Royal Scoundrel (Frat Wars #4)

Chapter 16

16

Archie

“It’s so nice to have the whole family home at one time,” Father says, clapping me on the shoulder and squeezing harder than I’d like. My teeth clench a little tighter against the need to say something. “Especially when they bring such lovely friends with them.”

Lizzie smiles up at him from her place beside me at the table, and I feel sick. The servers hurry to bring the food out once Father is seated, and talk immediately turns to business. My older brother is a solicitor and firmly under Father’s thumb.

“Senior year, Archibald,” Father says suddenly.

I jump from my vacant thoughts. “Ah, yes.”

“I hope you’ll be knuckling down and applying yourself.”

“Always.”

“And that you’re not spending too much time with—” He waves a hand toward Lizzie. “—pretty girls.”

I catch myself from laughing. “Never do.”

“Trust me,” Lizzie adds. “That’s not a problem.”

“Excellent.” Father nods toward Mother. “Did you get it?”

She grins, and my heart stops as she pulls out a ring box. “Picked it up this morning.”

“Ah, what’s—what’s that?”

“Grandmother’s ring.”

This cannot be happening. My head swims so forcefully I almost pass out on the table. “Why do you have it?”

“To make sure it fits,” my mother says, like I should already know the answer. And I don’t know, maybe I should. Maybe I should have been prepared for the train wreck my life was about to veer toward, but every single thing since Lizzie caught me in the library with Dash has taken me by surprise. My heart squeezes thinking about him. Almost my entire two weeks of break have been spent trying to figure out how to get him back.

“Here.” Mother nudges the ring box against my elbow. I stiffly reach for it. The dark velvet brushes my fingertips, nowhere near as soft as Dash’s hair.

“Ah …” I go to hand the box to Lizzie when Albert stops me.

“Hold on, now. You should be the one to put it on her. Where’s your romantic side?”

Up your fucking ass, Albert .

Lizzie audibly inhales before turning to face me. Her smile is dazzling, but there’s something off about it. Not what I’m used to from her.

“You okay?” I murmur.

“Let’s just do this,” she mutters back through her teeth.

I crack the box, and a diamond the size of my thumbnail twinkles back at me. That nausea hits me again, and I’m sure I sway this time, vision swimming to the point the diamond multiplies.

“Would you give us a moment?” Lizzie asks, plucking the box from my fingertips and setting it on the table. She pulls me from my chair, and I don’t bother to fight her, just go limp like the noodles in the middle of the table.

She closes the door softly behind us once we step out into the hall.

“Struggling, huh?” she asks softly.

“What do you mean?”

Lizzie pulls her long hair over her shoulder, twisting the strands around her fingers. “I’m nervous too.”

“You are?”

The look she gives me is downright patronizing. “You think I want to tie myself to a … to a man like you?”

I’m dumbfounded. “You don’t?”

“Of course I don’t.” She scowls. “Seriously? You think I don’t want some kind of epic love story? I’m twenty, for Christ’s sake.”

“Then why did you agree to our … to our deal?”

She waves her hands around like she can’t find the words. “You’re a Levine . My parents would shoot me and bury me in the yard if I said no to you.”

I slump against the wall, letting the weight of everything sink in. Lizzie, Dash, me. All suffering because I won’t come out of the closet. Am I the biggest asshole ever?

“No.” She leans next to me.

“No what?”

“You asked if you were an asshole. You’re not. Well, most of the time.”

“I didn’t realize that was out loud.”

We’re quiet for a moment, and Lizzie glances back toward the dining room.

“ He’s the asshole,” she whispers. “It’s not fair that you have to hide.”

“Yeah, well, in case you hadn’t noticed, Father isn’t all that interested in fair.”

“If you told him about … you know. At least there’d be a reason I could give my parents for turning you down. Even they wouldn’t want me married to … surely.”

“Right.”

“I won’t tell anyone though.”

That hits me deeper than I’m expecting it to. I glance up and try to show my relief, even though I feel so fucking dead inside. “Thank you.”

“So. Now that’s all out there, I guess we have a ring to try on.”

“I guess so.”

“Unless—”

“I can’t.”

She sighs. “That’s the shitty part in all of this. You can. I’ve seen it. You know how to command a room. You have your trust. You’re not reliant on him anymore, and in just over a year, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a kick-ass lawyer. I’ve known you for a few years now, Archie, and I know that you’re capable of anything.”

“But he’ll?—”

“What? Turn his back on his own son? Do you really think that? You have nothing to lose. He does. Your dad might be a strict asshole, but he loves you.”

“He won’t love this.”

“Of course not. He’ll probably be a real dick about it. But which sounds worse? Being married to me forever and never seeing your boyfriend again or having your dad be pissed off at you for a while. I’m not trying to diminish it, because it will be hard at first. But one of those options sounds like it will be hard forever.”

Hard forever or hard for right now?

