Page 19 of Broken King

Kate

Jessie wavesher hand in the air to get my attention, so I walk down the sidewalk to where she’s sitting outside on this beautiful June day. After spending nearly six months together touring Europe, I was worried we might never want to speak to one another again, but thankfully, our trip only made our friendship stronger.

“I ordered you a diet Coke. Why do you look like you just lost your favorite purse? What’s wrong?” she asks as she removes her bag from my chair so I can sit.

“Nothing. Well, nothing I want to talk about. What’s new?” I ask and then burst into laughter. “That was stupid. I just spent half a year with you, and I’ve only been away from you for like twenty-four hours.”

She smiles, making her slightly round face grow wider. “Just something we always say. But seriously, what’s wrong? Did your parents not like the gift you bought them from our trip?”

I wave away that idea and pick up the menu from my plate. “No, they loved the dish from Spain, just like I knew they would. It’s something else. Ronan.”

Jessie’s eyes get wide. “The Ronan, as in your first love and the only guy you’ve ever wanted to be with in your entire life? That Ronan?”

Clearly, I’ve talked about him more than I thought.

“Yeah, I guess. Ronan King. My first boyfriend. He was in an accident while we were gone. On New Year’s Eve, in fact. Some drunk driver hit him and messed him up pretty badly.”

“Head injury? Jeez, that’s rough. I had a cousin who was in a bad car accident, and when he came out of the coma, he was never the same again.”

I think about what she’s saying and shake my head. “I don’t think he was in a coma. Actually, I don’t know. By the way he was acting today when I saw him, maybe. He didn’t even seem like the same person I knew and loved once upon a time.”

That makes her smile. “I love how you get so romantic whenever you talk about him. Once upon a time. It sounds like a fairy tale.”

I scan the menu to find something I might like before the server comes over. “It was like a fairy tale being with Ronan. He was sweet and sexy, and I thought we’d be together forever.”

Jessie’s heard the story of how things ended with Ronan, so she finishes my thought for me. “And then he cheated on you, broke your heart, and you’ve never found another guy you love like him again. I know.”

“Well, it’s worse now. He lost his right hand in that car accident, and now he’s so unhappy. It was like I didn’t even recognize him today. He didn’t want to see me and told me to go away. The Ronan I knew would have never said that to me.”

My friend, never someone to waste a tear on any man, pushes her fingertips against my arm. “Hey, you’re really bothered by this. I thought this guy was ancient history.”

I shrug and nod, but I’m not sure that’s how I’d classify Ronan. “He is. Or not. I don’t know. Ronan is Ronan. He was my first everything. First boyfriend. First love. First guy I ever slept with. I grew up when I was with him.”

“Thank God you didn’t say your first kiss or I would have had to take you to have your head examined since you told me one time you two didn’t start dating until you were like seventeen. A girl has to have her first kiss before then.”

Obviously, Jessie isn’t a romantic.

After taking a sip of water, I explain who my first kiss was from. “No, it wasn’t Ronan. It was Danny Canton. He gave me my first kiss. I was fifteen, which I’m sure you’re going to say was way too late in life to be getting a first anything. Whatever. He was my first kiss, and unfortunately, he wasn’t very good.”

“Too dry or too wet? Or no, the worst is too much tongue and they try to force it down your throat like they’re one of those jackbooted thugs who would force feed the suffragettes. Bastards!”

Knowing I need to stop her before she goes off on a tangent about what seems to be her new, favorite topic, I quickly shake my head. “No, no. It wasn’t like that. It wasn’t too dry or too wet, and I don’t think Danny even tried to stick his tongue in my mouth. It wasn’t much of anything. Just sort of meh. I think he may have had bad breath.”

Jessie levels her gaze on me like she hates this story more than she hates liver. “Please tell me your second kiss was better than that. Jesus, that’s an awful story.”

Although the memory of my first kiss has always stayed with me, the same can’t be said for my second kiss or any of the others before I met Ronan. “I don’t remember. All I remember aboutkissing boys in high school was poor Danny that night after the homecoming football game behind the food stand since he’d worked it that night and then Ronan. Everyone in between is just a blur.”

“A horrible blur, I’m sure. See, that’s the problem with those private school guys. They act like they’re all sexy and badass, but they aren’t. All they have is money going for them.”

The server comes over to our table and sets down our drinks before taking our order. At least that gives me a reprieve from my friend’s attacks on my nonexistent love life for the majority of high school. I don’t remember her ever telling me about her first kiss, but I’m guessing it’s a much better story than mine.

Considering how comfortable she is with men, I’m willing to bet all of her kissing stories are better than mine. Well, none of them involve Ronan. He wasn’t like the other guys in high school.

“So, where are we going after dinner tonight?” she asks. “I was thinking that place that just opened up near my apartment.”

I nod, lost in thought about how terrible Ronan looked today. If only there was something I could do, but he doesn’t even want to see me.

“Hello? Earth to Kate. Come in, Kate.”

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