Page 138 of Enchanted Kingdom
Keir let out a long sigh. “How long have I been kissing Gwen?”
I nodded.
He scratched his head. “Since the start.”
Everything went blurry. Did he not understand that he was killing me? Did he not understand how much this hurt?
“I don’t want to lie to you, and I hate hurting you like this, Jorah. We’ve had this discussion before.”
I squinted at him. “Yes. We did. The last time I stumbled upon you kissing someone in front of me.”
He shook his head. “That’s not fair. You know that I had a role to play tonight just as well as you.” His eyes went to Owen still sitting there. “You can go now.”
“I’d like him to stay,” I said back, though I felt momentarily guilty for making Owen have to sit through our drama.
Keir looked thoroughly confused. “What? Why?”
“Because,” I snapped, “right now I trust him more than I do you.”
Keir rubbed a hand down his face. “Okay, fine. I deserve that. He stays.”
I was so angry I stood up. “So yes, Keir. You told me you had a role to play. And yes, I assumed you had to kiss someone here and there. Positioned for someone to see.” I paused. “What I didn’t assume was that it would be Gwen. Tucked away where no one could see you.”
“She’s a disloyal,” he said quietly.
I shook my head as more tears streamed down my face. It wasn’t all that shocking to me. She’d always been outspoken, and now I knew there was a motive behind it. “Perfect then. She’s the ally you had always wanted me to be.”
“Jorah, no,” he shook his head.“No.”
“I saw it,” I snapped at Keir. “I saw it with my own two eyes. I was standing there watching it, begging you to pull away. Begging for it to not be real. Begging for you to not betray me like that on the night your father forced me to dress like this because of some twisted game. On the night I had to stand there and stomach Aiyana’s father checking me out while threatening me.”
“What?”Owen snapped.
“Look, I don’t care about Gwen like I do about you,” Keir said gently. “She’s just ratheraggressivesometimes.”
“Convenient for you, then.”
“Jorah, I’m sorry,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have allowed it to happen. Please just know I didn’t initiate it.”
“But you also didn’t put a stop to it,” I snapped.
He let out a sigh. “She saw us dancing together. She was feeling jealous and begging me to not give up on her, give up on us, and then she kissed me.” He paused. “I did kiss her back for a moment, but not for long before I pulled away.”
It had felt like an eternity to me. “I can’t even look at you right now.” Tears and snot were everywhere. “I was a wreck tonight. I needed you. I foolishly thought we were a team in trying to spite your father.”
“We are a team, Jorah,” he insisted.
I shook my head. “No, we aren’t. Or you never would’ve done that to me. Tonight of all nights.”
He reached for my hand, but I moved it away.
“I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes. “I hurt you. I get it. I’m so sorry.”
“You asked me if I could ever be happy here with you. If I could ever want this life,” I croaked. “I will never be okay with that. And I don’t know if I can trust you again.”
“Because you saw me kiss Gwen?”
“Because I saw you kiss Gwen at the moment when I needed you most!” I paused. “Because the night your father set out to humiliate me, you decided to humiliate me even further!”
