Page 51 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

Before I can get the words out, he asks, “Did you want to head back with me?”

I blink as everything sitting on the tip of my tongue melts away. I’m loath to ruin this moment between us. One where he isn’t glaring or laying his hands on me in anger.

Even though my plan had been to stay away from the mansion as much as possible, I hear myself say, “Yes.”

Spending time with him, being close, outweighs my decision to keep my distance from my classmates. I have no idea if that need will ever dissipate.

It’s a depressing thought.

Silently, we fall into line and set out down the beach. Instead of focusing on the beauty of the scenery, I’m hyperaware of his bigger, muscular body dwarfing mine. The shift and play of his muscles as we walk.

Even though there’s a breeze, the scent of his woodsy cologne mingled with sweat from his workout overpowers my senses, cocooning me in familiarity. Images from last night fill my head before exploding in my core, making it throb to life. There is nothing like the feel of his dark head buried between my thighs, licking me, tormenting me until there’s no other choice but to splinter apart.

“Did I mention we vacationed here this summer?” he asks, knocking me from the whirl of my thoughts.

I glance at him in surprise. “Before you moved to Hawthorne?”

He nods as we walk at a leisurely pace as if neither of us is in a hurry. “Yeah, we rented a house from a family friend in Chicago.” His green depths ensnare mine, holding them captive. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s when Summer met Kingsley.”

My mind tumbles back to the beginning of the school year and my brows draw together. “Really?”

“Yeah, it was a pretty messed-up situation when we first arrived. I can’t get into the specifics, but the issue has been resolved.”

When the twins first started at Hawthorne Prep, Kingsley made Summer’s life a living hell. There didn’t seem to be a way for them to set aside their differences and get along, much less date. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. They’ve become inseparable.

A little pang fills my heart that I’ll never experience that with Austin. We’ll never make it to the other side. Whatever took place between Kingsley and Summer, it can’t be as bad as what’s happened to us.

“I’m glad for them,” I say quietly.

Maybe even a little jealous that they’ve found their happily ever after.

But I keep that comment to myself.

“He’s an okay dude,” he says with a shrug. “As long as he continues to treat her right, I don’t have a problem with them together.”

A companionable silence falls over us as we make our way back to Kingsley’s sprawling house. It reminds me of how it was before Jasper destroyed it with the photographs. I’d do anything to recapture those few precious moments.

“Austin?” His name is out of my mouth before I can reel it back in.

He flicks a glance at me. When my feet grind to a halt, his do the same.

“Can we talk?” It takes effort to keep the tremor from invading my voice. “Please?”

His unguarded expression vanishes as his eyes turn into hard chips of green ice that cut me to the bone. Even before he has a chance to open his mouth, I realize this conversation was a mistake.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

Desperation floods through me. “That’s not true. If you’d just hear me out. Give me a chance to explain everything that happened…”

He swallows the distance between us before winding his hand around my ponytail and hauling me close. His grip tightens until I have to tip my head back to relieve the sting of my scalp.

Our gazes cling.

“I don’t want to hear any more lies.”

“They’re not lies.”

His eyes darken, turning stormy. It’s a strange contrast to the chilled sunshine slanting down on us. My heart thuds a painful rhythm against my chest as we stare. When his grip intensifies, I lift my chin. A whimper escapes before being snatched away by the wind as his gaze drops to my parted lips.

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