Page 98 of Tormented Kings

His cheeks are red, a nervous look on his handsome face.

“What is this?” I ask, blinking back the tears as he hands them to me. It’s big. There has to be at least a hundred of them. I smile as I smell them.

“For my girl,” he replies a little shyly.

My eyes snap up to his before looking around. “Your girl?” I lean in and whisper. “Declan, what are you doing? Everyone is going to start talking.” Not that I care what anyone else thinks, I just don’t want this to become an issue with his and Mia’s family.

He gives me a blinding smile. “Let them talk,” he chuckles. “I ended mine and Mia’s engagement. I’m free, Sadie. We’re free to see each other without any worries.”

My eyes widen as my heart pounds in my chest. “What about the others?”

He leans in, not allowing anyone to hear his response. “I already talked to them. They agreed to let us be public. You don’t deserve to be anyone's secret or to be hidden away, Sadie. I love you, and I want the world to know it. I don’t want to hide you but have you at my side instead.”

“Declan...” my voice cracks as tears fill my eyes. Is this for real? After stressing so much and being down about the fact I can’t be with the guys in the way I want to, I get to be with Declan in the open. Finally? He makes the most sense. With Grayson being my stepbrother and Collin being a TA and guidance counselor, it makes sense for them to stay out of the spotlight. Not to mention the fact I don’t think this school will handle the scandal of a poly relationship.

He leans back and says the next part a little louder. “I also quit the Host Club,” he continues, making the girls gasp. “I don’t want to spend time with any other woman but you.”

“Really?” I grin. I hated the fact that the guys kept seeing clients, even though I trusted them not to cross the boundary lines. But I sucked it up because I didn’t want to tell them how to live their lives or make them quit something they were genuinely happy to be a part of. Plus, it was a legacy thing.

“You're the only girl I want.” I blush harder. “So, I sit here with these roses, offering them alongside my heart, to ask you, Sadie Evans, if you would do me the greatest honor and be my girlfriend?”

“Yes,” I shriek immediately, grinning like a fool. I place the flowers on the table, stand up, and step between his legs. He looks up at me with those stunning eyes that I can’t help but get lost in. He grabs my hips with shaky hands as I cup his face with one of mine. I run my fingers through his hair with my other, getting it out of his eyes as I smile down at him softly, trying really hard not to cry. “I’d love nothing more than to be your girlfriend, Declan,” I answer softly before leaning down to kiss his lips. I love the way he shivers under my touch, his grip on my hips tightening.

The room breaks out in murmurs. No one cheers like they do in romance movies. Maybe in a regular school with regular people, but not here. Declan is one of the most powerful men in this school. They all knew he was set to marry Mia. So him asking me to be his girlfriend is not something they expected. Soon, the news of their broken engagement will spread.

People will accuse me of being the reason. But I don’t care. I know the truth, as does Mia. That's all that matters.

Breaking the kiss, we’re both breathless, matching pink spots on our cheeks. “I love you,” I whisper against his lips. I want to say it louder, but that would just add fuel to the fire.

“Love isn’t a strong enough word for how I feel for you, Sweetheart,” he whispers right back, causing my heart to explode.

“The two of you are so damn sweet, I’m getting a toothache,” Mia comments with giddy excitement.

Declan pulls me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I’m so damn happy I’m trying really hard not to cry.

No one understands how much this means to me. I’ve never been in love, not truly, not until I got to know my guys.

Not being able to be with them like I wanted to, felt wrong. It made me sad and had me staying up all hours of the night, thinking of all the worst case scenarios.

The last time I sat on a guy’s lap, with their arms around me like this, I felt smothered, trapped. Whenever Raymond and I acted like a couple, it felt forced and wrong. Like one big act. Because he always loved to put on a show for people.

But doing the same thing with Declan, having his arms around me, doesn’t fill me with that old urge to run or to flee. I snuggle deeper into his hold, wishing we could stay like this forever.

I feel loved, wanted, and protected. Something I’ve never felt before. Not until them.

Declan chuckles, placing his chin against my shoulder as he hugs me tighter.

“You’re really okay with this?” I ask Mia, trying hard not to look around the room filled with people I know are gossiping about this, spreading the word around to anyone who isn’t here to witness it for themselves.

“Fuck yeah,” Mia laughs. “It’s about damn time he dumped my ass. Dude has been head over heels for you for years. I think it’s only fair we put him out of his misery.” She winks.

“Gee, thanks.” Delan chuckles.

“I don’t want to be tied down to no man.” Mia gets up. “You hear that bitches!” she shouts, and my eyes widen in horror. “I will never be Mrs. Harris! Why? Because I’m gay as fuck! No dick for me, give me all the pussy, baby!”

“Would you sit the fuck down!” Alice hisses, grabbing Mia’s arm and yanking her down. Mia is laughing, pure joy on her face.

“Sorry,” she sighs. “It’s just so freeing, you know? To be able to be myself. It’s not like this school didn’t already know I was into women. I’ve fucked a few of them.”

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