Page 44 of Wicked Games (Fallen Royals 2)

“You two stayed close,” Riley inserts. “If that hurt you, why—”

“I couldn’t let it affect me,” she says. “Come on, Riley. I would’ve been pushed off the cheerleading team if I went up against her.”

“But you’re trying to do that now?” I ask.

“Because history is repeating itself,” she says. “He’s going to watch you fall apart and use Amelie to do it—”

“The golden boys are cruel like that.” Riley rolls her eyes.

Savannah glares at her. “We’re going to be late.”

Riley and I exchange a glance and follow her into the school. She marches ahead of us, oblivious to our slowing pace.

“What do you make of that?” Riley whispers.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to have to sit in homeroom with all of them, so…”

“We don’t know what her intentions are. Amelie just made her stance pretty clear, hanging on his arm like that.”

I take her hand. “Thank you for taking my side. I think I’d be completely lost if you…”

“Other people may have had preconceived notions about you, Margo, but I always try to keep an open mind. And I saw a little bit of myself in you—the bullies targeting you automatically, just because of something you couldn’t control…”

“Is that why you grabbed me that day?”

“Well that, and you were kind of pathetic with your bagged lunch, trying to slip by unnoticed.” She squeezes my hand.

I snort. “I felt pathetic, too.”

We release each other at my homeroom, and I slide into my usual seat in front of Caleb. It’s hard to ignore him, so instead I focus on Savannah and Ian. He’s more sullen than usual, shooting glances toward Amelie.

Amelie was sleeping around on Caleb—with Ian. And now Caleb’s just letting her paw at him like a starving kitten.

Kitten. I hold back my amusement. She has more claws and strategy than a kitten.

Even if I think Caleb’s not paying attention, it feels like he’s turned toward me. I’m always slightly off-kilter around him.

I glance over at Savannah. She’s watching me. Slowly, I nod.

Even if we’re in a truce, we’re still enemies.

She flashes me a quick grin, then goes back to neutral. Ian’s attention goes from her to me. I scowl at him, but it’s the wrong move: it just traps his interest.

Savannah catches up to me in the hall after homeroom, pushing a note into my hand. I don’t read it until my next class, scanning it then tearing it into tiny pieces. She wants to meet after school.

The day passes relatively quickly. I ignore Caleb and Amelie. Everyone else… well, that’s another story. In Robert’s class, Caleb sits across the room. I welcome it, because I’m getting sick of being ignored. And I suspect he’s going to pay me a visit tonight, anyway…

Operation: Dethrone the King is going to be a work in progress.

Robert pauses by my easel. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine,” I say.

“Is Caleb leaving you alone?”

“Yeah.” I try not to let my voice sound bitter. I wanted this. I need this.

I need to pull myself away from Caleb—our history and whatever fucked-up relationship we had.

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