Page 38 of Firestorm
“Have you ever seen the prince?” Mia asked.
“No,” I admitted, though I was pretty sure I may have seen a photo of him years ago, when he was conscripted. It was all over the news, but I didn’t remember what he looked like at all. I think I remembered he was hot?
“Skye, the prince is–”
“Sorry about that,” Aiden interrupted Willow as he skidded to a stop next to us. “How’s it going, besties?”
Mia gave Aiden a bored look before turning back to me. “Anyway. Dinner?”
“Yeah,” I said, pointedly ignoring Aiden again. “I’ll meet y’all over there.”
Willow said nothing, her gaze shifting between worry for my feelings and worry for Aiden’s existence.
As soon as they left, Aiden sheepishly moved into my field of vision.
“Hey,” he said weakly.
I stared at him.
“I’m really sorry about,” –he waved his hand around– “that. I’m sure you know how exes are.”
I continued to stare. Aiden shifted his weight back and forth, hischeeks flushing a shade of pink that would have been adorable if he hadn’t just sat there and let some bitch insult me.
But the longer he stared back, the more I realized he really didn’t understand what the problem was. I didn’t care that he had an ex, I cared that he didn’t defend me.
“Okay, cool. See you around.”
“Wait, Skye!” Aiden scrambled after me, reaching out for my arm and then snapping back like I’d shocked him when I rounded on him.
“No, Aiden. I’m not waiting for anything. I’m glad this happened today, I really needed to see who you are.”
“See who I am?” Aiden furrowed his brow. “Who am I, Skye?”
“A coward.”
Aiden stared at me in shock for just a moment, then he spluttered, “I’m sorry, Skye. That was– she’s never…”
“Whatever,” I said with a shrug. “Trust application denied.”
I turned back around, but not quickly enough to miss Aiden’s expression of absolute devastation.
Chapter 12
Rafe
I was watching her again.
Skye Aria, twenty-four years old.
Normally in the library or hiding away in her room, only venturing into the hall when accompanied by Willow Craig or her Link, Mia North.
Skye was currently in herHistory of Affinitiescourse while I hid among the shadows in the rafters above the auditorium. I almost hadn’t followed her into this specific room. I’d hatedHistory of Affinitieswhen I was in school.
Skye was doodling on the edge of her notebook. She did that a lot.Doodle. I wondered why she didn’t just have a sketchbook in that bag of hers.
Could she paint? Would she paint me?
Shakingthatweird fucking thought from my mind, I watched her more closely. Her dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that begged to be pulled. She chewed the inside of her pale pink lips – one of her habits I’d noticed in the last few weeks as I followed her. She was deep in thought about something, and it wasn’t the video game mushroom she was now coloring in with shimmery purple gel pen.
