Page 85 of The Promised Prince
“What was that?” She looked up, forgetting to cover the grease.
“Fireworks,” Drake said over the cheers.
“What?” Another explosion lit up the sky, causing her whole body to jump.
“You don’t know what fireworks are?”
“I know what they are, but I’ve never seen them before. They aren’t really deemed essential.”
Drake’s expression turned cold. “I don’t think King Carver cares what’s deemed essential.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Renna said, walking slowly through the crowd as she looked up at the colorful sky.
Drake shoved her body to the right, avoiding a collision with an onlooker, but the move put her right in front of the king and Trev—both of them getting a good look at the grease mark on her forehead. The king shot Renna a deadly stare, and immediately her hand went back up.
“Excuse us,” Drake said as he pushed past them. “She’s not feeling well.”
Inside the palace, they made their way to a side bathroom and locked the door. Renna gasped at the dark line across her skin.
“It’s not that bad.” Drake laughed.
“Not that bad? It’s humiliating!” She grabbed a towel and started scrubbing.
Drake laughed harder as the black substance spread all over her skin with each scrub.
Who else in the world would lean against a gate and get grease all over their forehead?Only me, Renna thought. It was an incrediblyRennathing to do.
“Stop laughing,” she pleaded.”It’s not funny.” She hit him with her towel but was already starting to laugh herself. “What is this stuff? It’s not coming off!”
“Leave it. It looks good.” He shrugged his shoulders like he was trying to convince himself.
“Grease marks look good?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I was just trying to be nice.”
Renna hit him with the towel again.
“Here, let me help.” He dipped the corner of the towel in some water and then added soap and handed it back to her.
It took several rounds of scrubbing, but eventually, the grease was gone.
“There. Everything’s perfect again,” Drake said, inspecting her face.
Renna looked back at him. “Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you hated me too.”
His brows bent together. “Why would you think that?”
“You’ve been avoiding me ever since the first night I arrived, and whenever Trev is by me, you look like you want to punch some sense into him.”
“Am I that obvious?” He grimaced.
“Yes,” she said. She leaned her back against the door and slid to the ground letting out a deep breath.
Drake sat down on the floor across from her, stretching his legs out next to hers.
“You really like Trev, don’t you?”
She should lie to him again, tell him that he was wrong, but somewhere deep inside, the answer begged to be let out.
