Page 50 of Wicked Games (Fallen Royals 2)

I follow Liam up to his room. “How is she?”

He grunts. “Stressed as always. Jake just got his license, and our parents splurged and got him a car. I think they forgot about the insurance rate for new drivers. He’s going to have to get a job if he wants to keep it, otherwise…”

“He’ll get there,” I say, even if I don’t believe it.

Liam nods sharply. “What’d Theo say about the whole co-captain thing?”

“Not much.” I flop into his desk chair and kick out my legs. “He deserves it.”

“That’s nice of you. Seeing as how you’ve held on to the captainship with a bloody grip since junior year.”

My phone rings, pausing my retort. I flash the screen at Liam, and his eyebrows jump up.

“Didn’t know your mom remembered your number,” he mutters. He stands and leaves the room, closing the door behind me.

“Yes?” I answer, leaning back in the chair. The front two legs lift off the floor.

“Caleb?” my mother asks. Like she’s not sure.

“What can I do for you, Mother?”

She huffs. “What a greeting. Where are you?”

“A friend’s house,” I drawl, gaze on the ceiling. Talking to her is painful, like going to the dentist to have a cavity filled.

“But not the Blacks,” she says. “Eli’s mother called to check in, said they were going to be in Chicago for another few days.”

Silence.

“You didn’t say they were out of town,” she finishes.

“I didn’t know you cared.” The chair slams back down.

“I’m in town.” Her voice is stiff, like she hates talking to me. “We’re having dinner at David’s house tonight. Six o’clock.”

I glance at my watch. It’s almost five thirty. “Thanks for the notice,” I say. They’re at least a forty-five-minute drive from Eli’s—longer from Liam’s. “I already have dinner plans.”

“Caleb Asher,” she starts.

“Sorry, Mother. If you want dinner plans, maybe you should’ve let me know sooner.”

I hang up, throwing my phone across Liam’s desk. There will be consequences for this. Not from Mother Dearest, of course. Uncle David will take it as a personal offense. And unfortunately, he has a bit more sway in my life than she does.

I leave my phone in his room and go downstairs, joining Liam and Jake at the table. They’re playing cards while their mother bustles around the kitchen, and I try to ignore the swooping feeling in my gut.

They used to live in the Jenkins’s house until Liam’s dad got demoted. Suddenly, their whole family was put on a shoestring budget. No more fancy house in Rose Hill with an expensive mortgage, and no more fancy private school for their son—until he got the scholarship, that is.

Still, he’s done the best he can. They converted their basement into a game room to keep the boys from going out and spending money, and they’ve always welcomed me, Eli, and Theo. The Morrisons are a blessing on lost boys like us.

“Your father is working late,” she says to her sons. She places a pot of soup in the center of the table. “If you could pause the game, boys, we’ll eat.”

We each get our own oval loaf of bread to carve out, and then we dump the tomato bisque into the bread bowls. The love that went into this meal makes me uncomfortable. I eat with Eli’s family most nights, but they have a chef who prepares most of the food.

This was… There’s still flour on Liam’s mom’s cheek from the bread.

Jake looks up and notices, his eyes softening. Liam worries about his brother, but as long as he’s treating his mom okay…

I should know. It’s the golden benchmark nowadays.

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