Page 63 of Kings & Chaos

Damn. I was going to have a lot of material for the old fantasies tonight.

I would take any of those options.

How was it?he texted.

I tried to think of the best way to describe the last twenty-four hours and kept coming back to the same word.

Weird.

Any trouble?

I sat up straighter on my bed and crossed my legs.Why would there be trouble?

The infamous three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen, then disappeared.

I tossed my phone farther down the bed. Why did it always seem like I was always one step behind the Kings? Like they wanted it that way?

My phone dinged a minute later, and I sprawled onto my stomach to retrieve it.

Roberto’s a dick and Neo’s not exactly Mr. Sunshine, Oscar texted.Things tend to be tense when they’re together.

I snorted.Tense. That was putting it nicely.

It was def tense. They want us to stay until Saturday.

This time his response was fast.Damn. I’m not sure I can wait until Saturday to see you.

Oscar planned to return to the Kings’ house Friday. According to him, being home sucked ass without his brother to blunt his father’s machismo.

How was your Thanksgiving?I asked.

Toxic, he texted.

I’m sorry. Watch any good movies?

I could picture him retreating to his room after talking business with his dad, opening his computer, escaping into someone else’s story.

I’m rewatching the John Wick movies.

Feeling violent?I was only half-joking.

Thinking of you so far away? Very.

I’ll be home soon.

The word seemed to taunt me on the screen:home. Somewhere between Neo’s bad attitude,Love or Moneymarathons, and cuddle sessions with Rock and Oscar, the Kings’ house had started to feel like home.

The idea didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy. It was too complicated for that. The Kings were still part of a world I was trying to escape. As soon as I found Emma, I’d be gone, back to my real life, even though I didn’t know what that looked like yet.

Can’t wait, tiger. I fucking miss you.

I miss you too.

It was the truth, even if I didn’t know how to reconcile it with all the other shit I had to figure out.

I set my phone down with a sigh and laid my head on the bed. I’d known a year at Aventine would be hard, but it wasn’t supposed to be this… messy.

My earlier exhaustion, dampened by the exchanges with Rock and Oscar, hit me like a bus. I couldn’t think anymore — about my mom and Roberto, Neo, the future.

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