I know Lizzie has an agenda. I know she’s invested in my coming out, but considering no one, ever, comes into that area of the library and she did? Lizzie, who needs me to give her a reason to get out? Is this some kind of god-given nudge for me to get my act together while I have someone in my corner to support me?

I hunch forward, holding my knees. “I can’t do it.”

The door beside us cracks open, and I don’t have the energy to stand. To keep on pretending.

“Archibald, what’s going on? Are you ill?”

Father’s voice sends a chill down my spine.

“Maybe a stomach flu,” Lizzie answers for me.

I glance up, head heavy. “I’m not sick.” I am. I feel like I’m about to empty my stomach.

“Then what’s going on? You’re keeping us waiting.”

I can feel Lizzie’s curiosity burning the side of my face.

“I’m not coming back in there.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t do it. I can’t marry Lizzie.” Every word is terrifying. So hard to say, but the more I let out, the more that keeps coming.

Father’s jaw tightens. “Go back inside,” he tells Lizzie.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Levine, but I can’t.”

“This is a family matter.”

“Actually, this affects me more than you.” She takes my hand. “I’m going to stay.”

I grip tight to her hold.

“What’s going on?” Father demands. “I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

“Give me a fucking second.”

“Excuse me?” He straightens to his full height. “You will speak to me with respect.”

“Respectfully, I’m getting there. I just need a moment.” My eyes fall closed, and I try to picture Dash’s face. His smiles and the way his hands look against my skin. His bright eyes and messy hair. My heart feels too big. Too much. I never want to lose this feeling.

And when I open my eyes again and look at Father, all I see is an aging man. Someone stern and blunt who is holding on to control because he knows he’s losing it.

Do I choose to be miserable for him?

Or do I choose myself? And Dash? And all the happiness he brings me?

I stand from where I’m slumped against the wall, surprised I’m as tall as he is. “I’m not going to marry anyone.”

“You will do as you’re told.”

“Unless you tell me to marry my boyfriend and somehow change the law so it can happen, then I can’t imagine we’ll be seeing eye to eye on that point.”

He blinks at me, face frozen as he processes my words. “Your …” His eyebrows rise. “ Boyfriend ?”

“Yes. His name is Dash Lewis, he’s the prettiest man I’ve ever seen, and if it’s up to me, I’m going to keep him forever.”

“Lewis. Boyfriend.” Father looks like he’s stroking out.

“Should I grab you a chair, Mr. Levine?” Lizzie asks, and he stares at her like he’s never seen her before.

“A chair?”

“You look in shock.”

His teeth gnash, and he turns on me. “You will end things. Now. I will not allow my child to be seen as a boy-loving pansy. I won’t have it!”

Rage burns in my gut. “It’s not your choice.”

“So long as you live under my roof, it is!”

“Then I suppose I’ll be packing my things.”

“What’s all this shouting?” Mom asks, stepping into the hall and quickly closing the door after her. “Lizzie, darling, go inside.”

“I’ll stay with Archie, thank you.”

“Please tell me no one is pregnant.” Her voice goes faint.

“Unless the male body has changed recently, I don’t envision that being a problem.”

She frowns. “I’m s-sorry, what?”

“I’m gay, Mother. And Father has decided that means I’m no longer welcome here.”

She turns to Father with wild eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“Of course I am.” His cheeks are splotching red. “I gave him the option to give up these ideas?—”

“It’s not an option,” Lizzie cuts in, but he ignores her.

“I won’t have it here. I won’t?—”

“He’s our son .”

“I didn’t raise this.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want him to go.” My mother turns to me. “Archie, honey, you’re staying with us. We’re your family.”

“Family support each other,” I point out.

“I won’t support this!” Father shouts.

“Then I’ll leave. I don’t care anymore.”

“You’ll care when you’re cut off.”

“My trust is more than enough to keep me going.”

“Take a breath,” Mother snaps. Her voice is louder than I’ve ever heard it. “You don’t approve, we understand, but think of the alternative. Think of what happens when people find out you’ve thrown your own son out onto the streets.”

He snorts. “The Empire hotel is hardly the streets.”

“Others won’t see it that way. People are becoming more sympathetic to that … lifestyle. Do you want others to talk?”

“The second they find out about him, he’s all people will be talking about. What will it do to his brother?”

“Free up more women for him to sleep with, I’d imagine,” I snap. I’m done with this. Done with them talking about me like I’m not here. Mother might not want me to go, but even if she changes Father’s mind, I won’t be welcome.

So I’ll go where I am wanted. Hopefully. Dash didn’t want me to get outed because of him, but now that it’s happened, will that be enough? He said he loved me—that can’t be a lie. He’s not the type of guy to fuck around with people’s feelings like that, and if I don’t have to hide now … could we do this for real? No more pretend boyfriends, just us?

I ache for that.

Before either of my parents stop arguing, I leave. I jog upstairs, pack a bag, and book a flight.

Praying the whole time that Dash still wants me too.