Page 40 of Royally Rivalled

Fists flew aswe raced towards the scuffle in the lobby bar. I didn’t know these students, but knew we must break it up quickly so as not to overstay our welcome. I didn’t have time to think about Parker’s words or how he’dagainwounded me. He hadn’t even meant it. As he said, he tended to come off as critical. And itwasridiculous I was still a virgin. I would ignore it. He didn’t know my dirty little secret.

I rushed up, but Parker pushed me back, bellowing loudly, “Mark! Whatever he said?—”

“He's a fucking cunt!”

A short student wearing a black shirt held a taller student by the collar. The bigger kid looked petrified and had already been beaten around the face by the looks of it.

“Well, maybe we could choose betterwords?” Parker asked as a mother might to a tantrum-throwing toddler.

It was funny but also comforting. They had a rapport.

“He shagged Sadie!” Another boy called out.

“Let's let Paul go.” Parker slowly uncurled Mark's hand from Paul's shirt.

“She was my girlfriend!” Mark shouted.

Paul groaned, touching his face. One of his mates came to tote their friend off.

“Make sure you get him cleaned up and get him some ice!“ I called.

Parker touched Mark's shoulders, towering over him, “Mate, it may seem worth it now, but trust me. If she's cheated already, you’re better off.”

A girl nearby said, “She never appreciated him anyway.”

“No one who appreciated him would bother to run off with someone else. You're right.” Parker's voice remained calm.

Parker's paternal tone soothed the boy and elicited a hug from our charge. Parker winced, standing still as a tree with his hands awkwardly hanging at his sides. The man wasnota hugger.

He patted Mark on the back very gingerly. “Let's get you back to your room, alright?”

I followed the boys up and helped settle Mark. The kid was now crying in the lift—heart shattered! Parker grew visibly more uncomfortable. I could tell someone needed to chime in, so I did.

“Look, I saw a guy for a while and he... he was never honest with me, mate. I only regret not cutting him loose sooner.”

Mark sniffled. “Do you realise how hard it is to find a girl who knows so much about antique watches?”

I watched the floors tick by as we headed up to floor 12.

I said, “I can imagine... difficult.”

“Impossible. She was one in a million, mate!”

I tried not to laugh at his sob story, which seemed so petty in the grand scheme of things.

The door chimed, and we stepped out, walking Mark back to his room. Once we knew he was safely inside, Parker and I took deep breaths. The hallway’s silence was soon overridden by Mark’s loud, sad sobs from behind the door.

“Rough,” I whispered as we approached the lift.

“Yeah. Thank God it diffused,” Parker said.

I hit the button.

“I should go back to my room. So if there is more trouble, they can find me. You're in...”

We stepped on the lift.

“745,” I answered.

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