Page 222 of River & Crown
"Kysre, please!" I bickered while reading the next text from Crown.
Crown
Come outside. You got two minutes, or I'm coming in to make brain Bolognese.
Standing from the table, I grabbed Kysre's wrist and yanked her up.
"I'm sorry about this, Mitchell, but I have to go," I announced.
Before he could get a syllable out, Kysre and I were already moving toward the front of the restaurant.
"Where is he?" Kysre asked as we stepped outside.
"Four."
The sound of my name in that low growl sent a chill racing down my spine. I spun to the left, and there he was. I smiled hard as hell and ran straight into Crown's arms.
"I missed you," he said, locking eyes with me.
The emotions hit too fast, too hard. I couldn't speak and could barely breathe.
Missed me?
I pulled back, my hands balled into fists against his chest.
"You missed me?" I stated, voice shaking. "You left me, Crown. You just fucking disappeared!"
Tears poured out faster than I could stop them.
"You promised me forever and then left like I meant nothing!" I sobbed, hitting his chest over and over. "I needed you, and you left me! You left me!"
Crown caught my wrists gently, pulling me close again. "I know," he murmured, and that made it worse.
"You—" I felt something sharp prick the side of my neck. My hand instinctively shot up. "What the f?—"
The world started spinning before I could finish. My legs went weak, and my vision blurred, as if shadows were closing in around me.
"Wha-what did you do?" I slurred, barely able to keep my eyes open.
Crown caught me as I slumped forward, one arm locked around my waist.
His voice was soft, low, but firm enough to echo through the fog in my head. "You better still have that fucking ring on and you looking a little thicker, Four."
My eyes fluttered open to a dim, unfamiliar room that smelled faintly of eucalyptus. I couldn't tell if it was the middle of the night or the heavy curtains drawn across the windows making everything so dark.
My head throbbed as my body started to tingle. I shifted, blinking hard to focus. I looked down, realizing I was on a couch with a blanket somewhat thrown over me.
"I miss you."
Crown's voice came back to me along with everything that happened. Crown had pricked me with something, and Syn did the same to Kysre.
"Crown!" I croaked.
I looked around the room as best as I could until my eyes landed on him. He was across from me, standing stiffly with his back to me, and staring out the window.
"Crown!" I repeated, forcing the word through the scratch in my throat.
I tried sitting up, but the wave of nausea rolling through me forced me back down.
