Page 59 of The Legend (Rivers Wilde 2)

He pulls his hands away immediately.

“Kal, listen.”

“No. I don’t want to know. You lied to me. You didn’t have to do that.” I hate myself for the sob that ends my sentence. I want to scream and hit him. But I know the minute I do, those men in the suits will be here to carry me out. That’s what she wants. I won’t give it to her. Not again.

Once those cursed shoes are off, I use the wall behind me to pull myself to my feet. The door opens and chatter fills the hallway.

I look up in horror. It was bad enough already. But when I look up and see all of them, the créme de la créme of teenagers in Rivers Wilde… I stare out at the sea of mocking, smug faces. God how I wish those fucking fairy tales were true and that I could count on a fairy godmother, the click of my heels, or a white knight to come and rescue me.

What made me think I would ever fit into their world? I almost laugh when I take in their expertly made-up faces. I’ve got on a swipe of lip gloss I bought in the 99 cent basket at Walgreens.

They’re real princesses. Tonight, I was just playing one.

“I’m leaving,” I say stiffly and then, turn on the bare ball of my foot and start walking down the hall.

When I hear Remi’s hurried footfalls behind me and I turn around with my arm out in front of me to stop him. The expression in his eyes breaks something inside of me and I can’t hold my tears anymore. The flow freely down my cheeks

“Baby don’t cry, I’m so—”

“Please don’t make a scene. I don’t want to give people any other reason to talk about me.” I try to wipe them away.

“It doesn’t matter what they say. They’re not important. Let me talk to you.” He steps up to me and tries to hug me.

I stiffen in horror and yank my body away.

“It matters to me.” I point at my chest. “I wish you’d left for college without me finding out that all of this has been a lie.”

“It wasn’t a lie,” he says from where he’s standing. His expression is pained, and he’s clutching his sides like he’s got a runner’s cramp.

“It doesn’t matter what it was. It’s a lie now.”

“No, it’s not. Can we just go somewhere and talk?” He has the nerve to look frustrated.

“Are you kidding?” I would laugh if I could push it past the lump in my throat. “Your mother went to a lot of trouble to set this up. I don’t think she’s going to sit quietly while you go anywhere with me. I just want to leave the way I came.”

His eyes fill with a sadness that breaks my heart. I can see he’s sorry he hurt me. He hugs me and this time, I let him because I know I’ll miss these hugs. No one in my whole life has ever hugged me like this. God it hurts.

“Please. Let me go,” I ask as coherently as my hurt will let me.

“Not like this.” He holds me tighter. I squirm now because if I don’t get away, he’ll have his way. I won’t let him make a fool of me again.

“Let me go. Or do you want to take what’s left of my dignity, too?” I say in a scathing tone, just loud enough for him to hear.

It does the trick.

His shoulders slump a little and he loosens his hold. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want that. I just—can I come see you tomorrow? Please.” He sounds so defeated and so desperate. I hate myself for caring. I need to get away from him.

I nod.

But, only so he’ll let me leave.

With his assurance that he won’t follow me, I turn and walk back into the ballroom. The ground is cold and wet in places. But I’d walk over burning coals before I put those shoes back on.

My dress is long enough. So no one who looks at me can tell that I left my shoes and my heart on the floor at Remi’s feet.

I see my mother from across the room. She’s staring blankly at the dancefloor. Her arms are wrapped around her waist like she’s cold. “Can we leave?” I ask her as soon as I’m standing next to her.

She turns, and her face is pale. She looks like she’s seen a ghost. And when she looks at me, it’s like she’s looking right through me instead.

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