Page 90 of Sinister Legacy
I’m hurt King would do something like that, but I’m also not surprised. Ava was right when she asked me if King had looked at me twice before. King never noticed anyone. He was above everyone and everything. So why would he suddenly pursue me?
I’m so fucking stupid.
The bell above the door tinkles, and Madison walks in, shaking off a layer of snowflakes. She looks around the small cafe until she spots me seated at the back, where it’s easy to blend in. This is my spot—the one place I come to when I’m down.
Even Claire, the owner, knows something is up when I order a skinny latte and hide away in the back. As soon as I entered, her lips turned down, and she asked who’d hurt me this time.
“Long story,” I’d mumbled, my cheeks icy cold and red from the bitter wind outside.
Madison waves at me before walking up to the counter and ordering a slice of carrot cake and a pumpkin-spiced latte. I can smell it from here when she walks over, precariously balancing the items on the tray.
She places it down on the table and says, “I’m honored you called me instead of Cassie.”
I can’t exactly speak to Cassie about this. I’m sure she’s heard the rumors like everyone else at school—it’s impossible not to—but she wouldn’t understand. Not like Madison. Unlike Cassie, she never judges.
Removing her white bobble hat and shrugging out of her puffer jacket, she smiles at me. “What’s the emergency?”
My cheeks redden. Now that she’s here, I feel stupid. “Ava admitted I’m a dare to King.”
“You are or you were?”
“What do you mean?”
She unrolls her fork and knife from the napkin. “The dare. Are you still one? You and King have been an unofficial thing for some time. He must have completed the dare by now, right? So why is he hanging around if he doesn’t like you?”
I stir my half-drunken coffee, the spoon clinking against the side of the glass. “I don’t know how to feel about the fact that I was a dare to begin with.”
“You’d been going steady with Liam for a long time.”
“Your point?”
Madison cuts her carrot cake into small pieces—a weird habit of hers whenever she eats cake. “Why would you be on his radar when he knew you had a boyfriend? Unless,” she shrugs, “he had a reason to.”
Laughter bubbles up from my chest. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Is it?” she says, deadpan. “King doesn’t have to work for pussy.”
“I’ll have you know mine is prime-time pussy.”
Madison’s shoulders shake with laughter. She munches on a piece of carrot cake, brushing stray crumbs off her lips. “I love how humble you are.”
Watching her with a wide smile, I jerk my head at the cake. “Is it good?”
“You have no idea.” She grows serious. “You can’t let Hayley and Ava hurt you like this because of their stupid dare. King is obsessed with you. Trust me when I say that you’re more than a dare to him. The poor guy can’t take his eyes off you when you enter the room. You’re all he sees.”
The tips of my ears heat, and I lower my gaze to my lap. “Maybe.”
Shaking her head, Madison stabs a piece of carrot cake, then points the fork at me. “No maybe. Trust me on this. The boy is crazy about you.”
“But what if they’re right?” I wave a dismissive hand when she lowers her fork and looks sternly at me. “Forget about the dare. Yes, I’m hurt about it. But in the grand scheme of things, it pales in significance.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Well…” I worry my bottom lip, hunching forward a little with my hands trapped between my knees. “It’s dangerous to be associated with me. Just look at you…” I lift my hand and gesture to her. “You were nearly killed.”
“But I survived.” She puts her fork down, reaching for my hand and inclining her face so we’re level. “You can’t blame yourself for everything that’s happened. And you can’t distance yourself from everyone just to keep them safe. Besides, Jasper and Kit were friends with King, not you.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I quickly release her hand to wipe at my wet cheeks. “I’m sorry I dragged you away from classes for this.”
