Page 40 of The Royal Flame
“Um…” I collect the menu and after quickly checking the prices on everything, I decide. “Can I get a coffee and a sugar cookie?”
God, River would be furious with me if he knew what I was eating right now, especially after the workout that I had. He’d tell me I need protein. But I have two dollars. Coffee and a cookie is the bst I can do.
Besides, River broke up with me so I can do what I want.
Lucky fucking me.
The waitress leaves to go get my food and I direct my attention back to the window. A few people are walking around, some of which look sketchy as they keep sneaking glances around.
By the time the waitress returns with my order, Avery’s twenty minutes late. I powered down my phone after I spoke to her. Did she try to call me and cancel?
I’m about to turn it back on when the bell on the door dings, and she walks in. Her long, dark hair is drench, her face is covered in droplets of rain, and she’s shivering as she peers around the café. When she spots me, I wave and she hurries over, plopping down in the seat across from mine.
“Sorry, I’m late.” She shucks off her hoodie. “My mom didn’t get home when she was supposed to and I was babysitting my sister, so I had to wait for her to show up. But she was drunk when she did, so I had to ask my neighbor to come keep an on my sister. It was a whole ordeal.”
“No worries.” I take a sip of my coffee. “Trust me, I get parents being shitty.”
“Yeah, I remember your mom coming to school drunk when we were like ten and trying to pick you up. She’d drove there too.”
“She did that a lot.”
“God, this place sucks, right?”
I nod as I set the coffee down. “It really does.”
She rests her arms on the table. “What’s it like on the Royal side?”
I waver with my fingers wrapped around the handle of my coffee mug. “Good and bad.”
“What’s bad about it?”
“The cliques. The arrogance. The way everyone thinks they can get away with anything. Plus, a lot them are in like arranged marriages.”
“Ew.”
“I know.” I feel sick as my mind drifts back to River.
Why did he have to be so sweet? It’d make this breakup so much easier.
Why did I have do fall for him?
“But anyway.” I sip my coffee, set the mug down, and clear my throat. “What dirt do you have on Will?”
“Hold on. Let me order a coffee really quick. I need a caffeine jolt.” She raises her hand to flag down the waitress. After she orders a coffee and scone, she leans back in the booth. “So, I dated will for like six months. It was one of the dumbest choices I ever mad. Looking back, I’m not even sure why I did it. I wasjust lonely, I think, and he paid attention me, which, yeah, I know is so pathetic.”
“How long ago was this?” I ask as I break off a chunk of the cookie.
“I broke up with him about a year ago, and I mostly did it because I found out he was stealing from his boss.” She slants forward and lowers her voice while sneaking glances around, like she’s nervous. “I knew if his boss ever found out, that he might use me to punish Will—you know how shit goes sometimes for women who date guys that are dealing.”
I nod. “I do. My mother’s one of them.”
“Right. You’re dad’s in jail for dealing,” she recalls. “So you get it.”
“I really do.”
“And you get that I probably wouldn’t have been able to break up with Will unless I had some proof that he was dealing behind his bosses back.”
“I do get that. My mom tried to leave my dad a few times, but she always came back. And sometimes he made her come back.”
