Page 125 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

“Oh, my God.” I declare, mortified, my face flaming to the color of my hair. If only he knew how late he is to this particular subject.

Phoenix straightens, his jaw setting. “You don’t have to let me stay here, but you won’t keep Six from me.” He says, his hand snaking to wrap around my waist possessively as he pulls me against him.

“Careful,” My dad warns, his voice vibrating with anger.

“Likewise.” He says, simply. “If you try to keep her from me, then I’ll use the tree and break in through her window like I used to.”

My mum puts her hand on my dad’s chest, stopping him from taking a step forward. “Enough,mon amour. Remember when someone tried to keep me from you?” She asks him, batting her eyelashes at him prettily.

He growls dangerously in response, his hand tightening around her and his jaw slamming shut so violently I can hear it.

He throws one last leveling look at Phoenix.

“You’ve certainly changed your tune about Six since the last time we saw you.” He notes, before kissing my mum.

She turns back towards us, having successfully distracted my dad.

“Of course you’re welcome here, Phoenix. You’ll stay in a separate room, obviously,” she adds, throwing me a look, “but you can stay as long as you want.”

My dad grunts and announces he’s going to get changed for dinner. As he walks out, I hear him call his ex-bodyguard and longtime friend and business partner, Rome.

“Find me a gardener’s number. I need someone to cut a tree behind my house down right now. What? Yes, I’m aware that it’s the day after Christmas, I don’t give a fuck. Find me someone.”

He walks out and my mum shakes her head with a laugh. “He was always going to have a hard time watching you grow and letting you go,ma chérie.” To Phoenix, she says, “I’d recommend not pushing him.”

There’s a glint of edge in her eyes and I recognize that even though she defended us, she’s as protective of my dad as he is of her.

***

Upstairs, I show Phoenix to a room that’s sufficiently removed from mine that my parents will be happy with my choice, but close enough that he won’t have to walk half a mile when he sneaks into my room later tonight.

“Careful with my dad, you know. He doesn’t play around.” I say, warning him.

He turns towards me and crosses his arms. “Neither do I when it comes to you.”

“What about a week from now, when you’re back to hating me?”

He gets an unreadable look on his face, his eyes unfocused. “Trust me, it’ll be a lot easier if I’m able to go back to hating you,” he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear. His words sound conflicted and pensive.

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. I’m going to shower, I’ll come to you when I’m done.” He says, shutting down the conversation and throwing his walls back up.

“Fine,” I reply, disappointed.

I turn on my heels and walk out, but his voice stops me at the door. I look over my shoulder at him.

“Sixtine Sinclair has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

My pulse stutters, skipping a beat. I nod, swallowing thickly around the ball in my throat.

He walks into the en suite bathroom and I go to my room with my head and heart in absolute shambles.

Setting eyes on the ring box still on my desk where I left it this morning, I grab it and bring it into the bathroom with me.

After today, I feel like wearing it.

I shower and put on a pretty red dress. I darken my eyes, highlighting them with eyeliner, leave my lips bare, and blow out my hair.

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