Page 69 of Triumphant Kings

Mostly it’s because I want to be near him. This thing between us is new and exciting. I’ve missed out on a lot already, and I’ve promised I wasn’t going to run. This is me not running.

From him at least.

Can’t say the same thing about the very big problems that are still in my life. My father, the bitch he’s trying to make me marry,and while my mom hasn’t been as much of an issue, I’d still like to avoid her as much as I can, too.

Why go home when everyone I want to be around isn’t there?

Dad has been blowing up my phone, and there’s only so long I can avoid him before he decides to come find me himself. And if he does that, I know I’ll have some pretty new bruises to replace the ones that have healed.

“Case in point, P-man.” Grayson winks.

“Whatever. Fuck you. Still, stop giving details of how Sadie cums around your cock, okay? We have our own firsthand experiences that are a million times hotter than yours.”

“If it helps you sleep at night to think that, sure.” Grayson chuckles.

Sometimes I really hate this guy and would kick his ass if it wouldn’t piss Sadie off. Sadly, I’m stuck with the fucker.

“Where’s Preston!?” A voice shouts. Brows furrowing, I get to my feet, ready to go out into the main part of the Host Club room to see what's going on, when I nearly crash into Emma.

“Woah. Where’s the fire?” I’m trying for a joke. I know, unlike me, but hey, I’m trying, okay? But my gut sinks when I see the look on her face. Her eyes are red, wild, and panicked with tear tracks staining her face, fresh ones taking their place when she blinks. “What’s wrong?” I demand, on guard.

“It’s Sadie,” she says on a sob.

I feel my stomach fall out of my ass. “Where is she?” I demand.

“Women’s bathroom, the one just down the hall.” Pure terror fills my veins, and I’m pushing past her when she grabs my arms. “Wait!”

“Let me go,” I snap.

“Emma, what happened to Sadie?” Grayson demands.

“Look, you need to know before you go in there, okay?”

“Know what?” Delcan asks.

“I swear to god, Emma, if you don’t let me go right now, I’m going to force you to.”

“Listen to me!” she shouts.

Ignoring her, I shake out of her hold and take off out of the Host Club room and down the hallway towards the bathroom, Grayson and Declan hot on my heels.

A million different scenarios swim through my head, each worse than the last. It’s not until we reach the bathroom, a crowd of people surrounding it, that I really start to lose it.

“Get the fuck out of my way!” I roar, pushing people out of my way in a panic, not giving a fuck if I hurt anyone or not. I need to get to Sadie, I need to make sure she's okay.

The sounds of people crying are the first thing that I hear when I get inside the bathroom. My eyes dart around the room before landing on something that has my whole world turning upside down.

Flashes of the time I found Sadie in the tower, passed out in her own puke, hardly breathing, face pale. Lifeless.

“Sadie.” Her name comes out choked as my whole soul shatters. Stumbling over to her, I drop to my knees and pull her off Mia’s lap and into mine. “Sadie, baby, wake up.” I tap her cold, clammy cheek. She doesn’t stir. “What the fuck happened?!” I shout, making her friends jump. I should feel bad, they’re crying too. But I don’t. I need to know what the fuck is going on.

“W-we were walking to lunch when Tina s-started making mean comments to Sadie,” Mia answers, stumbling over her words as she continues to cry.

“She was saying nasty things to Sadie like she always does. But this time it was bad. Sadie looked like she was going to be sick and took off to the bathroom. She started puking and she just wouldn’t stop,” Alice says, breaking into sobs at the end of her sentence.

“Fuck,” I choke out, cupping her face. “I’m going to kill her,” I growl low, a promise I feel with every ounce of my soul.

“She just kept puking, even when there wasn’t anything left, until she passed out,” Mia cries. “We tried to help. I swear.”

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