Page 34 of Beauty Sleep

He’s standing at my front door, illuminated by the beam of light that spills out into the evening. And he’s even wearing that same fucking red and black feathered mask.

“You?” Robby exclaims. “What the hell?”

Prince stops in his tracks, clearly taken by surprise. Behind the mask, his eyes dart between all my roommates… and then they land on me.

I recognize those stormy gray eyes now—the slope of his shoulders, the smell of his cologne, all of it.

His eyes soften as soon as he sees me, but my jaw is just growing tighter and tighter.

Prince looks down at the flyer in my hand. His lips slowly part, his shoulders go stiff, and he looks back up at me like a cornered animal.

“Tell me I’m fucking wrong,” I breathe out.

Was it a prince or a wicked fairy sneaking through my window, whispering sweet promises in the dark?

I don’t even know if there’s a difference anymore.

“DJ Prince,” Jeff murmurs as my roommates start to put together the pieces. “You’re that guy from the bar? And the coffee shop?”

With one shaking hand, Prince pushes the mask up and off to sit on top of his head. “I am,” he says, talking to them but looking at me.

“Jesus Christ.” My whole body seems to collapse as I sag against the door frame. “Fuck. Fuck, fuck,fuck.”

The sweet-tongued prince who came for me in the darkisthe prickly Daddy who came for me in the light.

At least I know why I liked them both so much. Because I was falling for the same man all along… and he knew it.

He just didn’t want me to know.

“Fuck,” I breathe out, and Prince still says nothing, just watches me with that guilty look.

My heart twists so sharply that I think it might have just snapped in two. My hand flies up to my chest like I’m suddenly trying to keep all the pieces of my heart in place.

As Robby draws himself up to his full height, he turns up the volume on his voice. “What the fuck are you doing in ourhouse? Are you stalking him?! I swear?—”

“I-I can explain,” Prince murmurs, holding up a hand. “But you might want to hear it from him first.”

Suddenly everyone turns, staring atmefor some explanation, when it was Prince who knew what the fuck he was doing all along.

Prince stares pleadingly at me, but I shake my head slowly.

“N-No,” I breathe out, my throat seizing up.

I don’t even know what I’m saying no to.

No, this can’t be true? No, I don’t want to give you another chance? No, I’m not going to explain why you had the lockbox code for our house?

Or… all of the above?

It hurts like hell to see the look on his face—a look that tells me he knew damn well that he wasn’t acting like the hero of my story. Despite all his pretty words,hewas the one keeping me in the dark.

Robby huffs, glaring and bristling at Prince like a wild boar prepared to charge. “Briar?” he asks.

Fuck. Now he knows my name. But I guess it’s too late anyway.

My eyes are still locked on Prince. The world is going blurry with tears, but I still can’t miss the movement of his soft lips forming the shape of my name… mouthing it like a prayer.

I don’t want to hear him say it out loud. It would hurt too much.

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