheating asshole, as you already know. Plus, he’s the main factor behind me being betrothed.”

Maddy falls silent for a second, and I worry I’ve freaked her out. Why the hell did I have to bring that up? Being betrothed in the royal world isn’t uncommon, but I highly doubt it’s that way on northside.

Then she says, “Do you still talk to her? Isla, I mean.”

With my lips pressed together, I nod. “We used to talk.” I pause as we reach the exit doors and hold one open for her. “We were friends when we were younger, but that got ruined when we realized the massive responsibility being put on us. I think when our parents first started talking about the arrangement, it didn’t register because we were so little. But the older we got, the more reality set in, ruining our friendship because neither of us saw each other like that.”

“Yeah, Finn told me that you all used to be friends.” Maddy steps outside, and I follow, letting the door fall shut behind us. The crisp night air is laced with darkness, and the sky is covered with sparkling stars and moonlight.

As her words register, I slow down. “Wait … Finn talked to you about this?”

“Yeah, we ate lunch together today, and he mentioned it.” Maddy’s hair dances in the light breeze as she glances at me, the exterior lights on the academy building reflecting in her eyes.

I’m uncertain how to process what she said, that she had lunch with Finn and that they talked about Isla and me. I’m not mad, just perplexed as to why they were hanging out and talking about me at all.

“What’re you going to do about it?” she asks, breaking the silence between us.

My brows crease. “What do you mean?”

We start down the stairs that lead to the parking lot.

“I mean, how do you just marry someone you’re not in love with and spend your entire life married to them?” She wraps her arms around herself. “I get that life can get miserable at times—trust me, I so can relate to that part—but it’s always been the possibility of getting a future that I want—a better one—that’s kept me going forward.” She glances at me, and I have no clue what my expression looks like, but it causes panic to flash across hers. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. That was really insensitive.”

We’ve stopped in the middle of the stairway, facing each other on the same step with a group of people loitering at the bottom, making some noise. But it feels like we’re the only two people here, because she’s saying the truth, and it’s been a long time since someone has done that with so much innocent honesty.

“You’re fine,” I assure her. “Honestly, it’s kind of refreshing.”

“That I just waved your demising future in your face?” she questions warily.

“You didn’t wave it in my face. You just told the truth how you saw it.” I shift my weight. “Usually, people tiptoe around it or talk about it when they don’t get it. There’s so many people in the royal world who have things handed to them. Yet I just feel like you get it, like you understand what it’s like to be facing a future you don’t want.”

“I do—trust me. Even before I came here, I wasn’t completely thrilled by where I was heading. But it was a plan. Still, it was connected to northside, which is connected to my parents. And I don’t want to be connected to them anymore, because if I let them into my life, they’ll ruin my future.” She pauses. “I feel like yours might be the same way, just in a different way, if that makes any sense.”

“It makes complete sense.” We start down the stairs again. “I don’t blame my mother. My father is a dominant man and bulldozes over her all the time, even after the divorce.”

She trails her fingers along the railing as she takes each step. “You know, I’ve never understood how men like that even get women?”

“Because they’re powerful, rich, and are used to getting what they want.”

“But why do women fall for that?”

“Don’t ask me. I’ve never understood what women see in my father. He’s a total condescending ass.”

“What about your mom?” she asks as we reach the bottom of the stairs.

I get a full view of the group of people, and tension rolls through my body. Some of them are society members, including Eli, a total asshole. I’m fairly positive he’s caused some drama for Lily, but she refuses to tell me the details. If I ever find out what he did to her is terrible, he’ll get his ass kicked.

“What about her?” I’m distracted now by Eli and the reminder of the society and also what I’ll be telling Maddy tonight.

“What’s she like?”

“Um …”

“River?” Maddy waves a hand in front of my face, causing me to jolt.

When I blink at her, she’s staring at me with a quizzical line between her brows. I’ve stopped walking and am not even aware of it. Plus, my attention is glued on Eli.

