Page 118 of The Casualty of Us
I don’t get a chance to respond before she skips off, giving me only her back to shoot daggers into with my eyes.
“I see that not only did you not let the crown slip, but you’re making alliances.” I turn back to find Hayes studying me intently. “What changed there?”
“No one can exist in a bubble, not even the crown,” I quip back, a bit uncomfortable by the truth I find in my own words. “She surprised me, I guess.”
“Speaking of surprises…” He leans back against the counter. “You planning on surprising anyone for your birthday tomorrow, or are we staying here?”
He tilts his head at me in the silence that follows and I take a sip of my drink, probably because that very question has been sitting in the back of my mind all day.
Right there beside all the rest of them.
It’s a shame I don’t have answers on anything, really.
But it does make me suspicious.
I lower the drink from my lips, guessing without really needing him to confirm. “You talked to Ollie.”
“I did.” He pauses, gaze dropping to the glass in my hand before he snags it. “I had to find out where you were.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “And what else did my dear brother have to say?”
“Not much,” he scoffs softly, lifting the drink to his lips to take a sip and making my stomach flip through the whole thing. “Just that it had been a weird summer.”
That would be putting it mildly.
“And that he thought you missed me.”
My face blanks at that along with my brain because…that doesn’t make sense. Not with how we left things. Not with how he’s been all summer.
It doesn’t make sense.
“It has been.” I clear my throat, forcing myself back to the present and finally answering. “And I don’t know…about the birthday.”
That tension fills his face again in an instant. “What happened with you two?”
I drop my eyes with a lame shrug, stealing my drink back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Is it because of me?”
And just like that, I lift them back up with a snort. “So humble.”
“O—”
“Listen.” I cut him off with a sigh, desperately trying to push it off. “A lot happened, and it’s not like you were around—
He leans in closer. “Whoa—”
“So let’s not pretend like it would be some quick catch-up when we hardly talked all summer.” I cock my head at him, knowing I’m pushing it here. “I’m kinda getting whiplash.”
Something sparks in his eyes at my little show that has me swallowing nervously, not really sure what I want the outcome to be for a split second before Mia interrupts.
“Hey.” Her hand closes around my elbow with a squeeze before dropping away while informing me. “Just wanted to let you know that Talan’s taking over for the night.”
“Perfect,” I spit the word out like it’s the exact opposite as the bodyguard himself comes up looking far too curious and making me snap. “Here’s your resting bitch face fixer, by the way.” Gesturing at Hayes with my drink to just get it out of the way. “Mystery solved, Sherlock.”
I blink once at all of their surprised faces before spinning on my heel and marching away. Tossing my drink back and downing it with my next five steps. Setting it on the first piece of furniture I pass and pushing through a couple of people to make it out the back door. Gasping for the first breath of ocean air that hits me and knowing my time is running out all around.
“Fitzroy!”
