Page 223 of Ruthless Kings of Havoc

I rest my case, but I’m surprised when he moves to face me. Pulling something out of his pocket, he’s playing with the ends of my hair, but I can’t see how close he is.

Lifting my gaze, I lock my gaze with his orange eyes, realizing how they shift in color between orange and gold. There are also tiny hints of green and brown, but they’re harder to see unless you’re up close.

They’re a rare color combination, similar to Zander’s green eyes or Matteo’s red ones. I don’t think they’re contacts, sothey must be the true color given to him as a baby when they acknowledge their royals.

“There,” he finally says, though his eyes briefly linger on my lips. He takes a quick breath and steps back before anything can spark between us. “Much better.”

“Much better?” I repeat, only to acknowledge the dark red bows that complement the ends of my pigtails. “Bows?! How did you get these?”

“I’ve always had them,” he admits. “Carry them with me for good luck.”

Carry them…

“B-But what about now?” I gasp in horror, realizing I’m wearing them.

“Well, you haven’t worn them in what, thirteen years? That should bring me some good luck,” he says with a wink, then pats the top of my head. “Save a cheer for me, and I’ll be pleased.”

“Marcus.” I hold on to his jersey before he can move away, leaving us no choice but to stare at one another. I wish he could see my confusion—my raw desperation—to figure out what this is between us.

How do I know him? Why are we strangers now when he’s been holding bows I used to wear in my hair as a kid for all these years?

“Why…” I struggle to say what needs to be asked. “I can’t remember. Why?”

I can see the hurt in his eyes and how he’s struggling not to reveal the truth.

“If I give you a glimpse, would you hate me?”

“I don’t know,” I confess the truth, which pleases him enough to lean in enough to whisper in my ear.

“Maybe I’d burn for you, myEvergreen.”

There’s something about the word ‘burn’ and Evergreen that sends shivers through me. It makes my head immediately pangwith pain, but I fight the urge to flinch at the onset of the headache.

As if my mind hits a wall that has no intention of shattering.

“I need to go,” he concludes and turns away so I can’t see his face. “Be good and listen to your Kings.”

He walks away before I can manage a reply, leaving me feeling breathless as the banging in my head doesn’t subside.

“Burn for you, my Evergreen,” I repeat the words, groaning at the pounding in my head. Pressing my fingers to my temple, I stand there, hoping it’ll fade away.

“Are you unwell, Miss Prescott?”

I lift my head, surprised to see Hannah standing before me.

“H-Hannah?” I look around, surprised I didn’t notice her until now. “When did you show up?”

“Two minutes and twenty-five seconds ago,” she elaborates to the very detail. “You look like you’re in pain.”

“Ah,” I try to smile, but she’s right. My head is killing me suddenly. “My head is trying to murder me. Talk about bad timing for a migraine.”

She nods and immediately reaches into the black purse she carries, pulling out a red bottle.

“This will tame the headache and heighten the focus on the game,” she assures me. “Feel free to read the ingredients while I purchase a new bottle of Fuji water on your behalf at the stand further down the hall.”

“Y-You don’t have to,” I suggest as I take the red container, but she’s off to do exactly as she insists. How she’s able to maneuver with that blindfold is a mystery to me, but I’m thankful for the water when she returns, and I down it with two pills.

The ingredients are mostly natural and look far better than the typical medication given over the counter.

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