“Why are you staring at him?” she asks, hitching her thumb over her shoulder at where Eli is.

He’s watching us now, and the trace of a smile on his lips makes annoyance prickle through my veins.

“It’s nothing.” I start walking again, keeping my eyes trained ahead.

Maddy follows and sinks into silence, the sound of our shoes scuffing against the asphalt filling up the awkward tension. I’m not even sure why things got so awkward. I could just let it remain that way—I’m good at that—but Maddy is different.

“I’m sorry,” I finally say while glancing at her.

“For what?” she replies in an emotionless tone.

“For being vague and weird.” I slip my hand into my pocket to dig my keys out. “I’m not used to hanging out with people that much, and when I do, Finn says I have issues with being a douchebag.”

“You weren’t being a douchebag. I just feel like you’re keeping a secret from me. I could be being paranoid—I’m naturally wary —but …” She wavers. “Lily told me that Eli is a bad guy.”

“He is.” I push a button on the key fob, and the lights of my car flash twice. “Lily’s never told anyone what happened between them, but I have theories, and if I ever get confirmation that those theories are correct, the guy’s going to get his ass beat.”

“Finn was hanging out with him that day I saw him disappear while he was in the library. Like straight-up vanished.” She stuffs her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

I press her with a look. “Not out here, okay?” I whisper.

Since I’m telling her the truth tonight, I might as well tell her that. It’s risky, but I trust Maddy enough that I doubt she’ll tell anyone.

I’m rewarded with a small smile. Then she strolls over to the passenger side of my car, eyeing it.

“You guys and your cars.” She bites on her bottom lip as I move up beside her. “It feels almost wrong that I’m getting in it.”

I pause. “What? Why?”

“Because it’s fancy, and I’m a grungy north-sider.” She shrugs, like what she said was no big deal.

It is.

“You’re not grungy. You’re beautiful.” The words slip out of my mouth on their own. I quickly clear my throat then reach for the door handle.

I expect a smartass remark from her, yet she strangely falls into silence. The squirm of her body lets me know she’s uncomfortable. Part of me wants to retract the statement, but it’s true. Maddy is so damn gorgeous it’s insane.

As I open the door for her, she moves out of the way, but our arms brush and warmth spreads through me in the weirdest fucking way. I find myself leaning closer and smelling her hair like a damn psycho.

She smells fucking wonderful, like sugar and vanilla.

When she tilts her head to look at me, I’m so close we nearly end up kissing.

She doesn’t immediately move back, making me question what the hell is going on in her head. Then she steps back and looks puzzled, her head angled to the side.

“You okay?” she asks worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I was just smelling your hair. That’s all.

I’m unsure if she can tell what I was doing, but either way, she lets it go.

“So, gothic prince is a gentleman, huh?” she teases as she steps toward the open door.

“It’s a royal thing. Good manners are force-fed to us from the day we’re born.” I grip the top of the door, preparing to close it.

She smiles cheekily at me as she ducks her head and slides into the leather seat. “With a silver spoon, I’m guessing.”

I decide to play along with her, testing the waters of humor for a bit. “It was made of gold.”

She lets out this laugh that makes me smile.

“So, gothic prince can joke, too,” she teases as she swings her legs into the car.

“He can on occasion.”

“And apparently talk about himself in the third person.”

I shake my head but smile. Damn, this girl has made me smile more than anyone has in my entire life.

I shut the door and round the car, throwing a glance back at Eli. I expect him to be gone or engulfed in the conversation he’s having with his friends, but he’s staring right at us.

Worry stirs inside me that he is somehow aware I’m about to tell Maddy about the society targeting her. But how could he? The only person who knows about that besides me is Finn. And he wouldn’t tell him.

At least I want to believe he wouldn’t. Finn can make poor choices sometimes, though.

No, I have to believe he wouldn’t, because if the society found out I was going to tell Maddy, that’d be bad.

Really fucking bad.