Page 41 of Reckless Royalty

Konstantin catches my gaze again, a silent question in his eyes. I nod, signaling that he should play along. Marina may beimpulsive, but she’s no fool. He’ll have to work hard if he wants to secure anything more than a passing flirtation.

But right now, none of that matters.

What matters is the bitter knot in my gut, the one I’m starting to recognize for what it is.

Jealousy.

I’m not supposed to care about her like this. But then I see her laughing with Connor, her eyes bright for the first time since she got here, and I can’t help it.

I want to be the one making her smile like that.

I want to be the one she trusts.

But I can’t. I can’t let myself get that close, not when I’m already in too deep.

Still, that doesn’t stop the ache in my chest as I watch them together, even though I know Connor isn’t interested in her.

Before I even realize what I’m doing, my feet are moving, taking me straight toward her. Connor sees me first, of course, raising an eyebrow when he catches me walking over. There’s a glint in his eye that tells me he knows exactly what’s going through my head. I’m sure he’ll tease me about it later.

Bastard.

“Mihai,” Connor says, his tone light as I get closer, “fancy seeing you here.”

I don’t bother with him, my eyes locked on Maddy. She’s still holding that notepad, her fingers gripping it a little tighter as I approach. Her smile falters for a second, replaced by uncertainty, and I feel a knot of awkwardness tighten in my chest.

“Alone time?” Connor says in Russian and I want to seriously punch him.

“Fuck off,” I mutter under my breath, but there’s no heat behind it.

Connor just grins and winks at Maddy before walking off, leaving us standing there. Alone.

Shit. It’s awkward. Way more awkward than I’d planned. Maddy shifts on her feet, glancing down at the notepad in her hands, like she’s unsure what to do with it now that Connor’s gone.

Where the fuck is that Crown confidence now?

Fuck, Connor. The guy knows how to set up a scene, grinning and winking like he’s some matchmaker, leaving me here to stumble through whatever this is. Maddy’s glancing down at her notepad, probably wishing for any excuse to bolt.

And I get it—I’m the one who went ghost after that day by the creek, leaving her to wonder. I almost curse myself for it, but I can’t get into that now.

I clear my throat, trying to find some sort of footing. “So… you enjoying the bonfire?”

She nods, glancing up briefly before looking away again, her expression uncertain. She seemed so much more comfortable just now with Connor, actually smiling, and now here she is, tense and guarded. All because of me.

I take a deep breath, deciding to just dive in. “Look, Maddy, I know I’ve been… not around as much.”

She looks up at me, and there’s a flicker of determination in her eyes as she raises the notepad. Her pen moves quickly, and she turns it around to show me.

Why have you been avoiding me?

It’s direct, no frills, no sidestepping. Just the truth, right there on the page, hitting me harder than I’d expected.

I shift, running a hand over the back of my neck, stalling a little as I try to pull together an answer that doesn’t sound like I’ve been running.

“I, uh… had to deal with some things for my father. It wasn’t about you, Maddy.”

Fuck, I hate lying.

She watches me, her expression skeptical, and I know she’s not buying it. Not entirely, anyway. There’s more I could say—should say—but I’m not sure how to put it into words that don’t sound weak or give too much away. So, I let the silence settle again, hoping she’ll let it drop.

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