Page 44 of Wicked Prince

"Listen to what?" I snap. "Listen to you try to talk your way out of the fact that you're dating my sister?"

"I didn't know she was your sister," he says, like that makes even a bit of difference. "Until tonight, I had no idea you were even related.”

I give a disbelieving laugh at his pointed tone, shaking my head. "Don't. Don't you dare try to turn this around and make it about me not telling you who I was. Like that has anything to do with this."

"Of course it does," he says, his voice low and measured, like he's speaking to a hysterical child. "And if you hadn't disappeared this morning, we might have had the chance to talk about this."

"Oh, what, like you would’ve come clean?" I challenge.

He has the gall to shrug.

Before I can smack him again, I grab my clutch and walk to the door.

Lorenzo grabs me, staring down at me without releasing my arm. "I'm not letting you run away again. Not until you hear me out."

"Hear you out?" I stare at him in disbelief. "You mean stand here and listen to you try to justify the fact that you're cheating on her with me? And for what? So I won't tell everyone and blow your chance at getting in my dad's good graces?"

His brow furrows in irritation, and a familiar fire lights up his eyes. A fire I once found appealing before it scorched me. "I don't give a fuck about Kayleigh. I never have, and I never will. That should be obvious to you of all people, since you know her better than I do."

"Don't bet on it," I say, jerking out of his grasp. "You know, the whole 'relationship of convenience' thing would be a lazy excuse even if I didn't just hear firsthand you were keeping it a secret from our parents."

He rolls his eyes. "It's not that simple."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not interested in hearing your oh-so-sophisticated reasoning for being a liar and a cheater," I mutter. "But hey, I guess if anything, that would just endear you to my old man."

Lorenzo seems like he's about to respond when something makes him change his mind and he frowns. "You know, you weren't exactly forthcoming yourself."

"Don't even try to pretend like that's the same thing."

"Isn't it?" he challenges.

"Of course not!" I hiss. "For one thing, until tonight, I had marching orders to keep my identity a secret from everyone, including you."

His expression falters, like he hadn't counted on me having a suitable argument for his point. Not that it deters him for long.

"This doesn't have to change anything." He takes a step and I back up instinctively, only to realize he has me backed against the wall again. He touches my face, and his gaze softens, just to add insult to injury. "I meant everything I said before, Amelia. I care about you. I don't want this to be over."

"I don't give a damn what you want," I say, pushing away from him to slip under his arm before I can fall under the spell of his piercing gaze and his silken lies. "I never want to talk to or even see you again outside of class. Or your wedding, assuming I can't manage to fake a convincing enough cold to get out of it."

He reaches for me again. "Amelia—"

"Don't touch me!" I cry with enough force that he actually hesitates for what's probably the first time in his life. Or maybe I just look as fragile as I feel, ready to shatter into a thousand pieces if I'm so much as brushed up against the wrong way. "I mean it, Lorenzo. Just leave me the hell alone, or I swear to God, I'll go out there and tell everyone exactly what you are."

He doesn't respond. He just stares at me with an unreadable look in his eyes, but I seize the opportunity to duck out of the bathroom while I can. I keep walking toward the table, relieved my tears seemed to have formed an invisible crystalline shell around me, keeping everything frozen the way I need so desperately for it to be.

The conversation is still lively when I return to the table, and I'm pretty sure no one even noticed my absence. No one except Kayleigh, who's giving me a weird look. I refuse to acknowledge it, though, and I ignore her as well as Lorenzo when he finally returns to the table a few minutes later.

Whether she managed to put two and two together after his conspicuous absence, I don't know, but she isn't brazen enough to call him on it. Not in public, at least. She just seems to be even clingier throughout the rest of the night, but Lorenzo gives her the cold shoulder to such a degree that I can't help but feel sorry for her in a weird way.

No, I didn't know they were dating, and there's no way in hell I would have had anything to do with him if I had. I might hate her, but it's only because she hated me first.

Of course, I'm not naïve enough to think ignorance would be an excuse to her.

If she had any idea what we did, she'd probably try to end my life rather than just settling for making it a living hell. All the more reason to get out of here as soon as I get the chance.

Yeah, going out on my own is a risk, but for the first time since I arrived in New York, staying is far more dangerous.

And besides, it's not like I have a reason to stay now.

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