Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Did you need anything?”
“Just my allergies,” I lied. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.”
“Okay. You have my number if you need anything.”
He headed to the sink and washed his hands.
God, he was going to tell Owen what an idiot I’d made of myself.
But what did I care? He was such an asshole.
After all, wasn’t I just some kid who was too fucking weak to handle being a royal?
That’s what he thought.
Fuck him.
I had been so wrong about him.
So fucking wrong.
In all the worst ways.
I grasped at my chest as though I had some imaginary knife in there that I was trying to pull out. The one Owen had plunged right in.
And fuck, I had to get down there and face Serena and Nance, the two people who could read me better than most.
But I knew I could do it. Just like I’d done it that day when my biological father visited.
When I had to act like everything was fine.
I could do that.
I had to.
34
Owen
I wanted to chase after Keeg.
To tell him he was wrong and that we could find a way to make it work, but my legs locked in place.
Seeing him in pain cut like a knife right through me.
I took another sip of my Sprite, thinking about what I’d lost.
What I’d let go.
In times like this, I had to consider what it would feel like to make that decision once again—to find the tool I knew could rescue me and save me for the night. I wouldn’t let myself go there, I knew that well enough, but it was a dark fantasy that came unbidden.
Even worse was knowing that I was going to have to see him again.
Not that I didn’t want to, but knowing I would have to see that beautiful face and bear the painful truth that I was the reason he had gone…
Better now than later.
I heard the balcony door open, and it was terrible how much I wished it was him…that he’d come back to tell me what an idiot I was and that I was all wrong.
Of course, I knew that wasn’t true. For once, I really believed Lucas was right. How could I subject Keegan to that life? How could I do that to anyone when I knew myself what a great struggle it was?
“So,” I heard behind me, recognizing the familiar voice, but no, not him.
Not my Keegan.
I turned to Frederick, who wore a sympathetic smile, as though he could intuit the conversation I’d shared with Keegan moments earlier, not that that was possible.
“Rough night?” he asked.
“Rough past few months.”
He nodded, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Come on. I think we need to have a chat somewhere a little more private.”
A chat sounded good right about then.
Frederick knew me well enough not to push straight away, and he led me downstairs to the bar, where we tucked away into a nearby booth.
“So…that Steve and Casey…they have a thing going on or…”
I knew what he was doing. Trying to change the subject. And I certainly needed to get my mind on something else, not that I really believed that would be possible.
“I’m not too sure about them. Steve’s straight according to Keegan, but the way they look at each other makes me wonder if there might be something more going on there.”
He quieted again, taking a drink.
“How long are you going to sit here and let me avoid what we both know I want to talk about?”
“Until you surrender to my charm and good looks,” he joked, but I couldn’t even enjoy it.
And that only made my pain that much more acute.
“I really fucked this up, Frederick.”
“Yeah…I saw him, O. Crying in the restroom. A part of me feels like I shouldn’t tell you that.”
I eyed him peculiarly.
He said, “There’s a part of me that thinks I should use this as my opportunity.”
“Your opportunity?”
“Prince Owen might be as blind as he is conceited.” His smirk curled into his dimple. “You really think all these years I’ve stood by your side for the teasing and errands? The orgies have been great, but you didn’t pick up on the fact that it was you I was looking at more often than not?”
My mouth fell open as this news surprised me about as much as it could have.
“But I annoy the fuck out of you,” was all I could think to say.
“Yes, you do. You’re arrogant, selfish, a prick at times, and…unfortunately, despite what you would have everyone believe, a good guy.”
He sounded complimentary, but the expression on his face didn’t suggest he was trying to boost my ego. He appeared…sad. “I would love to take advantage of this opportunity. Get you while you’re down. Let you have your way with this ass the way I’ve been craving for so long. Instead, I’m gonna do something even worse…for me, that is—confess that you have a greedy friend who considered doing just that tonight.”