Page 55 of Take My Crown

I think about it for a moment. “Oh, what the heck. Sure.”

The pub Romy takes me to is as nice as he says. More like a country cottage than a pub, there is a little garden with views overlooking a river. Romy gets us both a pint and we go outside to sit at one of the tables.

“I mean it when I say I am sorry you didn’t win,” he tells me. “While I can’t say it won’t sting to be beaten so badly by a girl, a win’s a win. Archer should have stood up for you.”

“Yeah, he should have.” I take a large swig of my beer, which takes the edge off my disappointment.

“Clearly there’s something going on between the two of you. Want to talk about it?”

“There’s not an awful lot to talk about, at least not anymore,” I sigh. “I thought we had something. Turns out I was wrong. Family politics matter more than feelings.”

“Welcome to King Town,” Romy sourly chuckles. “It’s a fucked up town filled with fucked up families. All you can do is grab what happiness you can when it comes your way and let everything else pass you by.”

“Is that why you’re such a terrible flirt? You’re trying to escape reality?”

“I’ll have you know I’m anexcellentflirt,” Romy smiles at me. “But seriously, you’ve got a point. It’s not so much that I’m trying to escape reality as it is trying to pretend I can have a normal life and still be the heir to one of the Houses. I know you’ve got it hard being the sole female heir, but it’s just as tough being male, albeit in a different way. I can have as many girlfriends as I like, but when it comes to settling down, any woman I’m withhasto be approved by my family. When I marry, it’ll be for business, not for love.”

“So don’t marry then,” I shrug. “I know I’m not intending to get hitched. Ever.”

“You may well find you don’t have much of a choice in the matter,” Romy warns.

“My dad can’t tell me what to do.” The moment I say it, I realise how hollow my words are. Of course he can, and the chances are high he is going to want to approve my partner, if not choose them outright. And if dad wants his little girl to get married, get married she must.

“Oh Ivy. You’re such a wonderful combination of naive and worldliness.” Romy reaches up to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m so drawn to you. You intrigue me like no one else ever has. And you are most definitely someone my father would approve of.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” I murmur as Romy leaned in to kiss me.

This time, his kiss is full of tender promise without demand. It isn’t the prelude to sex his other passes had been; this is someone telling me he cares and letting his body do the talking.

I moan in disappointment as he pulls away.

“You deserve better than… this, Ivy.” Romy gestures to himself and the town all around. “I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that story about you having been at boarding school all this time.”

I open my mouth to lie and tell him how wrong he is, but he puts a finger up to shush me.

“I don’t care where you really are from,” he says. “But I sure as hell know it isn’t anywhere the Houses have an influence. It’s why you have no idea how to navigate everything going on around you. I watch you and I want nothing more than to protect you. You bring out that side of me that wants to keep you safe from all the threats an heir has to deal with. I really, really like you, Ivy. More than any girl I’ve ever been with. I saw your face when Archer hooked up with Carly and I need you to know I would never treat you like that. You’re special and you deserve the world. I know the time isn’t right for us right now, but when you’re ready, I want you to let me take you out. I think we’d have a lot of fun together and I would really love to get to know you better, the real you–and for you to get to know me. Think about it.”

I don’t need to.

“I would like that too.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ivy Archaic

Going back to school on Monday is the worst. I’ve gone from having a boyfriend and a best friend and building a social network back to total zero. Being forced to do subjects I hate doesn’t exactly help. Even though I have music first thing, I can’t even get excited about it since Declan is off school with his broken leg.

So when I walk into the music room to see him sitting in his usual place, I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. He might be a cheating arsehole, but he is one of the few allies I have left at the Academy. I don’t feel quite so alone now.

“Hey, stranger,” he grins as I take my seat next to him. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Fancy seeingyouhere, more like. What happened? Did you bribe the doctor to set you free?”

“Something like that,” came his enigmatic reply. “Did I miss anything exciting while I was away?”

I think about breaking up with Archer, and of Romy asking me out.

“Nope.” I shake my head.

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